Older adults have more control over their aging than they think

Psychologists are tackling negative stereotypes about aging and helping older adults embrace healthy attitudes and behaviors.

For many, getting older is rewarding—adults tend to experience more well-being, life satisfaction and emotional stability as they age—and a growing body of research shows that a healthy lifestyle can slow and even reverse cognitive and physical decline. But most people still hold negative views of aging.

“Aging is a much more plastic process than was previously thought,” says psychologist Manfred Diehl, PhD, director of the Adult Development and Aging Project at Colorado State University and lead author of the paper. “That means middle-aged and older adults have more control over the way they grow older than they believe.”

Diehl hopes that shifting the narrative can help adults embrace the power they have over their own aging. Not only will this improve individual lives, he says, but it can also benefit society through lower health-care costs and increased productivity if adults stay healthier for longer.

Ageism at the societal level can lead to overt discrimination, for instance in biased hiring and termination practices. At the individual level, negative stereotypes about aging can prevent people from engaging in preventive health behaviors, which can ultimately decrease life expectancy.

Perhaps the most pervasive misconception about aging is that growing older mainly involves loss and decline. In fact, research suggests that for most mental abilities, statistically reliable age-related decline does not occur before age 60, and most adults do not experience noticeable ability declines until the late 60’s or early 70’s.

Another widely held belief is that changes associated with aging are largely outside of our control.  “Many people think the way we grow older is genetically determined,” Diehl says. “That misconception is dangerous because it prevents many adults from taking action that could help them age in a more positive way.”

Studies show that lifestyle factors—including alcohol and tobacco use, physical activity and cognitive engagement—can account for as much as 70% of the variance in age-related memory and cognitive changes (Tucker-Drob, E.M., & Briley, D.A., Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 140, No. 4, 2014).

A further problem with the way we view aging—one that’s been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic—is the tendency to describe older adults as a single homogenous group: in this case, a group that’s highly susceptible to disease and death.

“Older adults are actually the most diverse age group, but they are often seen as unilaterally frail, vulnerable or even expendable,” says Diehl. “The COVID-19 crisis is further reinforcing those existing stereotypes.”

“Let’s not think about older adults through this arbitrary 65-and-older category—lumping everybody together as if their experiences are the same, when we know they’re not,” Ramos says.  The new narrative on aging should reflect that diversity, say Diehl and his co-authors, and focus on challenges and opportunities rather than loss and decline.

Source:  American Psychological Association blog: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/10/adults-control-aging

Image by Sabine van Erp from Pixabay