Helping Relationships With Older Adults. Adelle M. Williams

       Prejudice. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us

       Palmore, E. B. (2004). The future of ageism. New York, NY: International Longevity Center—USA.

       Rogoff, E., & Carroll, D. (2009). The second chance revolution: Becoming your own boss after 50. New York, NY: Rowhouse.

       Ronch, J. L., & Goldfield, J. A. (2003). Mental wellness in aging: Strengths-based approaches. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press.

       Ronch, J. L., & Maizler, J. S. (1977). Individual psychotherapy with the institutionalized aged. Detroit, MI: American Orthopsychiatric Association.

       Smith, P. R. (2014). A historical perspective in aging and gerontology. In H. F. O. Vakalahi (Ed.), The collective spirit of aging across cultures, international perspectives on aging. doi:1007/978–94–017–8594–5-2

       Steinhorn, L. (2006). The greater generation: In defense of the baby boom legacy. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

       Uhlenberg, P. (2000). Integrating of old and young. Gerontologist, 40(3), 276–279.

       U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. (2009). Educational attainment in the United States: 2009 Population characteristics. Current Population Reports, Washington, DC.

       U.S. Census Bureau. (2014a). Current population survey. A profile of older Americans: 2014. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.acl.gov/aging_statistics/profile/2014/docs/2014-Profile.pdf

       U.S. Census Bureau. (2014b). Population estimates and national projections. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2014.html

       U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2015). Administration on Aging (AOA): Long-term care ombudsman program. Retrieved from http://www.aoa.acl.gov/AOA_Programs/Elder-Rights/Ombudsman/index.aspx

       Vaillant, G. E. (2003). Aging well: Surprising guideposts to a happier life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co.

       Walsh, M. W. (2001, February 26). Reversing decades-long trend, Americans retiring later in life. New York Times, Section A, p. 1.

       Zapolsky, S. (2003). American Association of Retired Persons. Retrieved from www.aarp.org

      Chapter 3 Characteristics of Positive Older Adults and the Helping Process

       “To all, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love.”

      —Gabriel Garcia Marquez

      Learning Objectives

      After reading this chapter, you will be able to

      1 Explain the concept of successful aging

      2 Describe the positive characteristics related to aging well

      3 Analyze the ways that counselors can support the older population

      4 Examine the attributes of successful practitioners

      Introduction

      As evidenced in Chapter 2, aging has been viewed as a negative experience fraught with problems, deterioration, and decline. This negativity has permeated throughout society and has altered the personal perceptions of many elders. However, perceptions of elders in society are changing. Many individuals are shedding light on the positive aspects of aging gracefully, productive aging, comfortable aging, and successful aging.

      Identifying positive attributes and components of successful aging does not negate the fact that some elders will experience limitations that interfere with a comfortable aging experience. However, a thorough discussion of positive characteristics and components of a healthy lifestyle will replace myths and stereotypes that are prevalent in our society. Understandably, healthy elders will be traumatized by life events and may seek the services of a helping professional, while others will have similar experiences and manage without such assistance. Helping professionals need to understand the strengths and resiliency of their older clients and find ways to promote their use of mental health services. The therapeutic relationship between the elderly client and the practitioner may need to address roadblocks, but with persistence, change can be facilitated.

      Successful Aging and Mental Wellness

      Aging is not merely a matter of accumulating years but also of “adding life to years, not years to life” (Kinsella & Phillips, 2005, p. 40). People grow old in a social and economic context that affects their psychosocial development: their feelings of self-esteem, value, and place in family and society. These factors have a combined effect on the morale of older people, and a number of models have been developed to explain why some people remain more active and healthier at older ages than others. These models can identify factors that favor healthy lifestyles and ways in which society can assist its members to grow old with dignity and comfort.

      Defining Successful Aging

      Successful aging has been empirically defined to include (1) a low probability of disease and disease-related disability, (2) a high level of physical and cognitive functioning, and (3) an active engagement in life (Rowe & Kahn, 1997). To some extent, these components represent a hierarchical relationship, as it is suggested that the absence of disease and disability leads to a prolonged maintenance of physical and cognitive functioning, which enables a higher level of engagement defined as the combination of social activity and productive activity (Tate, Lah, & Cuddy, 2003), participation in leisure activities (Bono, Sala, Hancock, Gunnell, & Parisi, 2007), and belonging to neighbor groups (Zunzunegui et al., 2004). Individuals who meet these hierarchical components during the aging process maintain the capacity to adequately function during daily living, leading to greater independence (Guralnik, Fried, & Salive, 1996). Continued independence is suggested to be an important factor throughout the aging process as it facilitates control and autonomy, both of which increase well-being and life satisfaction (Hertz & Anschutz, 2002). In addition to the psychosocial benefits associated with successful aging, the absence of chronic disease seen in older adults who have aged successfully has the potential to reduce health care costs required for an aging population (Thorpe & Philyaw, 2012). While there are older adults who are successfully aging, the majority of older adults are dealing with some kind of limitation (Carr, Weir, Azar, & Azar, 2013).

      The concept of successful aging is related to the broad issues of coping and adaptation in later life. Successful aging is viewed as maximizing desired outcomes and minimizing undesired ones. Older adults can compensate for losses and declines and retain the potential for further growth. Successful aging can be viewed as the confluence of three functions: decreasing the risk of diseases and disease-related disabilities, maintaining physical and mental functioning, and being actively engaged with life (Kinsella & Phillips, 2005). This is evident today as growing numbers of older people do not exhibit the chronic health problems and declining cognitive skills that were once assumed to accompany aging. The concept of successful aging is illustrated in Guided Practice Exercise 3.1 from the viewpoint of older persons at a lower socioeconomic status (SES). The issues present challenges for the mental health counselor to examine successful aging from a completely different perspective.

      Guided