1. THE AGING JOURNEY

2. Aging and Leisure: Misunderstood?
AGING: typically viewed as a largely undesirable period of life during which a series of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional declines occur.
LEISURE: seen as somewhat frivolous and certainly secondary to the more serious business of life.

3. A Positive Perspective On Aging
“The progress of gerontology began to stall in the mid-1980’s…There was a persistent preoccupation with disability, disease, and chronological age, rather than the positive aspects of aging”.

4. The term “Ulyssean Adult” was coined to identify individuals who continue to seek new adventures and opportunities in their later years. The prototype for such an individual comes from Ulysses, who was more than 50 years of age when his adventures in the Odyssey began and more than 70 when he began his last voyage.

5. SOCIAL ASPECTS OF AGING
Changes in Social Roles
Social Responses to Aging
Negative Stereotypes
Positive Stereotypes
Negative Attitudes
Positive Attitudes
Negative Discrimination
Positive Discrimination

6. Changes in Social Roles
Every individual lives in a social context that influences his or her behavior!
The process of socialization that is the process through which we absorb values, beliefs, and knowledge that guide our behavior as a member of a social group.

7. Cont.
As young people we are directly or indirectly instructed to behave in ways that conform to the norms created within our social group
We learn to conform
We assume certain roles
We have social expectations
How do social norms and roles change as we age?

8. Social Responses To Aging
What do you see when you first meet someone?
How do you evaluate someone when you first meet them?
Do you judge someone when you first meet them?
How do the answers the above questions differ between persons your own age and the aging or elderly?

9. Negative Stereotypes Most older persons are sick or disabled
Most older persons have no sexual activity or desire
Old persons are ugly
Mental abilities start to decline after middle age
Most old persons are senile
Old workers are not as effective as younger ones
The majority of older persons are socially isolated and lonely
Most older persons live in poverty
Older persons feel miserable (cranky, depressed)

10. Positive Stereotypes Older persons are kind and warm
Most older persons have great wisdom
Older persons are more dependable
Older persons are well off financially
Older persons are a powerful political force
Older persons are free to do whatever they want
It is possible to slow down the aging process
Old age is full of peace and serenity

11. Negative Attitudes
Very few people perceive the sixties or seventies as the best years of one’s life
Most people choose the 60’s and 70’s s the worst years of a person’s life
The older years are the worst because of bad health or physical decline, loneliness, and financial problems
Children prefer being with younger adults rather than older adults
Most people have a mixture of negative and positive attitudes toward the elderly, but few have predominantly positive attitudes

12. Positive Attitudes
Some people look forward to retirement as the “golden years”
Society holds pseudo positive attitudes about the elderly, offering compliments even when performance does not meet standards held for younger members of society

13. Negative Discrimination
Employment practices are still discriminatory
Governmental agencies providing services to the elderly are found to discriminate, particularly against the oldest age groups
Families discriminate by deferential treatment of the elderly
Housing segregation occurs, with the elderly becoming concentrated in certain areas
Health care practices are still inadequate to cover the needs of the older persons

14. Positive Discrimination
Tax benefits, discounts, and employment benefits are available
In the political arena, the elderly fare better as candidates for office and enjoy legislative benefits
Medicare is available only for the elderly
Some families see the elderly as matriarchs or patriarchs
Governmental programs support public housing for the elderly, and retirement communities cater exclusively to them

15. Myths About Aging To be old is to be sick
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
The horse is out of the barn (can’t change bad habits)
The secret to successful aging is to choose your parents wisely
The lights may be on but the voltage is low
The elderly don’t pull their own weight

16. Dealing with Ageism Told a joke that pokes fun at seniors
Sent a birthday card that pokes fun at seniors
Ignored or not taken seriously because of age
Called an insulting name related to age
Patronized or “talked down to” because of age

17. More… Refused rental housing because of age
Difficulty getting a loan because of age
Denied a position of leadership because of age
Treated with less dignity and respect
A waiter or waitress ignored me because of age

18. Finally, a few more…
A doctor or nurse assumed my ailments were caused by aging
Denied employment because of age
Assume you cannot hear
Assume you cannot understand things
“you’re too old for that”

19. DEMOGRAPHY OF AGING Life Expectancy Age Composition Race and Ethnicity
Residential Distribution
Gender
Marital Status
Economic Characteristics
Health Characteristics

20. Life Expectancy People are living longer now than ever before!
Life expectancy changes:
Birth in 1900 was 47.3 yrs
Birth in 1996 was 76.1
Birth in 2000 rose to 76.9
This increase is largely due to decreases in mortality among individuals who are middle aged and above!

21. Cont… Life expectancy varies based on gender and race
Women generally speaking live longer than men. For example; A woman reaching age 65 in 1997 had a life expectancy of an additional 19.2 years, whereas a similarly aged man could expect to live only an additional 15.9 years.
Projections for the year 2010 indicate that 65 yr. old men will have a life expectancy of 16.2 more yrs., whereas women will have 21 more years of life.

22. Age Composition The American population is growing older.
In 1990, less than 4% of the population was 65 and over, in 2000 that number had increase to 12.4%, about 35 million people.
Every day about 5,570 people celebrate their 65th birthday. The net increase in this age group is 650 every day!
This is also the fastest growing age group, otherwise known as the “baby boomers”

23. Residential Distribution
52% of all individuals 65 yrs. And over resided in 9 states: CA., FLA.,NY., PA.. TX., IL.,OH., MI., and NJ. Each of these states had more than 1 million residents over 65
In 2000 Florida had the highest proportion of residents 65 and over; 18.1%
Most live in family settings with spouses
Only 4.5% living in nursing or long-term care settings

24. Gender Women outlive men!
For every 2 males over the age of 65, there are approximately 3 females, hence the ratio of women to men in the age group is 6 to 5.
This ratio increases with older age groups, it now becomes 5 women for every 2 men in the 85 and over age group

25. Marital Status
In 2001 approximately 46% of all older women were widows and only 42% of the men were widowers.

26. Economic Characteristics
The older population is poorer than the general population, however, there is great variation in the financial status of the elderly.
In 2001 the median income of older individuals was $19,688 for males and $11,313 for females.
For households headed by people 65 and over the income was $33,938.
The meaning of “limited” income is dramatic in later years.
“Income is the crucial determinant of the aged live. The adequacy and maintenance of income directly affect other aspects of the lives of the elderly.”

27. Health Characteristics
In addition to reporting incomes below those of younger people, aging individuals also experience poor health.
In 2000, 27% of all individuals aged 65 or over rated their own health as fair or poor whereas only 9% rated theirs higher.
The leading cause of death among older individuals is heart disease followed by cancer and stroke.