Page 47 - August 2015 Life In Naples Magazine
P. 47
DOCTOR’S CORNER
“Aging well is very Veterans have the reputation
important as roles of being stable, hardworking,
change, physical and employed in the same
and mental abilities corporation for decades.
modify, and there is the They respect institutions and
respond well to a directive
”inevitable loss of family leadership style. Civic pride is
and friends. important and change can be
difficult.
impairment. On the other hand, that means there are 20
or more good years of potentially good and independent The Xers, those born
living for the majority of older adults to have satisfying between 1964 and 1979, came
careers and productive lives. of age during the economic
hardships of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Aging well is very important as roles change, physical Watergate, the Challenger disaster, terrorism and the
and mental abilities modify, and there is the inevitable loss birth of the computer age have shaped their view of the
of family and friends. In America we battle rather than world. Most came from a two-parent working family and
accept death as being inevitable. This attitude can be good learned to be independent after school at home, playing
but also can add to stress by being a constant distraction computer games and surfing the web. Their attentions
and fear. spans shortened and instant gratification became the
norm. One can only speculate as to how the Xers will age
The key to aging well is remaining active and involved. and adapt to the changing world.
Being positive, creating opportunities for satisfying
and meaningful relationships and activities becomes One very good characteristic of the Xers is their
self-perpetuating at any age. Those folks of all ages ability to manage themselves. This skill was cultivated
who approach another person or situation with “good after school with the responsibility to care for themselves,
vibrations” will typically set off similar good responses. do their homework, and start dinner or complete other
This behavior is accentuated as we age due to the false household chores.The flip side of this independent streak?
belief that the elderly are subject to depression and This group rebels against micromanagement.
degeneration.
The newest and youngest demographic group are the
Aging baby boomers will probably be different as they Nexters born between 1980 and 2000. Perhaps the most
“grow up.” These folks born between 1945 and 1963 have travelled, and global in outlook, many are bilingual, and
had important differences in experiences, expectations, forthright. This group shares what is on their minds.
and values than those who are currently in their late 60s They are action-oriented and positive. How they will
and older, the so called “Veterans” born between 1922 navigate the world as we all become more intertwined and
and 1944. In other words, those who are already old are interdependent is anyone’s guess.
different than those who are about to become old.
Will the Nexters be empathetic to the Baby Boomers
Baby boomers are physically healthier than the as they all grow older? Will the Nexters be self-centered
generation before them and generally able to work and or realize that they too might benefit from the experience
live independently longer. This baby boomer generation of others?
has attitudes and expectations which are different than
their parents, including the expectations of happiness. We have a complex aging society with stereotyped
How this growing segment of the population will age is a cohorts based on year of birth. How we all interact,
chapter which will unfold over the next decades. migrate through our environments, how we age and react
to aging is an ongoing drama.
Generational competencies have become a popular
subject as our Veterans age out and the Baby Boomers These interactions are important as to a great extent
replace them in the work force and retirement activities. our success as individuals and as a society depends on how
well we understand each other within and between age
groups.
Being competent and alert and accommodating to our
differences will bring much more success to help all of us
live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
Life in Naples | August • September • October 2015 47
