Introducing: Aging ... better
A blog for adults who want to preserve their vitality as they age.
In the late 1960s and early '70s, Clairol hair coloring used the slogan "You're Not Getting Older You're Getting Better" as a pitch to women who were, in fact, getting older and needed a little help with the emerging gray.
But set aside the fact of what they were promoting -- literally covering up evidence of aging -- and the sentiment of that statement rings true. Getting older does not always mean getting worse-off, and it can mean life is getting better. Research has documented that for most people happiness declines from youth through middle age, then rises again later in life, creating a U-shaped curve.
Putting it another way, aging does not necessarily equate to decline, except over the longest of terms when eventually (and inevitably) our bodies will give out and we will pass into memory. Until then, most of us have plenty of life to live as our age advances.
This newsletter/blog intends to address both sides of that balance, with curation of recent news about active post-retirement living but also coverage of the important topic of caregiving for older adults.
Former first lady Rosalyn Carter has been famously quoted as saying “There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers; those who are currently caregivers; those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” (Her main legacy is a foundation dedicated to support for family caregivers, where that quote can be found.)
Demographic statistics show that our society is aging. In the 10 years between 2012 and 2022, the number of older Americans increased by 34%, compared to an increase of 2% in the population under 65, according to the federal Administration on Aging. The Census Bureau further reports that from 2023 to 2024 the U.S. population age 65 and older rose by 3.1% (to 61.2 million) while the population under age 18 decreased by 0.2% (to 73.1 million). This trend will increase the number of people who need for caregiving in their later years.
The same trend also creates a growing population of those who want to equate getting older with getting better. So in addition to reporting on research about caregiving and caregivers, another focus will be curation of coverage about what it takes to accomplish that, on topics such as nutrition and exercise that support active older living.
That may at first glance seem contradictory, but on further reflection really isn’t. We all want to remain as vital as long as possible, and could use some ideas for doing that. But Rosalyn Carter is correct: some form of caregiving is inevitably going to be part of our lives. For many older adults it already is: while they strive to take care of themselves in their 60s, they’re caring for parents in their 80s or 90s.
In that way, the two topics of this site are complementary even as they address two very different aspects of older life. Stick around, and read future posts, as we explore these topics together.
