The importance of optimism in maintaining healthy aging in rural Alaska

Literature – health effects Optimists have better health due to their social support (Seligman, 2006). – Having friendships and love affected optimists health and wellbeing Optimism enables older adults to recover or overcome physical ailments at a faster rate than pessimists.

Literature - community Optimism encourages individuals to believe their behaviors will affect outcomes (Peterson & Bossio, 2001). – They believe good health can be controlled and maintained. Tapping into the unique talents and wisdom of Elders contributes to community well-being and strengthens Elders’ sense of well-being.

Elders in Study 26 Alaska Native Elders in Bristol Bay 6 villages Aleut, Athabascan, and Yup’ik Eskimo Age range: years old – Average age of 73? The Elders’ household sizes ranged from living alone to 10 people in their home – average household size of four.

Words of the Elders Maintaining a positive outlook on life was mentioned throughout the interviews. An Elder shared: “I am going to have to be happy with exactly what I have done in my life and I am happy now.”

Words of the Elders Another Elder stated the importance of remaining positive about life and not letting others determine how one is going to live: “I think we all can, how do you say, we could still learn. They always say you can’t teach an old dog, but I don’t believe in that. I think old dogs can learn just as well as young dogs.”

Theme 1: Emotional Well-being In addition to maintaining a positive outlook, it was also important to: – have emotional balance and control – act rationally Elders explained the importance of: – forgiving others – not letting mistakes and damaged relationships stay bottled up inside – expressing their feelings and moving forward

Words of the Elders: Emotional Wellbeing One Elder shared: “By not doing what first comes to mind. Even though I may be angry I try not to do what I really want to do. And holding back what I want to say to others if it will hurt them. This is how I become an Elder.”

Words of the Elders: Emotional Wellbeing Another Elder shared: “Well, a person who does whatever comes to mind sometimes brings them to something not so good. But trying to live a good life is much better.”

Theme 2: Community Engagement Many of the Elders valued their relationships with their family and community members. They discussed the importance of maintaining harmony and improving those relationships. Maintaining healthy relationships with others enabled them to maintain a positive outlook on life, and feel invested and supported by their community.

Words of the Elders: Community Engagement One Elder talked about the importance of maintaining positive and healthy relationships with others and how this contributed to successful aging: “The attitude toward people is another thing. When you have a better attitude toward the people, you have a easier life.”

Words of the Elders: Community Engagement An Elder summed up the importance of maintaining harmony in the community by stating: “As long as a person doesn’t make enemies around them and live right, they seem to live longer.”

Theme 3: Spirituality It is important to note that religion did not ensure successful aging, but rather enabled Elders to maintain a positive and healthy mental well-being. The use of prayer and attending church enabled Elders to place their worries out of their mind and focus on what was important.

Words of the Elders: Spirituality One Elder mentioned the role of religion in her outlook on life: “Maybe because I pray to myself all the time and hoping and praying for everybody, that they have good health. I am not afraid of aging. In fact, I don’t feel my age, I feel young.”

Words of the Elders: Spirituality One Elder discussed the importance of church and spirituality to the Elders in the community. One Elder stated: “You know that the old people who are religious keep going to church until they can’t make it anymore. The ones I’ve seen were into their nineties, who were still going to church.”

Theme 4: Physical Health Elders focused on remaining optimistic in times of change or personal challenges, such as limited mobility or a chronic illness. Made a conscious decision to maintain a positive attitude and not give up on themselves regardless of health circumstances.

Words of the Elders: Physical Health One Elder shared: “People that are friendly and have a cheerful outlook seem to age better, view aging as another phase and are not bothered. It is just something that happens.”

Words of the Elders: Physical Health A majority of the Elders accepted the fact that they were aging and that biological changes were a part of this life process. – They were not afraid of growing older. One Elder shared: “I am okay with aging. It doesn’t bother me. I just take things as they come.”

Discussion A majority of the Elders in this study learned the importance of an optimistic outlook from watching and listening to the Elders in their own lives, which enabled them to age successfully. Even though many Elders discussed the challenges and changes caused by Western influence, such as the Internet and video games, they remained optimistic about the preservation and transmission of their traditional, subsistence culture.

Conclusion As Alaska’s older adult population continues to rise, it will be important to understand the challenges and benefits of growing older and maintaining a positive outlook on life regardless of health and well-being. The Elders in this study believed they were able to age successfully and remain active in their community because they continued to be optimistic.

Conclusion The communities in this study respected their Elders and understood the value of their wisdom and experience, and provided opportunities for them to participate and educate those who were interested and to teach the younger generations.

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