Aging and the Elderly
China's population problem
China is on the cusp of an "aging boom"— a period when its elderly population will dramatically increase. The number of people above age sixty in China today is about 178 million, which amounts to 13.3 percent of its total population. By 2050, nearly a third of the Chinese population will be age sixty or older, which will put a significant burden on the labor force and impacting China's economic growth.
Madrid Plan
In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Aging was held in Madrid, Spain, resulting in the Madrid Plan, an internationally coordinated effort to create comprehensive social policies to address the needs of the worldwide aging population. The plan identifies three themes to guide international policy on aging: 1) publicly acknowledging the global challenges caused by, and the global opportunities created by, a rising global population; 2) empowering the elderly; and 3) linking international policies on aging to international policies on development. The Madrid Plan has not yet been successful in achieving all its aims. However, it has increased awareness of the various issues associated with a global aging population, as well as raising the international consciousness to the way that the factors influencing the vulnerability of the elderly (social exclusion, prejudice and discrimination, and a lack of socio-legal protection) overlap with other developmental issues (basic human rights, empowerment, and participation), leading to an increase in legal protections.
Multigenerational families
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many U.S. households were home to multigenerational families, and the experiences and wisdom of elders was respected. They offered wisdom and support to their children and often helped raise their grandchildren. Multigenerational U.S. families began to decline after World War II, and their numbers reached a low point around 1980, but they are on the rise again. The 2008 census data indicated that 49 million U.S. families, 16.1 percent of the country's total population, live in a family household with at least two adult generations—or a grandparent and at least one other generation.
Life-stage subgroups
The United States' older adult population can be divided into three life-stage subgroups: the young-old (approximately sixty-five to seventy-four years old), the middle-old (ages seventy-five to eighty-four years old), and the old-old (over age eighty-five). Today's young-old age group is generally happier, healthier, and financially better off than the young-old of previous generations. The U.S. government, for example, typically classifies people aged sixty-five years old as elderly, at which point citizens are eligible for federal benefits such as Social Security and Medicare. The World Health Organization has no standard, other than noting that sixty-five years old is the commonly accepted definition in most core nations, but it suggests a cut-off somewhere between fifty and fifty-five years old for semi-peripheral nations, such as those in Africa.
gerontology
a field of science that seeks to understand the process of aging and the challenges encountered as seniors grow older. Gerontologists investigate age, aging, and the aged. Gerontologists study what it is like to be an older adult in a society and the ways that aging affects members of a society. As a multidisciplinary field, gerontology includes the work of medical and biological scientists, social scientists, and even financial and economic scholars.
cohort
a group of people who share a statistical or demographic trait
geriatrics
a medical specialty focusing on the elderly
grief
a psychological, emotional, and social response to the feelings of loss that accompanies death or a similar event
social gerontology
a specialized field of gerontology that examines the social (and sociological) aspects of aging. Researchers focus on developing a broad understanding of the experiences of people at specific ages, such as mental and physical wellbeing, plus age-specific concerns such as the process of dying. Social gerontologists work as social researchers, counselors, community organizers, and service providers for older adults.
selective optimization with compensation theory
a theory based on the idea that successful personal development throughout the life course and subsequent mastery of the challenges associated with everyday life are based on the components of selection, optimization, and compensation
subculture of aging theory
a theory that focuses on the shared community created by the elderly when they are excluded (due to age), voluntarily or involuntarily, from participating in other groups
age stratification theory
a theory which states that members of society are stratified by age, just as they are stratified by race, class, and gender
continuity theory
a theory which states that the elderly make specific choices to maintain consistency in internal (personality structure, beliefs) and external structures (relationships), remaining active and involved throughout their elder years
activity theory
a theory which suggests that for individuals to enjoy old age and feel satisfied, they must maintain activities and find a replacement for the statuses and associated roles they have left behind as they aged
modernization theory
a theory which suggests that the primary cause of the elderly losing power and influence in society are the parallel forces of industrialization and modernization
exchange theory
a theory which suggests that we experience an increased dependence as we age and must increasingly submit to the will of others, because we have fewer ways of compelling others to submit to us
disengagement theory
a theory which suggests that withdrawing from society and social relationships is a natural part of growing old
gerontocracy
a type of social structure wherein the power is held by a society's oldest members
secondary aging
aging that occurs due to controllable factors like exercise and diet
primary aging
biological factors such as molecular and cellular changes
filial piety
deference and respect to one's parents and ancestors in all things. In the United States, by contrast, many people view caring for the elderly as a burden. Decisions to care for an elderly relative are often conditionally based on the promise of future returns, such as inheritance or, in some cases, the amount of support the elderly provided to the caregiver in the past.
ageism
discrimination based on age. Many media portrayals of the elderly reflect negative cultural attitudes toward aging. In the United States, society tends to glorify youth and associate it with beauty and sexuality. In comedies, the elderly are often associated with grumpiness or hostility. While the landmarks of maturing into adulthood are a source of pride, signs of natural aging can be cause for shame or embarrassment. Researchers believe industrialization and modernization have contributed greatly to lowering the power, influence, and prestige the elderly once held.
hospice
healthcare that treats terminally ill people by providing comfort during the dying process
centenarians
people 100 years old or older. They are approximately 1,000 times more common than supercentenarians. In 2010, there were about 80,000 centenarians in the United States alone. They make up one of the fastest-growing segments of the population.
supercentenarians
people 110 of age or older. The Gerontology Research Group (2014) estimates there are between 300 and 450 people worldwide who are at least 110 years of age.
baby boomers
people in the United States born between approximately 1946 and 1964. Such individuals are now in their 60s. Coming of age in the 1960s and early 1970s, the baby boom generation was the first group of children and teenagers with their own spending power and therefore their own marketing power. People in the boomer generation do not want to grow old the way their grandparents did; the result is a wide range of products designed to ward off the effects of old age. The baby boomer generation is associated with a large bulge in the population pyramid, which has been moving up over the course of the last decade. This aging of the baby boom cohort has serious implications for our society. Healthcare is one of the areas most impacted by this trend. For years, hand-wringing has abounded about the additional burden the boomer cohort will place on Medicare, a government-funded program that provides healthcare services to people over sixty-five years old. Certainly, as boomers age, they will put increasing burdens on the entire U.S. healthcare system. A study from 2008 indicates that medical schools are not producing enough medical professionals who specialize in treating geriatric patients. However, other studies indicate that aging boomers will bring economic growth to the healthcare industries, particularly in areas like pharmaceutical manufacturing and home healthcare services. Although the baby boom generation earned more than previous generations and enjoyed a higher standard of living, they also spent their money lavishly and did not adequately prepare for retirement. According to a 2008 report from the McKinsey Global Institute, approximately two-thirds of early boomer households have not accumulated enough savings to maintain their lifestyles. Social Security is considered to be at risk. Social Security is a government-run retirement program funded primarily through payroll taxes. With enough people paying into the program, there should be enough money for retirees to take out. But with the aging boomer cohort starting to receive Social Security benefits and fewer workers paying into the Social Security trust fund, economists warn that the system will collapse by the year 2037. A similar warning came in the 1980s; in response to recommendations from the Greenspan Commission, the retirement age (the age at which people could start receiving Social Security benefits) was raised from sixty-two to sixty-seven and the payroll tax was increased. A similar hike in retirement age, perhaps to seventy, is a possible solution to the current threat to Social Security.
elder abuse
the act of a caretaker intentionally depriving an older person of care or harming the person in their charge
senescence
the aging process, including biological, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual changes
gerotranscendence
the idea that as people age, they transcend limited views of life they held in earlier times
dependency ratio
the number of nonproductive citizens (young, disabled, elderly) to productive working citizens
life expectancy
the number of years a newborn is expected to live. Women have longer life expectancies than men. Men are closing the gap between their life spans and those of women.
life course
the period from birth to death, including a sequence of predictable life events
Graying of America
the phenomenon of a larger and larger percentage of the population getting older and older. There are several reasons why the United States is graying so rapidly, including life expectancy and the baby boomer generation.
thanatology
the systematic study of death and dying
physician-assisted suicide
the voluntary use of lethal medication provided by a medical doctor to end one's life