Senior Living: Successful aging requires determined action

By David W. Hart, Ph.D. 

Contributing writer

How to age successfully? It’s the million dollar question. Baby Boomers around the country are searching for age-defying remedies that prolong life and add to overall health and well-being.

Successful aging is not exactly a new idea. The hope that later life could be a period of vitality was first expressed more than 2,000 years ago in Cicero’s treatise, De Senectute. The idea of successful aging reemerged in the 20th century and has been discussed and argued in the scientific trenches and markets of the mass media.

According to Dr. John Rowe and Dr. Robert Kahn, who wrote the seminal book on the topic appropriately titled “Successful Aging,” there are three criteria to aging successfully:

• low risk for disease and disability;
• high mental and physical function;
• active engagement with life.

Although heredity plays a role in the development of chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, it is important to recognize that lifestyle factors including diet, exercise, cognitive stimulation, and social connectedness can reduce risk of disease and improve quality of life.

Recent studies have suggested that the benefits of exercise can negate the adverse effects of other risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure and high blood sugar (Rowe & Kahn, 1998, pg. 97); eating fish high in omega 3 fatty acids once a week as been associated with a 60 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease (Morris et al., 2003); and individuals who participate in intellectually stimulating activities reduced the associated risk for dementia (Lindstrom et al., 2005).

Yet, there are limits to using this definition of successful aging alone. Not surprisingly, across studies using the definition described by Rowe and Kahn, only 27 percent of seniors, on average, are aging successfully (Jeste & Depp, 2006). This limited definition marginalizes the many mature adults with chronic illnesses, those who may be at risk for disease, and those who have physical limitations.

To age successfully, an individual must also find joy in the process of aging – affirming the positive attributes of maturity and age.  Conscious, successful aging is the idea that purpose in life can transcend pain, loss, and physical decline. It allows individuals to reflect more deeply about the true resources of age – tradition, wisdom, narrative, and memory – that affirm intrinsic values of aging instead of dwelling is risk and loss (Moody, 2005).

This new concept of successful aging includes an individual’s full participation in health and wellness –exercise, healthy diet, cognitive fitness, and a full social life – and it also comprises spiritual insight that allows for continued growth and joy even in the face of physical and emotional challenges.

Conscious aging, then, requires mindfulness and intentionality. Finding joy in a process that can be wrought with physical and psychological challenges requires action, which consequently necessitates behavior change. Most of us are ambivalent about changing our behaviors because that requires more energy than we have or are willing to expend. You may have heard the adage that old habits die hard; it’s also true the new habits are just as difficult to birth.

We all have to ask ourselves how motivated are we to adopt behavioral strategies that have demonstrated health benefits.  Positive psychologists have identified the habits and behaviors of subjectively happy people. Dr. Martin Seligman, in a seminal study of the happiest 10 percent of people in the United States, found that they all have something in common. You might guess it’s where they live or how much money they’ve accumulated. But it turns out that the happiest among us are those who have the most social support.

Being purposeful during the second half of life is one of the most critical determinants of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Older adults who gave assistance to others, through volunteerism, mentoring, and grandparenting, experienced significantly greater feelings of well-being than those who did not provide such support (Leider & Shapiro, 2008).

Dr. Shaun Achor, author of “The Happiness Advantage” found that consistently exercising a signature strength significantly increased subjective well-being scores (i.e., happiness). All this to show that conscious aging requires taking action.

For the better part of 10 years I’ve taught dozens of courses on successful aging and taking purposeful action.  Here’s my general message to students:

1. Behavior change is hard.  If it wasn’t, we’d all be perfect.
2. Know where you are in the stages of change (e.g., pre-contemplation, contemplation, exploration, action, and maintenance).  Most of want to be at the action state but we’re still contemplating if we even have a problem. Don’t jump the gun.
3. Any behavior change requires a written plan using a SMARTs goals (strategic, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time sensitive). Most of us like to shoot for the stars when we really only have the energy to shoot for the roof.
4. Remember, some change for the better is good and can be applauded.  We work within our limits and compensate for losses.
5. Lastly, and most importantly, find support!

Want to learn more?

For more information on the topic of conscious aging and engaging in specific behaviors that have demonstrated health benefits, including potentially lowering your risk for age related disabilities, join me for my first Tuesday brown-bag lunch on Jan. 8 from noon-1:30 p.m.  I’ll review this article and will help you to develop a conscious aging mission statement to help guide your health behaviors in 2019. Seats are limited and registration is required by emailing me at dhart@abc-seniors.com.

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays and all the best in life and love in 2019!

David Hart, Ph.D., is the director of clinical services at Always Best Care Senior Services in Torrance and is a faculty member in the Department of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton.  Hart, founding chair and member of the South Bay Dementia Education Consortium, specializes in working with older adults with dementia and their families. For more information, go to alwaysbestcaresouthbay.com or contact him at dhart@abc-seniors.com or at (310) 792-8666.