Chapter 14: Successful aging

the proportion of older adults will have nearly doubled

older adults will be politically sophisticated and organized

will want to keep their affluent lifestyle, social security benefits, health cre, comfortable retirement

ratio of workers to retirees will fall from 3:1 to 2:1

lowered sense of obligation toward elderly parents

rapid increase of ethnic minority older adults

• Adolescents and parents
• Young/middle adults and older adults: Medicare and social security, for example, as older peopel are going to be unable to retire making the availability of jobs a lot lower for younger people

reflects the number of people under the age of 15 and older than 64

will fall from 3:1 to 2:1

will be increased

could lead to lowered sense of obligation on the part of middle-aged adults towards parents or step parents

fewer older adults will have family available to care for them

discrimination and access to health care, goods, and services

1970s: older adults began to be portrayed as scapegoats concerning government resources (tremendous growth of federal dollars expended on them; portrayed as highly politically active, fiscally conservative, and selfish

congress made considerable changes n the name of intergenerational fairness--changes in social security, medicar, etc.

reduce benefits to wealthy older adults

changed eligibility rules (age); ex: retirement goes higher

targeted certain benefits for older adults

a law which gave some measure of protection to the average citizen and his family against the loss of a job an against poverty-ridden old age

revisions: it now represents the primary financial support after retirement to many Americans

is the large cohort of baby boomers drawing benefits

• - smaller generation paying into the system
• - it is a revenue in-payment out system; people do not build a SS savings
• - payments not exceed revenue
• - changes need to be made by 2021 and especially by 2033

• over 65
• be disabled
• have permanent kidney failure

A: inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, hospice

B: outpatient services, medical equipment and supplies, etc.

D: some coverage for prescription meds

• pay roll tax
• of aging Baby boomers and the rapid increase in health care
• Affordable care act

• the poor
• co-payments
• Medigap policies

one's well-being and life satisfaction

• - state of health is a major influence
• - best studied from the point of view of the person

sets targets for a healthier population based on three goals: 

• 1) increase the length of healthy life
• 2) reduce health disparities among Americans
• 3) achieve access to preventative services for all

• primary
• secondary
• tertiary
• quaternary

trying to prevent things from ever hapening

intervention that prevents a disease or condition from occurring

instituted after a condition has begun

occurs between pathology and impairment

• efforts to avoid complications or secondary chronic conditions
• minimizing the functional limitations and disability
• avoiding additional medical problems and sustaining life

aka: if we ID'ed it, we need to monitor it so it doesn't get worse; if you don't do this, you won't make it

rehabilitation; when you say that enough is enough

• Aimed at improving functional capacities of people with chronic conditions
• avoid unnecessary or excessive medical interventions, especially invasive ones

it is a combination of all three:

• - avoiding disease and disability
• - maintaining cognitive and physical function
• - sustained engagement with life

• 1) no physical disability at 75
• 2) good subjective health
• 3) length of undisabled life

• 1) good mental health
• 2) objective social support
• 3) self-rated life satisfaction in eight domains

• choosing goals
• application and refinement of goal-relevant means or actions
• Subbing of means when no longer available

• education
• household income
• personal income