Successful Aging. What Do You

¶ … successful aging. What do you think are its positive and negative features?

Generally, contemporary gerontologists and psychologists consider "successful aging" to be acceptance of the practical limitations of the many social, physical, and other consequences of advancing age that allows the individual to experience a satisfying life into the period of life ordinarily marked by retirement (Bearon, 1996). In principle, the contemporary theory of successful aging emphasizes the importance of relinquishing connections to areas of life that previously occupied the bulk of the individual's professional life and that, more often than not, played significant roles in the person's psychological identity. Other aspects of successful aging in the contemporary view include developing new interests that are not as limited by advancing age as well as finding new avenues for social outlets and relationships that provide some of the same personal psychological benefits as those activities and relationships that typically must be relinquished in the twilight age (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

That concept of successful aging is applicable to individuals who have achieved the necessary maturity and psychological development to follow that general scenario. In that regard, individuals who have achieved professional or community goals prior to their elderly years and who have always been successful at establishing healthy relationships are much more likely to negotiate old age successfully. However, the standard model of successful aging seems to presuppose a degree of personal psychological development that is not generally achieved by a high percentage of the population. Therefore, it may not be especially helpful or predictive for a substantial portion of the aging population simply by virtue of typical rates of psychological contentment in society (Bearon, 1996).

2. Describe three daily living tasks for community-dwelling elders that are heavily dependent upon attentional functioning. How specifically would attention play a role in each of them? How might difficulties be addressed so that the person could continue living in the community?

The gradual deterioration of attentional functioning in the elderly is attributable to the characteristic changes in neurological architectural structure and related brain changes associated with the normal physiology of aging (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Pinker, 2002). Many of those changes necessitate behavioral coping for the individual to maintain ordinary day-to-day life. To a large extent, the major distinction between the portion of old age that continues to be psychologically and emotionally fulfilling and the portion of old age that often becomes marked by depression, anxiety, and loneliness is a function of the individual's ability to successfully overcome the practical limitations caused by natural physiological cognitive changes (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

For many in the elderly population, the ability to continue living independently is the most important aspect of successful aging, particularly in connection with the ability to function well enough to live autonomously in the same home in which they have always lived. In that regard, certain types of daily living tasks are crucial because they are functional prerequisites to continuing to live independently in the same community. Typical examples of those tasks would include awareness of dates, days of the week, and time of day; the ability to manage personal finances such as paying bills and maintaining checking accounts; conducting necessary chores such as basic home or apartment maintenance; and meeting one's nutritional needs which includes periodic shopping and food preparation. To a certain extent, gradually increasing difficulties can be overcome by effective planning and the coordination of assistance from friends and family. Generally, the longer those strategies succeed the better for the aging individual.

3. Erikson said in his later life that he would have crafted his theory somewhat differently had he known he'd live to be an old man. What weight would you give to generativity (initially classed as a midlife function) in late life and how do you think it could be expressed?

Erikson's observation is likely a function of the fact that the Generativity concept does not necessarily come to an end merely because the individual reaches the stage of life that marks the transition from middle age to old age. It is likely that those individuals who were particularly involved in the betterment of their community and in securing the welfare of their families during middle age continue those sentiments well into old age and, subject only to their physical and cognitive ability, for the duration of their lives.

It may be more accurate to consider Generativity as a feature that is somewhat less dependent on chronological age and much more a function of individual perspective throughout life. Moreover, there are many indications that the types of attitudes and values that Erikson considered within the concept of Generativity are equally present among young adults. In that sense, people who are inclined to derive satisfaction by doing for others tend to express that and begin to live that way even before middle age and to continue that perspective well into their twilight years (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

The other potential flaw in that aspect of Erikson's theory of adult development is that is presumes sentiments and tendencies that are simply not characteristic of many individuals, such as those who do not experience much satisfaction from beneficence at any point in their lives. One way of expressing Erikson's concept more accurately might be that old age is a period where those who have previously derived satisfaction from Generativity earlier in life tend to continue that approach; meanwhile, some of those who never did remain contentedly selfish while others who never did much for others earlier in life may experience regret over their selfishness in their latter years (Bearon, 1996).

4. Craft a brief portrait of someone in late life having great difficulty handling the tasks of Erikson's integrity stage. What does this person's daily life look like? What would be some of the person's reflections?

The individual who is unsuccessful tends to be preoccupied with maintaining artificial sources of self-worth and replacing old ones with new ones and is likely to live in a perpetual state of depression, despair, and resentment of those who are still young enough not to have to worry about the end of life. In many cases, individuals who suffer from low self-esteem manage to overcome the immediate consequences by overcompensating in some way with varying degrees of success (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). For example, the individual whose early experiences infused him with feelings of inadequacy may work extremely hard to excel in some profession or other behavioral manifestation that is likely to hold him in high regard in the community (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008).

In principle, almost any laudable human endeavor (whether becoming a physician, a policeman, or a successful professional entertainer) can be pursued in a healthy manner and principally because of the value that the achievement represents or in a manner that is more reflective of personal psychological shortcomings to overcompensate for inner self-doubts (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). The individual whose middle years are largely devoted to overcompensating for lack of genuine self-esteem is likely to experience great difficulty relinquishing those crutches. Consequently, he may spend his twilight years "living in the past," continually announcing and recounting his past achievements or by seeking new avenues to excel at something (such as golf, or checkers, or bingo). This person's reflections are likely to focus on artificial achievements and external sources of pseudo self-esteem (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

5. Craft a brief portrait of someone in late life successfully negotiating the tasks of Erikson's integrity stage. What does this person's daily life look like? What would be some of the person's reflections?

Generally, individuals who reach their latter years and who negotiate Erikson's integrity stage of life successfully manage to relinquish some of the artificial sources of self-esteem and self-worth (Birren & Schaie, 2006). For example, an aging business executive who is successful at making this transition will be able to distance himself from his vocational identity and his professional success as his primary source of personal identity. By contrast, his colleague who never developed psychologically because he used his vocational identity as a substitute for genuine self-esteem and self-worth will be comparatively lost once he retires (Bearon, 1996; Birren & Schaie, 2006).

The individual who is successful handling Erikson's integrity stage of adult psychological development reaches a perspective where he or she fully understands that (among other things) human life is always of finite duration; individual lives are comparatively unimportant in the overall scheme of the universe; the value and worth of human life is largely a function of what the individual has managed to do to benefit other human beings or society as a whole; and that once one's most productive years are over, one can continue contributing positively, albeit perhaps in smaller ways; and that when the end of life comes, it is not a tremendous personal tragedy. That individual's life is likely to include appreciating small pleasures and positive human relations as well as attempts to share the benefit of 20/20 hindsight with friends and family members who could benefit in the future from elements of perspective that the individual only discovered personally in his later years. If anything, such a person may have regrets over having wasted too much of life on impersonal achievements and selfish pursuits.

6. Do you agree that in later life men become more nurturing and women more assertive? What do you think are the findings that could support or challenge that observation?

The observation that men tend to become more nurturing, less competitive, less aggressive, and "gentler" in later life and that women tend to become less emotional and more confident or assertive would seem to be substantially true. That is largely attributable to hormonal changes; specifically, aging males tend to produce much less testosterone and post-menopausal females secrete less estrogen in their later years (Pinker, 2002). Naturally, those hormonal changes would be expected to result in various behavioral changes in areas where human behavior (and gender-specific behavior in particular) are products of the secondary sex hormones (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008; Pinker, 2002).

Findings capable of supporting those observations in relation to males would include anecdotal information from families as well as from aging male subjects themselves. Empirical data consistent with support for that hypothesis in its application to males includes declining arrest rates, aggression-related driving violations, and both verbal arguments and physical altercations among males in the age range associated with substantially declining testosterone levels. Findings capable of supporting those observations in relation to females would include anecdotal information from families as well as from aging female subjects themselves. Empirical data consistent with support for that hypothesis in its application to females would include increased pursuit of activities and goals typically considered intimidating by many females. Additionally, increased measures of female independence (such as initiating divorce, pursuing sexual interests, and opening businesses) would also seem to support the hypothesis in relation to females.

7. Generate a situation of your own creation in which an elder would face a stressor and demonstrate coping. Identify the stressor, the person's primary and secondary appraisal, and the person's choices of coping strategies. What would indicate adaptive coping? Less adaptive?

One of the most common situational stressors experienced by individuals during the transition from middle age to late stages of life would be the gradual reduction in and eventual loss of driving ability. In many cases, driving is one of the most important factors that allow aging individuals to remain independent, especially in geographic regions where public transportation is comparatively unavailable, unsafe, or unreliable (Birren & Schaie, 2006). An aging individual who manages to cope well with the gradual loss of driving abilities would typically begin making appropriate plans for maintaining his or her daily routines as soon as it began to become apparent that it will soon be impractical to continue driving. In some cases, that might involve practicing the use of public transportation beforehand so that by the time driving is no longer an option, competence and confidence will have already been achieved using public transportation. In other cases, coping with the loss of driving abilities or privileges might necessitate relocating as a primary coping mechanism to reduce the necessity of relying on that mode of transportation (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

Generally, the primary appraisal would involve assessing the need for alternate transportation and the willingness of the individual to recognize the need to adapt. Secondary appraisal would consist largely of the degree to which the individual manages to maintain interests and routines through that coping strategy. Conversely, less adaptive coping would include denial of the need to make changes and insistence on driving until a major incident such as a traffic accident. Another example of less adaptive coping would be simply giving up any activities that require transportation instead of coping.

8. Why is perception of control such an important part of nursing home life? How could persons with non-severe dementia have opportunities for control?

The transition from independent living to assisted dependent living situations almost always includes an element of depression by virtue of the loss of autonomy and control, especially over ordinary aspects of life such as when to eat and what to do with one's free time (Birren & Schaie, 2006). Even in the best-case scenarios, it may be impossible to negotiate the initial stage of transition from independent living to assisted living without some degree of acute depression (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

Generally, the more connected the aging individual is to a support network of friends and family after moving to an assisted living facility, the less dramatic the difference in life may be from the person's perspective (Birren & Schaie, 2006).Equally important is the ability to maintain autonomous control over one's life because it can be extremely difficult to cope with having others make decisions that the individual has been able to make throughout adult life. For that reason, one of the most helpful approaches to running assisted living facilities is to recognize the relative psychological significance of allowing the individual as much control as practicable. In principle, assisted living facility administrators can help their patients avoid depression and maintain the most satisfying life that is possible for them by limiting controls on their lives to those that are actually necessary, whether by law, medical condition, or other practical circumstances (Birren & Schaie, 2006).

Ideally, assisted living facility residents should, therefore, be allowed to decide how they want to spend their time, when they want to go to bed and get up in the morning to the greatest extent possible without compromising their health, safety, or welfare, and without interfering with operations or the corresponding rights of other facility residents.