Successful Ageing: An Opportunity and Responsibility for All

Abstract

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.