Whenever I learn something new and different about this business of aging, I immediately want to share it. Recently, I spent a full day in Bend at a gerontology conference discussing the most current research on longevity.
When all the talk is about aging, the term "older adult" is used a lot. It's the way to refer to people who aren't "middle-aged" anymore, but don't feel comfortable with (or ready for) the other frequently used words.
"Senior" doesn't always resonate and "elderly" or elder should not be applied earlier than deserved. I went to this conference looking for better descriptors.
Here's what I learned. The "young-old" population is thought of as people age 65-74. (Sometimes gerontologists call that group "frisky" and I rather like that thought).
Aging adults 75-84 are termed "old-old" and are frequently (but not always) referred to as "frail." They are much more likely to have chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease, arthritis, or osteoporosis.
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The "oldest-old" group (and the fastest growing population, demographically) are people age 85 and over. Gerontologists term that group of people "fragile." And, in a way it's true, half of them need some assistance with activities of daily living. But half of them don't. In fact people I know who are approaching eighty-five or older are anything but fragile.
"Feisty" might be one word to use. There was a 98-year-old presenter at the conference I attended. The word to describe him would be "fun." He brought the house down with his fast-paced banter.
By 2025, Oregon will be fourth in the nation in terms of the the proportion of older adults (currently, we are 25th). And that's the raw research truth. It makes me sit up and take note. And I can't help but wonder. Are the right people keeping their eyes on this? Hope so.
Dr. Karen Hooker, director of the Center for Healthy Aging Research at Oregon State University, demonstrated the challenge when she summarized the research by displaying the Chinese symbols for danger and opportunity.
Think about this. There's a 30-year span between, let's say 65 and 95 years of age. In the same way we would not lump a 5-year-old and a 35-year-old into the same category, we can't lump the "youngest-old, oldest-old, old-old" into one group. We need to fully explore and reconsider the roles and responsibilities that go with each of the various later-in-life stages.
Can the frisky provide more of the caregiving for the fragile? And can they be better supported, financially and otherwise, in doing that?
Perhaps frail older adults can partner with one another in cooperative housing ventures? Better yet, perhaps we can re-invent "frail" and "fragile," so there's less of both.
And what were those descriptors, again? Oh yes. Danger — and opportunity.
Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension. E-mail at s.johnson@oregonstate.edu.
