Individual Perceptions of Successful Aging and Quality of Life

Introduction

Half of the babies born in the United States today will live to see their 100th year, and many of their cohorts will also live longer lives compared to recent generations. As people grow older and experience the benefits of accumulated wisdom alongside the ravages of age-related infirmities and illnesses, definitions of successful aging will undoubtedly undergo some fundamental changes. Examining these issues in a broader social context therefore represents a timely and worthwhile enterprise.

To this end, five primary societal and/or individual factors that can contribute to different perspectives on successful aging are discussed below. The goal is to identify how people personally define the concept of successful aging, to determine whether this personal definition differs from the broader society's viewpoint, and to explore how this personal definition relates to the concept of quality of life. An examination of the manner in which an individual's cohorts and cultural identity affect the perception of both concepts is followed by a discussion of the potential effect of these forces on definitions of successful aging in the future.

Five Factors That Shape Perceptions of Successful Aging

While it is reasonable to suggest that definitions of success vary significantly from individual to individual — ranging across the entire spectrum of the human condition — it is also reasonable to identify five primary societal and/or individual factors that contribute to successful aging. These factors resemble Maslow's hierarchy of needs but are specifically adapted to the experiences of older adults.

1. Financial Resources. Money may not buy happiness, but it does provide access to better healthcare, more nutritious food, superior shelter, and other factors that contribute to longer and more comfortable lives. Without sufficient monetary resources, people become reliant on social support systems that are already overburdened, and state and federal budgets have been stretched to their limits in the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2007–2009.

2. Active Intimate Life. Growing older does not mean that an individual's desire for intimacy must vanish or even diminish. Close romantic relationships with significant others during an otherwise lonely period in life can represent the foundation of a personally meaningful definition of successful aging. This is distinct from the broader need for socialization discussed below, and may involve new romantic connections formed after the loss of a lifelong partner.

3. Comfortable Shelter and Dignified Accommodations. Although most people prefer to remain in their own homes as long as possible and maintain an independent lifestyle, age-related diseases and infirmities frequently require placement in long-term care facilities that vary considerably in quality. Some progressive facilities employ evidence-based interventions such as pet therapy, art therapy, and music therapy, all of which have been shown to promote quality of life among elderly residents. Others, however, allow residents to remain neglected, unnoticed, and uncared for by family or friends.

4. Reasonable Assurances of Safety. In the culture of heightened anxiety that has emerged in the United States and elsewhere following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, older adults — like people of any age — want to feel assured of their physical safety as they go about their daily lives. Freedom from crime, violence, and threats to personal security is a fundamental component of any meaningful quality of life.

5. Social Engagement. Many elderly individuals will face the harsh reality of watching family members and friends die as they grow older. A lack of available transportation and the inability to drive may further restrict their capacity to socialize in the ways they were once accustomed to. The degree to which older adults are able to maintain social connections will likely determine the extent to which they avoid the debilitating effects of loneliness and depression, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life.

Conclusion

It is reasonable to conclude that the foregoing concepts of successful aging and quality of life will inevitably be redefined within public policy in the future. Indeed, the same innovations in healthcare and telecommunications that have redefined successful living will also have a profound effect on definitions of successful aging. Successful elders in the mid-21st century will possess the skill set needed to navigate the ubiquitous computing environment that has emerged, and will possess the monetary resources they need to live their later years — which may span the period between 80 and 100 years of age by that time — in comfort and security. They will have access to professional and avocational communities of interest, as well as to the healthcare resources they will need as they transition into the oldest stages of life.