Abstract
Maintenance of functional health and high quality of late life are crucial concerns for gerontologists and health researchers, as rapidly growing numbers of very old adults face the challenges and opportunities of increasing longevity and frailty in the twenty-first century (Atchley, 1995; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 1991). The present formulation outlines how older adults of tomorrow can enhance their own quality of life through a broad array of proactive adaptations. By recognizing and accepting older adults’ right to, and preference for, proactive involvement in shaping their own destiny, we can make important strides toward facilitating elders’ successful ageing. Successful ageing, based on our model, is an attainable goal within reach of even those aged traditionally relegated to ranks of passive and stigmatized recipients of care.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antonucci, T.C., & Akiyama, H. (1995). Convoys of social relations: Family and friendships within a life span context. In R. Blieszner & V.H. Bedford (Eds.),Handbook of aging and the family (pp. 355–371). New York: Greenwood Press. 355–371.
Aspinwall, L., & Taylor, S. (1997). A stitch in time: Self-regulation and proactive coping.Psychological Bulletin, 121, 417–436.
Atchley, R.C. (1995). The longevity revolution. In M.M. Seltzer (Ed.),The impact of increased life expectancy: Beyond the gray horizon (pp. 33–50). New York: Springer Publishing.
Aviv, C., Sepucha, K., Belkora, J., & Esserman, L. (2001). Using action research to improve collaboration between breast cancer patients and physicians: Creating the program for collaborative care.Changing Consumers and Changing Technology in Health Care and Health Care Delivery, 19, 207–229.
Baltes, P.B., & Baltes, M.M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P.B. Baltes & M.M. Baltes (Eds.),Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (pp. 1–34). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Besl, J.R., & Kale, B.D. (1996). Older workers in the 21st century: Active and educated, a case study.Monthly Labor Review, 6, 18–28.
Brink, S. (1997). Twin challenges of information technology and population aging.Generations, 21 (3), 7–10.
Caldwell, J.R. (1996). Exercise in the elderly: An overview.Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 20 (3), 3–8.
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (1992).Maintaining senior’s independence: A guide to home adaptation. Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Cantor, M.H. (1979). The informal support system in New York’s inner city elderly: Is ethnicity a factor? In D.E. Gefland, & A.J. Kutznik (Eds.),Ethnicity and aging (pp. 153–174). New York: Springer Publishing.
Caro, F.G., Bass, S.A., & Chen, Y.P. (1993). Achieving a productive aging society. In S.A. Bass, F.G. Caro, & Y.P. Chen (Eds.),Achieving a productive aging society (pp. 277–281). Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Cicirelli, V.G. (1991). Sibling relationships in adulthood.Marriage and Family Review, 16 (3/4), 291–310.
Collins, M., & Sayer, A. (Eds.). (2001).New Methods for the Analysis of Change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Crystal, S. (1996). Economic status of the elderly. In R.H. Binstock & L.K. George (Eds.),Handbook of aging and the social sciences (4th ed.) (pp. 388–409). New York: Academic Press.
Cutler, S.J., & Hendricks, J. (2001). Emerging social trends. In R.H. Binstock & L.K. George (Eds.),Handbook of aging and the social sciences (5th ed.) (pp. 462–480). New York: Academic Press.
Cutrona, C.E. (1996).Social support in couples: Marriage as a resource in times of stress. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Donabedian, A. (1973). An examination of some directions in health care policy.American Journal of Public Health, 63 (3), 243–246.
Featherman, D., Smith, J., & Peterson, J. (1990). Successful aging in a post-retired society. In P. Baltes & M. Baltes (Eds.),Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (pp. 50–93). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Fetzer Institute. (1999).Multidimensional Measurement of Religiousness/Spirituality for Use in Health Research: A report of the Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group.
Flocke, S.A., Stange, K.C., & Zyzanski, S.J. (1997). The impact of insurance type and forced discontinuity on the delivery of primary care.Journal of Family Practice, 45 (6), 129–135.
Flocke, S.A., Stange, K.C., & Zyzanski, S.J. (1998). The association of attributes of primary care with the delivery of clinical preventive services.Medical Care, 36 (8), AS21–30.
Forrest, C.B., & Starfield, B. (1998). Entry into primary care and continuity: The effects of access.American Journal of Public Health, 88 (9), 1330–1336.
Franks, M., Herzog, A., Holmberg, D., & Markus, H. (1999). Educational attainment and self-making in later life. In C. Ryff, & V. Marshall (Eds.),The self and society in aging processes (pp. 223–246). New York: Springer Publishing.
Freedman, M. (1999).Prime time: How baby boomers will revolutionize retirement and transform America. New York: Public Affairs.
Furnman, F.K. (1997).Facing the mirror: Older women and beauty shop culture. New York: Routledge.
Garfein, A.J., & Herzog, A.R. (1995). Robust aging among the young-old, old-old, and oldest-old.Journals of Gerontology (B), 50 (2), S77-S87.
Gelfand, D.E. (1993).The aging network: Programs and services. New York: Springer Publishing.
Gilleard, C., & Higgs, P. (1998). Old people as users and consumers of healthcare: A third age rhetoric for a fourth age reality?Ageing and Society, 18 (2), 233–248.
Gleich, G.S. (1995). Health maintenance and prevention in the elderly.Primary Care, 22, 697–711.
Greene, R.L., Jackson, J.S., & Neighbors, H.W. (1993). Mental health and help-seeking behavior. In J.S. Jackson, L.M. Chatters, & R.J. Taylor (Eds.),Aging in black America (pp. 185–200). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Guerette, P., Nakai, R., Verran, A., & Sommerville, N. (1992).Safety begins at home: A practical guide for professionals, older adults, and their families. Downey, CA: Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Aging, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, University of Southern California.
Haug, M., & Lavin, B. (1983).Consumerism in medicine: Challenging physician authority. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Herzog, A.R., & House, J.G. (1991). Productive activities and aging well.Generations, 15 (winter), 49–54.
Hibbard, J.H., & Jewett, J.J. (1996). What type of quality information do consumers want in a health care report card?Medical Care Research and Review, 53 (1), 28–47.
Institute of Medicine. (1991).Improving information services for health services researchers: A report to the National Library of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Institute of Medicine. (1993).Committee on Health Services Research: Training and work force issues. Health Services Research: Workforce and Educational Issues. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Kahana, E., & Borawski, E. (1997). Altruism and helping others as proactive adaptations in late life: How helping others returns dividends.Gerontologist, Special Issue I (37), 290.
Kahana, E., & Kahana, B. (1996). Conceptual and empirical advances in understanding aging well through proactive adaptation. In V. Bengtson (Ed.)Adulthood and aging: Research on continuities and discontinuities (pp. 18–41). New York: Springer Publishing.
Kahana, E., & Kahana, B. (2001). On being a proactive health care consumer: Making an “unresponsive” system work for you.Research in Sociology of Health Care: Changing Consumers and Changing Technology in Health Care and Health Care Delivery, 19, 21–44.
Kahana, E., & Kahana, B. (2003). Contextualizing successful aging: New directions in age-old search. In R. Settersten, Jr. (Ed.),Invitation to the Life Course: A New Look at Old Age (pp. 225–255). Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing.
Kahana, E., King, C., Brown, J., DeCrane, P., Mackey, D., Monaghan, P., Raff, L., Wu, T., Kercher, K., & Stange, K. (1994). Environmental modifications and disabled elders. In J. C. Rey & C. Tilquin (Eds.),SYSTED 94: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Systems Sciences in Health-Social Services for the Elderly and the Disabled (pp. 145–150).
Kahana, E., Lawrence, R., Kahana, B., Kercher, K., Wisniewski, A., Stoller, E., Tobin, J., & Stange, K. (2002). Long-term impact of preventive proactivity on quality of life of the old-old.Psychosomatic Medicine, 64 (3), 382–394.
Kahana, E., Lovegreen, L., Kahana, B., & Kahana, M. (in press). Person, environment, and person-environment fit as influences on residential satisfaction of elders.Environment and Behavior.
Kahana, E., Stange, K., Meehan, R., & Raff, L. (1997). Forced disruption in continuity of primary care: Managed care: The patients’ perspective.Sociological Focus, 30, 172–182.
Kapp, M.B. (1991). Health care decision making by the elderly: I get by with a little help from my family.Gerontologist, 31 (5), 619–623.
Kassirer, J.P. (1997). Is managed care here to stay?New England Journal of Medicine, 336(14), 1013–1014.
Kay, E.J., Jensen-Osinski, B.H., Beidler, P.G., & Aronson, J.L. (1983). The graying of the college classroom.Gerontologist, 23 (2), 196–199.
Kizer, K.W. (2001). Establishing health care performance standards in an era of consumerism.Journal of the American Medical Association, 286 (10), 1213–1217.
Koenig, H.G. (2001). Religion and medicine III: Developing a theoretical model. InternationalJournal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 31 (2), 199–216.
Lawhon, T., & Ennis, D. (1995). Technology impacts older Americans.Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 20 (2), 51–64.
Lawton, M.P. (1980).Environment and aging. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.
Lederman, E. (1994).Making life more livable: A practical guide to over 1,000 products and resources for living well in the mature years. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Little, T., Schnabel, K., & Baumert, J. (Eds.). (2000).Modeling Longitudinal and Multilevel Data. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Litwak, E., & Longino, C.F. (1987). Migration patterns among the elderly: A developmental perspective.The Gerontologist, 27 (3), 266–272.
Lo, R., & Brown, R. (1999). Stress and adaptation: Preparation for successful retirement.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 8, 30–38.
Macready, N. (1997). Baby boomers fuel demand for more plastic surgeries.OR Manager, 13 (3), 20–21.
Mann, W.C., Hurren, D., & Tomita, M. (1993). Comparison of assistive device use and needs of home-based older persons with different impairments.American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 47 (11), 980–987.
McMellon, C.A., Schiffman, L.G., & Sherman, E. (1997). Consumer cyberseniors: Some personal and situational characteristics that influence their on-line behavior.Advances in Consumer Research, 24, 517–521.
Midlarsky, E., & Kahana, E. (1994).Altruism in later life. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Moen, P., & Erickson, M.A. (2001). Decision-making and satisfaction with a continuing care retirement community.Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 14 (1/2), 53–69.
Ory, M.G., & Cox, D.M. (1994). Forging ahead: Linking health and behavior to improve quality of life in older people.Social Indicators Research, 33, 89–120.
Ory, M.G., & DeFriese, G.H. (1998).Self care in later life: Research, program, and policy issues. New York: Singer Publishing.
Owings, K. (2002). Designs for the Future: Architect plans for America’s aging population. Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2002/03/18/focus1.html
Pearlin, L. (2001). Bereavement and the loss of mattering. In Timothy J. Owens & Sheldon Stryker (Eds.),Exending self-esteem theory and research: Sociological and psychological currents (pp. 285–300). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Pennebaker, J.W. (Ed.). (1995).Emotion, disclosure, and health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Penninx, B.W.J.H., Rejeski, W.J., Pandya, J., Miller, M.E., Di Bari, M., Applegate, W.B., & Pahor, M. (2002). Exercise and depressive symptoms: A comparison of aerobic and resistance exercise effects on emotional and physical function in older persons with high and low depressive symptomatology.Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57B(2), P124-P132.
Pinto, M.R., De Medici, S., Van Sant, C., Bianchi, A., Zlotnicki, A., & Napoli, C. (2000). Ergonomics, gerontechnology, and design for the home-enviornment.Applied Ergonomics, 31, 317–322.
Pirkl, J.J. (1995). Transgenerational design: Prolonging the American dream.Generations, Spring, 32–36.
Prager, E. (1995). The older volunteer as research colleague: Toward “generative participation” for older adults.Educational Gerontology, 21, 209–218.
Ranzijn, R., Keeves, J., Luszcz, M., & Feather, N.T. (1998). Role of self-perceived usefulness and competence in the self-esteem of elderly adults: Confirmatory factor analyses of the Bachman revision of Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale.Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 53B (2), 96–104.
Rioux, M. (1996). Overcoming the social construction of inequality as a prerequisite of quality of life. In R. Renwick, I. Brown, & M. Nagler (Eds.),Quality of life in health promotion and rehabilitation (pp. 89–103). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rodwin, M.A. (1997). The neglected remedy: Strengthening consumer voice in managed care.The American Prospect, 34 (9–10), 45–50.
Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, B. (1981). Mattering: Inferred significance and mental health among adolescents.Research in community & mental health, 2, 163–182.
Rosow, J.M. (1974). Work requirements, work incentives: Their role in public assistance.Social and Rehabilitation Record, 1 (9), 27–31.
Rowe, J., & Kahn R. (1998).Successful aging. New York, NY: Pantheon.
Scheidt, R.J., Humphreys, D.R., & Yorgason, J.B. (1999). Successful aging: What’s not to like?Journal of Applied Gerontology, 18 (3), 277–282.
Seligman, M.E.P. (1975).Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. San Francisco, CA: Freeman.
Settersten, R.A. (2001). Social sources of meaning in later life. In R.S. Weiss & S.A. Bass (Eds.),Challenges of the third age: Meaning and purpose in later life (pp. 55–79). New York: Oxford University Press.
Sörensen, S., & Pinquart, M. (2000). Vulnerability and access to resources as predictors of preparation for future care needs in the elderly.Journal of Aging & Health, 12 (2), 275–300.
Starfield, B. (1998).Primary care: Balancing health needs, services, and technology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Stuck, A.E., Walthert, J.M., Nikolaus, T., Bula, C.J., Hohmann, C., & Beck, J.C. (1999). Risk factors for functional status decline in community-living elderly people: A systematic literature review.Social Science and Medicine, 48, 445–469.
Thoits, P.A. (1983). Multiple identities and psychological well being: A reformulation and test of the social isolation hypotheses.American Sociological Review, 48 (4), 174–187.
Thursz, D., Nusberg, C., & Prather, J. (1995).Empowering older people. Westport, CT: Auburn House.
Tideiksaar, R. (1987). Fall prevention in the home.Topics in Rehabilitation, 3 (1), 57–64.
Tornstam, L. (1996). Gerotranscendence: The contemplative dimension of aging.Journal of Aging Studies, 11 (2), 143–154.
Verbrugge, L.M., Reoma, J.M., & Gruber-Baldini, A.M (1994). Short-term dynamics of disability and well-being.Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 35 (2), 97–117.
White, H., McConnell, E., Clipp, E., Bynum, L., Teague, C., Navas, L., Craven, S., & Halbrecht, H. (1999). Surfing the net in later life: A review of the literature and pilot study of computer use and quality of life.Journal of Applied Gerontology, 18 (3), 358–378.
Wiseman, R. F., & Roseman, C.C. (1979). A typology of elderly migration based on the decision-making process.Economic Geography, 55, 324–337.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The awards she has received include the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Distinguished Mentorship Award; Mary E. Switzer Distinguished Fellowship; Ohio Distinguished Gerontological Researcher; Distinguished Scholar Award, Section on Aging & the Life Course of the American Sociological Association (ASA); and Polisher Award of the GSA for her outstanding contribution to applied gerontology. She has published extensively in the area of stress, coping, and health of the aged.
Dr. Kahana has been honored throughout his career, including Fellow of the American Psychological Society, a Heller Award for Contributions to Gerontology, the State of Ohio Distinguished Gerontological Researcher Award, and a Publishers Prize for Research Excellence. His extensive list of publications covers the fields of psychology, coping, trauma, stress, and health of the aged.
Dr. Kercher acts as statistical and research methods consultant to the School of Medicine, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Department of Communication, and University Center on Aging and Health at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Kercher has served as the co-director of the Education, Epidemiology, and Health Services Research Administration for the Northeast, and serves as Director of the Invitational Research Seminar Series for Case Western Reserve University.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kahana, E., Kahana, B. & Kercher, K. Emerging lifestyles and proactive options for successful ageing. Ageing Int. 28, 155–180 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-003-1022-8
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-003-1022-8