Progression towards psychosocial well-being in old age (original) (raw)
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INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT TO PERCEPTIONS OF SUCCESS IN OLD AGE
Malaysian Journal of Medical Research, 2018
Individuals and the environment influence the way humans perceive the stages of life as assumed in the Late Life Success Theory. This chapter aims to identify the different reasons behind feelings of success within the milestones of aging. This study utilized qualitative survey design. The researcher gathered data from 32 participants who are 60 years old and above, residing in Cebu City, Philippines. They are then asked to answer a survey questionnaire. They are asked to identify significant events at specific ages of their lives and identify the person influential to that event. After that, they were asked to rate how significant these events are. They are then asked to plot these on a lifeline. Data were then coded according to categories. Quantifying top layer coding results was done. Results revealed that individuals play a key role in the way a person perceives the events that happen in his/her life. Their presence at a certain period in the life of a person makes that period significant. Looking into the lifeline of a group of older adults, the research was able to identify these significant events in their lives based on the number of times they are being mentioned by the study participants. Marriage, Death, Birth of first child, Education, Illness, Accidents and reaching old age are the significant events identified. The family, spouse, and self are the influences to the perception of significance of the event. The review of the life events of older persons allows the opportunity to identify the individuals who are influential to the way humans perceive the stages of life. This also allows looking into where significant events occur in the life line of people thereby permitting for greater understanding why certain people matter most.
Successful Aging From the Viewpoint of Older Adults
Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 2014
The purpose of this study was to investigate older adults' perceptions of successful aging within the context of the theory of successful aging to validate and further inform this theory. This research was a secondary, qualitative analysis of data from two earlier studies in which participants were asked to provide a response to the open-ended question, "What does successful aging mean to you?" Content analysis using multiple coding was independently conducted by the investigators. Eight broad themes emerged: active independence, relationships with people, relationship with God, comfort resources, health, beneficial contribution, positive perspective/coping, and freedom. Differences and similarities of themes by study subgroups were also explored. The coping processes, functional performance mechanisms, and intrapsychic factors from the theory of successful aging were well represented in the findings of this study. The coping process of spirituality was less frequently represented, whereas that of gerotranscendence was slightly more often described. Interventions that enhance these factors associated with successful aging have the potential to improve quality of life and provide appealing, meaningful activities for older adults.
Successful ageing and development: the contribution of generativity in older age
Ageing and Society, 2012
This paper examines the contributions that generativity in older age may make to the concept of successful ageing. To this end, two perspectives on successful ageing are described: successful ageing as a set of clinical criteria, and successful ageing as the application of adaptive processes aimed at achieving efficient functioning. After showing the limitations of the first perspective, particularly from a developmental point of view, the paper argues that the adaptive version of successful ageing helps to put ageing into a developmental frame, but needs to be complemented by identifying specific content and goals that guide these adaptive processes and establish new feasible gains for older people. Generativity in older age could play that role and provides a conceptual framework that enriches the concept of successful ageing, both by emphasising the social context in which people age and by highlighting a personal growth component.
Successful Aging as a Lifelong Process
Previous qualitative studies of lay perspectives explored older adults’ definitions and views of successful aging as a condition. This study aims at examining their perceptions of successful aging as a process. For this purpose, 207 individuals aged 65–92 years old were interviewed by students, who asked the participants for advice on how to achieve successful aging. Three principal themes were identified: (a) Investments at early stages are profitable; (b) preservation of early qualities contributes to well-being, and (c) internal resources are a key factor in the coping process. Each theme reflected a wide range of actions and attitudes perceived as useful by participants. Findings indicated that older adults consider successful aging a positive outcome of resources acquired and efforts invested throughout life, viewing it as a 3-phase, lifelong process that begins with early adulthood investments, continues through efforts to preserve continuity in spite of changes and losses, and concludes with various emotional coping strategies applied when counteraction is no longer viable.
Psychology of Successful Aging
Journal of emerging technologies and innovative research, 2020
The world's population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's older adults is estimated to almost double from about 12% to 22%. Older adults, those aged 60 or above, make important contributions to society as family members, volunteers and as active participants in the workforce. Mental health and well-being are as important in older age as at any other time of life. Older people may experience life stressors common to all people, but also stressors that are more common in later life, like a significant ongoing loss in capacities and a decline in functional ability. In addition, older people are more likely to experience events such as bereavement, or a drop in socioeconomic status with retirement. All of these stressors can result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, for which they may require longterm care. This research paper tries to explore mental health problems faced by older people and the stigma surrounding these conditions makes people reluctant to seek help. The increasing proportion of people growing old, demands expanded knowledge of how people can experience successful aging and the factors associated with successful aging.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADULTHOOD AND AGING
This paper is based on information gathered in a structured interview. Written in 1997, the paper is based on the life-experiences of an 88 year-old woman. After a description of the interview process, a brief biography is presented. Patterns of development are interpreted in light of the life events framework as well as the life period analysis. Finally, information about life experiences in the areas of work, family, and friends are related to research current in the late 90's. The author concludes that the life-events framework is a better explanatory model in this particular scenario than the life-period analysis. Adult development is a continuing process and much important developmental work can occur in the retirement years. Names have been changed to maintain confidentiality.
The Gerontologist, 2014
This article critiques Rowe and Kahn's conceptualization of successful aging using tenets of the life course perspective. A review and synthesis of the literature on successful aging and studies that use a life course perspective. We draw on life course principles that view development as a dynamic lifelong process, embedded in historical time and place, and influenced by the web of relationships individuals are linked to, as well as more distal social structural factors. This discussion questions the relatively static nature of Rowe and Kahn's successful aging model, its emphasis on personal control over one's later-life outcomes, and neglect of historical and cultural context, social relationships, and structural forces in influencing later-life functioning. Caution in using the model in its current formulation is needed, and we promote thinking about how successful aging can better align with micro- and macrolevel issues through utilization of a life course perspective.
The Concept of Successful Aging: A Review Article
Current Aging Science, 2020
Background: With the increasing number of elderly people in the world, usage of concepts and terminology related to this phenomenon has substantially increased. One concept in this context is successful aging. The purpose of the present study is to extract and introduce a common concept to be used in studies on measuring successful aging. Methods: This is a review study. First, by searching the databases of Magiran, Noormags, Medlib, Irandoc, Iranmedex, Barakat Knowledge Network System, Civilica, SID, ISI Web Of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and search engines, Google Scholar and Elmnet as well as using standard keywords such as elder, elderly, aging, and successful aging, all related published articles during the period 1995 to 2017 were retrieved. A total of 3417 documents were retrieved. By removing 3390 unrelated, duplicate and unusable documents, 27 articles were included in the study after quality control. Results: The findings of the study were categorized in three ...
Successful Ageing: An Opportunity and Responsibility for All
Health and Wellbeing in Late Life, 2019
The term "successful ageing" has gained much popularity among scientists, researchers, politicians and geriatricians (such as myself) when referring to the older adults in the last three decades [1]. However, when I enquired about what "successful ageing" meant to an octogenarian or a nonagenarian, there was hardly any awareness about this term among them. Although most people would like to be physically, psychologically and financially independent, feel satisfied with their life and die in a dignified way, to most octogenarian "life is a path that they have almost travelled, an experience that they have already experienced". For many people, life is just a component in the cycle of birth and death. When I simplified the questions and asked about their life satisfaction, quality of life and late-life participation as per their ability, in the context of social and family, the respondents were mostly clueless. Prevalent notions such as "ageing successfully is a destiny, which cannot be modified" or "ageing means disability and dependence, with an uncertain future about dignity and autonomy" influence the attitude towards the sunset years. So, what about the preparation for successful ageing from middle life or late adulthood (60-75 years)? What about increasing physical and cognitive reserve, thereby building a high intrinsic capacity? There was a paradigm shift, particularly in societies such as Japan, Sweden, the USA, the UK and a few European countries-which have been preparing for active ageing for the last couple of decades-towards disrupting ageing through optimization of mental and physical involvement and minimizing functional loss. Thus, understanding about successful ageing from an individual's perspective within the local sociocultural milieu is important.
Successful aging and life satisfaction: A pilot study for conceptual clarification
Journal of Aging Studies, 1992
Successful aging has often been equated with li$e satisfaction, but some argue the need to separate the two concepts and to specdfy the meanings older people attach to these concepts. This research sought to identtfy how older people understood ltfe satisfaction and successful aging and what they viewed as essential for each. U~en-ended interviews were conducted with 4 sample of older people fn = 19) at a Senior Activity center. Respondents were asked to explain what successful aging and It&e satisfaction meant to them, what was necessary for each, and what prevented each. While there were some overlaps in older people $ understandings of these concepts, one key difference did emerge from the qualitative data. Respondents described life satisfaction in terms of past expectations and present circumstances, while successful aging was more oriented to strategies for coping in later life and maintaining a positive outlook. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE With the aging population growing at a phenomenal rate, there is good reason to be concerned about successful aging. There is considerable debate, however, on the criteria for aging successfully and on the usefulness of a term not easily defined. Since the landmark work of Neugarten, Havighurst, and Tobin (1961), life satisfaction or morale has been typically used as the empirically based operationalization of successful aging (Thomas and Chambers 1989). Havighurst wrote that successful aging involved conditions under which a person gets a '~maximum of satisfaction and happiness" (1963, p. 4).