Aging in the 1980s is raising many questions not heretofore considered. Departments of gerontology, universities and medical schools are studying the aging process and considering new areas of research. With man’s life span dramatically extended due to breakthroughs, medical science is rethinking some of the earlier beliefs about disease and aging.
Because of the large number of Baby Boomers, those born right after World War II, a large bubble of the population is causing a shift in the percentage of older people in the population.
About 50 years ago when Social Security legislation was formulated, a group decided that age 65 was when “old age” began. Many of us know people we consider aged in their attitude and thinking when they are in their 50s; other we don’t seem to meet the old-age criteria when they are in their 70s. The old adage about “as a man thinketh” and those referring to self-fulfilling prophecies certainly come into play when considering how people approach aging.
Movies and television frequently cast older people in unflattering roles. Watching these portrayals would lead one to believe that all old people are crotchety, stingy, unhealthy and incapable of making rational decisions.
Because there is an almost universal fear of being deaf and being old, many people do anything to avoid being around older people. The isolation produced by this attitude speeds up the aging process because it shoves older people into situations where there is a lack of stimulation and challenge.
In more traditional cultures, the elderly are highly valued by their society. Their wisdom and knowledge are considered a family asset; their opinions are sought in making major decisions. In our society, politics is one of the few professions where older people are liberally represented, but even the, the person must begin at a much earlier age to advance to a position of importance.
Research by the National Council on Aging has revealed many myths regarding the symptoms of mental deterioration and the assumption that senility is a normal part of aging. Facts are that senility does not occur in all cases of aging and significant memory loss, confusion, personality change and disorientation does not always occur. Of the small percentage of people who do suffer from severe intellectual impairment, some help is available, and medical science is working toward even greater breakthroughs in helping these afflicted individuals.
Another interesting myth: Older people know they are old and feel old when they reach their 60s. They are expected to need more sleep, retire from work and lose their desire for sex. The fact is most older people see themselves as quite a few years younger than their age. One survey of 2,000 people found that almost 50 percent reserve the term “old” for those older than 80.
One final myth is that older people cannot cope with stress as well as the younger generation. I have talked with many senior citizens who have gone through more stress than many of us will ever know. I certainly hope I do not have to experience the economic stress of the Great Depression, or be involved in the monumental effort of fighting two world conflicts at the same time. Many in the olde3r generation, I know, have a frame of reference quite adequate to handle many present-day stresses.
I, for one, am glad that myths and fallacies are yielding to a new and enlightened way of thinking. I hope I will benefit from this new way of thinking.
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I’m an experienced Clinical Practitioner, Administrator, Professional Writer, and Lecturer.
