A Good Enough Daughter
As a professional in the field of aging, Sara had seen it all—until her own mother broke her hip at the age of 88 and became profoundly confused, unable to live in her own home. Join Sara on her journey through the strangeness that is dementia while trying to make sense of it all and finding humor in the details. [Editor's note: Sara no longer contributes to Silver Planet, but we have made her archived blog entries available as a service to our readers.]
Holding Negative Stereotypes About Aging Is Unhealthy
A self-fulfilling prophecy?
A 2009 article in Psychological Science printed the results of a study titled Age Stereotypes Held Earlier in Life Predict Cardiovascular Events in Later Life. The study, conducted by researchers from the Yale School of Public Health, explored the relationship between a negative stereotype of aging held by volunteers between the ages of 18 and 49 and poor health some 40 years later, when the volunteers were between the ages of 59 and 89.
In 1968, the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging examined data, including attitudes toward old people, gathered when volunteers were in good health. Their attitudes ranged from very positive to very negative—and all points between. Turns out, there was a significant link between ageist attitudes early in life and heart disease later in life. The conclusion: internalized negative stereotypes of aging developed when one is younger result in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy when one is older.
Becca Levy, lead researcher of the Yale study conducted another one concerning negative aging stereotypes and the likelihood of a decline in hearing. Levy again found—you guessed it—a link between negative age stereotypes and the incidence of poor hearing. In the past few months, I have read other studies that linked negative thinking about getting old with memory loss, gait, and balance.
Here’s where I’m confused, however. My 91-year-old mother has always hated getting old. She had nothing good to say about aging and denied the facts until last year, when her memory really began to go. My mother is, as they say, healthy as a horse. Her heart is strong, and most 40-year-olds would envy her cardiovascular numbers. Go figure.
Reading the studies makes me wonder how long I will live. I think I have a good attitude about getting old, and I obviously have a good set of genes. I could go for decades, which leads me to other questions. How long do I want to live? Do I have a choice? Do I want to have a choice?
I think I’ll think about that in 30 or 40 years.
By Sara Myers
A Good Enough Daughter Blog
Our Silver Advisors™ are professional geriatric care managers and other experts who provide phone consultations on preventing falls, navigating Medicare, evaluating senior driving challenges, and other issues baby boomers must resolve while caring for an aging loved one. Silver Advisors clarify concerns, suggest a plan of action, help prioritize next steps, and furnish personalized written plans and recommendations. All callers receive a complimentary 15-minute consultation.
What We Do
Silver Planet® helps baby boomers guide their parents to age in place by providing services and products related to aging at home and housing options.
