The world’s population is living longer on average. The aging of the population is a trend that will place unprecedented social, political, and economic obligations on governments all over the world (1). The rising costs of health and social support systems for an aging population will be unsustainable both domestically and globally unless proactive actions are taken to foster individual and environmental changes that promote healthy aging (2).
The concept of aging well, which is based on a nonmedical approach to boosting health and well-being, is critical to extending and improving one’s life span. Aging well supports personal habits and life-course circumstances that help older people preserve their independence and health by limiting functional impairments, particularly those caused by chronic diseases. The concept of aging well highlights the idea that people may preserve their health.
The creation of an aging-well framework is in line with the United States and the worldwide community’s stated health goals (5). While many countries have made substantial progress toward national health goals, a nonmedical framework for healthy aging has yet to be fully defined. Despite data relating one or more specific aspects, such as social support, physical activity, and material security, to longevity and quality of life, this knowledge gap persists.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all formula for aging well, Fry and colleagues’ research presents some examples of elements that contribute to aging well in various cultures. In Hong Kong, for example, a happy old age is defined by familial and social values that exhibit openness and tolerance.
The concept of aging well is supported by research. Current international research efforts are shifting from finding the drivers of healthy aging to putting an integrated model to the test and looking into validating individual and environmental indices of healthy aging. These research projects will aid in identifying people, places, services, programs, and public policies that encourage older individuals to remain active, productive, and healthy.
The United Nations and the International Association of Gerontology formed a 21st-century research agenda on aging, which inspired one such program. The agenda covers research aims in the areas of healthy aging, quality of life, and active aging metrics . For 25 scholars from 12 nations, these study goals provided the initial drive and continued direction.
Physical health and functional status
Cross-cultural research has linked good physical health and functional status to aging well. According to research undertaken by the MacArthur Foundation Network on Successful Aging, poor health in old age is mostly due to the effects of many lifestyle choices and living conditions that raise the risk of disease or disability, such as physical inactivity, poor food, and smoking. As a result, maximizing physical health entails lowering these illness and disability risk factors (11). Health status, doctor and hospital visits, medicine and supplement use, assistive device use, health promotion behavior, health risk behavior, and measures of functional independence related to activities of daily life are all indicators of this factor.
Mental/cognitive effectiveness
Cognitive functioning, particularly the cognitive efficacy required to maintain everyday activities associated with general health, is an important aspect of aging successfully. Baltes’ research revealed two fundamentally distinct affects on the aging mind (8). The first, cognitive mechanics, is a genetic trait, whereas the second, cognitive pragmatics, is an acquired trait. Baltes theorizes that productive older individuals employ a framework of self-management and practical knowledge (cognitive pragmatics) to maximize gains and compensate for losses in cognitive mechanics. This understanding of cognitive efficacy corresponds to accounts of aging. Self-esteem, perceived control, resilience, and mental well-being are all indicators in this domain.
Social support resources.
A solid network of friends and family has long been regarded as a key factor in maintaining good health in later life. Isolation or a lack of a strong social network puts people at risk for health problems. Furthermore, having a strong social support network can help mitigate or mitigate some of the negative impacts of aging (11). Measures of the availability and use of social support, network kinds, and other social resources are examples of indicators in this domain.
Daily life activity.
The jobs that people play in society have an impact on their identity as they get older. Role disruption and continuity are important determinants of health in later life because adult life entails cyclic and complicated stages of personal development mediated by transitions. Retirement, for example, may take away a lifelong source of identity and cause several sources of disruption in a person’s well-being. Without meaningful action to help sustain identity and health, an old age of idleness may potentially hinder aging well. The MacArthur Foundation’s study on effective aging looked at “any activity, paid or unpaid, that generates commodities or services of economic value,” as defined by the foundation (11). The researchers were able to investigate a wide range of roles in which older people can participate using this method.
They came to the conclusion that three elements have a significant impact on productive activity in older adults: health and functional capacity, social support network, and personal qualities. This category covers indicators of participation in formal and recreational activities, as well as other time-related metrics.
Material security
Another important domain of aging well is material security (6). Having the material resources necessary to secure housing, sustenance, and access to needed services (e.g., medical care, social support) is fundamental to health and well-being in later life. In developed countries, retirement practices complicate the assurance of health and well-being in old age. For most of the past century, the ideal associated with retirement policies was to provide for the financial security of older Americans through social security and pensions. However, many older people, including women, minorities, unemployed people, and lower-paid workers, have not realized that ideal (6). Material security remains precarious for some older adults, such as very old people who have exhausted all of their resources. All individuals make decisions based on providing for their basic needs (e.g., food, housing, safety) and the basic needs of their families. Personal health is compromised when basic needs are unmet or compromised. The relationship between material security (conceived in broader terms than just income) and health is fundamental to aging well. The indicators in this domain include measures of access to shelter, food, services, safety, and economic resources, which are essential for health promotion and protection in all cultures worldwide.
Personal health is jeopardized when basic needs are not addressed or are compromised. The link between material security (defined as more than just income) and health is critical to healthy aging. This domain’s indicators include measures of shelter, food, services, safety, and economic resources, all of which are critical for health promotion and protection in many cultures around the world.
