Working Caregiver- Aging and Living Longer
How Old is Too Old? Views on Aging and Living Longer
Living Longer
With medical enhancements and a greater focus on healthy living, today's seniors are living longer than ever. While mere decades ago, many seniors only lived into their 60's or 70's, today's seniors are entering their 80's, 90's and beyond.
These older adults might experience a few bumps along the road with regards to their health, but the vast majority of them live that long with fewer issues than seniors of the past that compromise their lifestyle or their lifespan. Depending on who you ask, there are different perspectives on what it means to live this long - some are happy about the progress we're making in science and medicine which produce healthier seniors who live longer; while there's others who think that living longer can be burdensome from a financial, emotional and physical perspective. So the real question is, how old is too old?
Those who advocate longer lives believe that the changes that seniors today are undergoing are positive, not only because seniors live longer, but because they're taking control of their lives, improving their health, finding new ways to find happiness, and generally living longer. Living longer of course means more time with loved ones; in past generations some grandparents never had the opportunity to see their grandchildren graduate from high school or university, but today many are around for the birth of their great grandchildren and many of their important milestones which allows them to see a whole new generation of family which is an amazing thing. Living for a shorter period of time can also mean more finances available to live out a dream retirement, full of traveling, and a lifestyle that isn't quite as focused on penny pinching.
Not everyone has such a positive attitude when it comes to living longer. The financial impact is probably the most significant. With the seniors of today and the seniors of the future living long enough that they spend as much time in retirement as they do during their careers, it can be a challenge to come up with substantial enough assets to get through retirement with little to no income coming in. Many fear that this will mean that seniors will be unable to support themselves financially through older adulthood, which also means, that today's seniors and future generations will not have the same luxuries that will allow them to enjoy their retirement and chase the dreams that they've had of relaxation and rejuvenation throughout the later years.
Of course, closely linked to finances are the increased costs of healthcare, because living longer has the potential to increase the health problems that older adults will face. Costs might increase, but so can the physical and emotional burdens that come with coping with failing health. Plus, some seniors still might live longer than others - with some making it to 80 or 90, while others find their way into the 100's; which means that a longer lifespan might also lead to a lonely life when everyone else has passed on. Some seniors fear with so many years where they will be idle, they'll have nothing to fill their days, particularly if they cannot really afford to enjoy their retirement.
Increased lifespans are still a controversial topic with two schools of thought that remain at odds with each other, and it's certainly not an argument that we can resolve through one article. Where do you stand? It's time to start thinking about your views on aging whether you'll reach your senior years in a few years or decades from now so you can plan for a future that you will enjoy and appreciate.
