Late Adulthood: The Challenges and The Opportunities

By Joachim Gloschat and Jessica Faustini

Late Adulthood is the term coined by developmental psychologists describing the period in an individual's life beginning at ages sixty or seventy and ending at death. This life period, like any other, is one of continuing change and adjustment both in the physical and the psychosocial realms.

With the introduction of improved medicines, life-saving operations, better nutrition, and the ever-increasing propensity to exercise, the oldest segment of our population is living longer and, in many instances, enjoying the extension of life.

Many people argue that this increasing number of elderly persons is a tremendous drain on a nation's resources and that the "productivity" of the elderly does not justify the amount of care and money required to sustain them through this last phase of their lives.

Others argue that it is a sad indictment on our society that we can so quickly label our elderly as burdensome and a resource drain. Our nation is nearly alone in its views toward the elderly.

We did not always look at our elderly population in this light. In the first two hundred centuries following the colonization of the United States, late adulthood was only chronological, not social or psychological. The elderly filled many roles, including care giver for extended family members, laborer, and a source of precious knowledge and experience. Elderly nearly always lived with their children and grandchildren. The bond between generations was recognized as crucial for the unification of the family and the well-being of the grandchildren. More than that, there was an unspoken commitment on the part of the children to watch over and protect their aging parents that reinforced the communal living.

When considering the aged, we can move in two directions. We can choose to take the maximum advantage of their wisdom and knowledge and make them an integral part of both our lives and the lives of our children (their grandchildren) or we can push them away from us. The choice seems like an obvious one, but unfortunately, it is not that obvious to a percentage of our population. There are people that take a look at the elderly and see a way to make money off of them, or to take advantage of them in some way. There are others that do know that senior citizens are just that. They have "Seniority" above us, because they have been around longer and are wiser than the "Youngins" of today.

Becoming older is a natural progression of life. Often we naturally become more trusting with age, or we need to put our trust in others, which can sometimes leave us vulnerable to victimization. The victimization of our elderly is staggering and we are only now beginning to recognize the problem and seeking solutions.

At the same time, we are increasingly recognizing the unique talents, wisdom and skills our elderly population possess. We are realizing the potential benefits that can be attained when, and if, we reintegrate our elderly back into our lives. For example, many elders are robust, positive, mentoring role models. They are creating and enjoying very satisfying lives.

Late adulthood is a time of relinquishing some roles and adopting new ones. Many seek full retirement, others shift their work roles to accommodate their changing ideas and schedules. Some become caregivers to ill spouses or aging family members. Some may lose their role as spouse, and some begin dating again. For many, being a grandparent is a new and challenging role. Regardless of the life changes, late adulthood is a time of continued development and enjoyment.