Successful Aging From the Viewpoint of Older Adults

Abstract

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 aging: considering non-biomedical constructs

“…Non-biomedical constructs associated with successful aging included engagement,12,20–32 optimism and/or positive attitude,33–36 resilience (including coping),37–40 self-efficacy and/or self-esteem,41–43 and gerotranscendence 44,45. Spirituality and/or religiosity were included as an important factor in more than one-third of articles,14,26,43,46–49 but not necessarily in the models of successful aging.…”

“…The elders may desire an increase in close relationships45 or prefer to spend more time in solitude. Gerotranscendence includes an acceptance of life as meaningful, purposeful, and coherent, as well as feelings of connection to earlier generations 60.…”

A qualitative study of older people’s experience of living with neurogenic claudication to inform the development of a physiotherapy intervention

“…[1,2] As many as one third of older adults report recent bothersome back pain, and this is more common than hip or knee pain. [3] The prevalence of severe LBP increases with age [4,5] and is strongly associated with immobility, disability, frailty and falls.…”

Failing to Focus on Healthy Aging: A Frailty of Our Discipline?

“…The psychosocial viewpoint deemphasizes the disease‐avoidance element and focuses more on general life satisfaction, social functioning, and psychological resources of support when defining successful aging . Finally, the general public often thinks of successful aging as a combination of spirituality, positive coping, freedom, comfort resources, relationships, independence, and beneficial contribution to society …”

“…17 Finally, the general public often thinks of successful aging as a combination of spirituality, positive coping, freedom, comfort resources, relationships, independence, and beneficial contribution to society. 18 The recent approach to defining frailty provides a model of how a consensus definition of successful aging might be attained. Frailty, for example, is defined as a syndrome of decreased physiological reserve and resistance to stressors, which results in increased vulnerability to poor health outcomes, worsening mobility and disability, hospitalizations, and death.…”