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1. Define aging and long term care 2. Become familiar with relevant demographic information. 3. Obtain information that includes but is not limited to, the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. 4. Learn the psychological impact of aging 5. Describe the relationship between aging and culture 6. Distinguish between long term and alternative types of care 7. Identify and access relevant resources Table of Contents: 1. Definitions 2. Demographic Information 3. Biological Aging 4. Aging and Culture 5. Long Term Care 6. Psychological Considerations 7. Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse Reporting 8. Resources 9. References
1. Definitions
Aging is defined as “the accumulation of changes in an organism over time.” Aging is also a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change (Masoro E.J. & Austad S.N..eds: Handbook of the Biology of Aging, Sixth Edition. Academic Press. San Diego, CA, USA, 2006). Some dimensions of aging grow and expand over time, while others decline. For example, although reaction time may decrease with age, knowledge of world events and wisdom may increase. Research shows that even late in life potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development (Strawbridge, W.J., Wallhagen, M.I. & Cohen, R.D., 2002. Successful aging and well-being: Self-rated compared with Rowe and Kahn. The Gerontologist). Aging is an important part of all human societies which not only reflects the biological changes that occur, but also the cultural and societal conventions (Masoro E.J. & Austad S.N.. eds: Handbook of the Biology of Aging, Sixth Edition. Academic Press. San Diego, CA, USA, 2006).
2. Demographic Information
The number of Americans age 55 and older will almost double between now and the year 2030. This number will grow from 60 million today (21 percent of the total US population) to 107.6 million (31 percent of the population) as the Baby Boomers reach retirement age. During that same period of time, the number of Americans over 65 will more than double, from 34.8 million in 2000 (12 percent of the population) to 70.3 million in 2030 (20 percent of the total population). The next generation of retirees will be the healthiest, longest lived, best educated, and most affluent in history. Americans reaching age 65 today have an average life expectancy of an additional 17.9 years (19.2 years for females and 16.3 years for males).
The likelihood that an American who reaches the age of 65 will survive to the age of 90 has nearly doubled over the past 40 years from just 14 percent of 65-year-olds in 1960 to 25 percent at present. By 2050, 40 percent of 65-year-olds are likely to reach age 90 (Fentleman, D.L., Smith, J. & Peterson, J., 1990. Successful aging in a postretirement society. In P.B. Baltes and M.M. Baltes, Eds. Successful aging: Perspectives from the Behavioural Sciences). Highest level of education achieved is increasing in the older population. Although less than one-third of today’s adults aged 70-74 have at least some college education that percentage will increase to more than 50 percent by the year 2015. Currently, older Americans possess more financial resources compared to previous generations. Households headed by persons age 65 and older reported a median income in 2000 of $32,854 ($33,467 for Caucasians, $27,952 for African-Americans, and $24,330 for Hispanics).
While one of every eight (12.1 percent) households headed by someone age 65 or older had incomes less than $15,000, nearly half (49.2 percent) had annual incomes of $35,000 or more, and nearly three in ten households (29.8 percent) had incomes greater than $50,000 per year (Fentleman, D.L., Smith, J. & Peterson, J., 1990. Successful aging in a postretirement society. In P.B. Baltes and M.M. Baltes Eds. Successful aging: Perspectives from the Behavioural Sciences).
Approximately fifty percent of Americans age 55 and over volunteered at least once in 2002. Even among those aged 75 and older, 43 percent had volunteered at some point in the previous year. Older volunteers devoted the most time to community activities amounting to almost double the national median for all ages. Compared with the U.S. median commitment of 52 volunteer hours annually, those 65 and over contributed 96 hours per year. (U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Volunteering in the United States, December 2002). It is Older Adults as Volunteers Age 55 to 64 Age 65 to 74 Age 75+ % of age group who volunteer 50.3 % 46.6 % 43.0 % total number of volunteers 11.9 million 8.5 million 7.1 million Avg weekly hours/volunteer 3.3 hours 3.6 hours 3.1 hours Total time volunteered annually 4.8 billion hours 1.6 billion hours 1.1 billion hours estimated that the number of older volunteers would increase significantly if more were asked to volunteer or were offered an incentive. Older Americans now view retirement as an increasingly active, engaged phase of life that includes work and public service. Factors in the Decision to Work in Retirement (%)* Pre-retirees who plan Working to work in retirement retirees Total Desire to stay mentally active 87 68 83 Desire to stay physically active 85 61 80 Desire to remain productive or useful 77 73 76 Desire to do something fun or enjoyable 71 49 66 Need health benefits 66 20 56 Desire to help other people 59 44 56 Desire to be around people 58 47 55 Need the money 54 51 53 Desire to learn new things 50 37 48 Desire to pursue a dream 32 20 29 (Source: AARP, Staying Ahead of the Curve 2003) According to a 2002 survey conducted for Civic Ventures, 59 percent of older Americans view retirement as “a time to be active and involved, to start new activities, and to set new goals.” Just 24 percent see retirement as “a time to enjoy leisure activities and take a much deserved rest.” Retirees who intend to work during their retirement identify the desire to stay active and productive, rather than economic necessity, as the primary reason. More than half of the respondents (56 percent) say civic engagement will be at least a fairly important part of retirement (Peter D. Hart Research Associates, “The New Face of Retirement: An Ongoing Survey of American Attitudes on Aging,” San Francisco: Civic Ventures, 2002).
A 2003 survey conducted for AARP found that many Americans between the ages of 50 and 70 plan to work far into what has traditionally been viewed as their "retirement years": • Nearly half of all pre-retirees (45 percent) expect to continue working into their 70s or later. Of this group, 27 percent said they would work until they were in their 70s, and 18 percent said “80 or older,” “never stop working,” or “as long as they are able to work.” • The most common reasons given by pre-retirees for wanting to continue working in retirement were the desire to stay “mentally active” (87 percent) or “physically active” (85 percent), and the desire “to remain productive or useful” (77 percent). Slightly more than half of the pre-retirees (54 percent) indicated that their motivation was based on "a need for money.” (S. Kathi Brown, “Staying Ahead of the Curve 2003: The AARP Working in Retirement Study,” Washington, DC: AARP, 2003). • The result of these demographic trends is the emergence of a new life-stage between adulthood and true old age – which has been called the “third age” or “midcourse” or “my time.” (Source: AARP, Staying Ahead of the Curve 2003) “The third age is no longer a brief intermezzo between midlife and drastic decline… Instead, it has the potential to become the best stage of all, an age of liberation when individuals combine newfound freedoms with prolonged health and the chance to make some of their most important contributions to life.” Mark Freedman, founder of Civic Ventures, author of PrimeTime: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America. “Midcourse connotes the period in which individuals begin to think about, plan for, and actually disengage from their primary career occupations and the raising of children; launch second or third careers; develop new identities and new ways to be productively engaged; establish new patterns of relating to spouses, children, siblings, parents, friends; leave some existing relationships and begin new ones…. The fact that most retirees say that they retired ‘to do other things’ suggests that midcoursers are retiring to move to something else, not simply from boring or demanding jobs.” Phyllis Moen, McKnight Presidential Chair, Sociology, University of Minnesota. “Midcourse: Navigating Retirement and a New Life Stage.” Jeylan Mortimer and Michael J. Shanahan, eds., Handbook of the Life Course. New York: Kluwer Publishers, 2003. “Something huge is happening here… The emergence of an older, more vigorous population is the most significant story of our times.”, Abigail Trafford, Washington Post health columnist and author, My Time: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life.
