Today, more than ever before, America’s concepts of what it means to be old and at what age one becomes old are changing.
In 2009, more than 39 million persons in the United States were 65 years of age and older. Not only has the number of persons over age 65 increased, but the proportion of this group to the total population has also increased. By the year 2030, it is estimated that one in every five Americans will be over age 65 (Meiner, 2014).
The most rapid and dramatic growth for the older adult segment of the U.S. population began in 2010 and is expected to continue through 2030 when the “baby boom” generation reaches 65 years of age, widely accepted as the age at which a person becomes “old” (Meiner, 2014).
AGING DEFINED
Aging is defined as a “normal physiologic process that is both universal and inevitable” and a process that occurs at both a cellular and a molecular level. It is the “timedependent loss of structure . . . a gradual result of ‘wear and tear’ on the body” (McCance & Grey, 2012, p. 90).
While for many the age of 65 is equated with being “old,” reaching this age should not be equated with inactive frailty. The rate and intensity of aging are highly variable and individual. Although the incidence of chronic disease and disability does increase with age, most older people remain functionally independent (Meiner, 2014).
Biological age is arbitrary while chronological age is not. Younger individuals may exhibit changes associated with aging and require the services of a geriatric specialist while older individuals may be in excellent health and require no such services. Factors such as race, heredity, nutrition, lifestyle, and culture play significant roles in health and longevity. For example, physical activity has been shown to have protective effects against coronary artery disease, hypertension, and noninsulin dependent diabetes. People become more unique as they age, not more alike. Because of this, and because aging is a distinct, and distinctive, part of life, many healthcare providers struggle to understand older adults (Saxon, Etten, & Perkins, 2015).