9 Myths About Aging

guest blog by Peter Hountras, resident of Royal Park Place,
a Providence Life Services retirement community in Zeeland, Michigan

Peter Hountras began his career with 25 years in academic clinical psychology, and then spent 25 years in private practice as a clinical psychologist. He concluded his professional life with eight years at Pine Rest's satellite office in Holland, Michigan, before retiring at the age of 70. In 2009, Peter and his wife Helen joined the Royal Park Place community, where they remain active physically, spiritually, and socially.

The information below is excerpted from an article that originally appeared in the October 2001 issue of The Church Herald, under the title “Aging Grace.” The Church Herald ceased publication in 2009, and rights have reverted back to the author.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 eloquently calls attention to “a time to be born, and a time to die.” Between these two signposts is an art to healthy aging, what we do between birth and death. Denial of growing older and the emphasis of our culture on youth have diverted societal attention from the aging process and have fueled misinformation about aging. Knowledge about growing older can make possible healthy aging, making the days the Lord has allocated to us full of zest and hope.

There is no shortage of theories on aging. Wear and tear, genetic programming, style of living, and free radical damage to cells are among the most frequently offered explanations. At present there seems to be a fixed upper limit to longevity of 120 years, the same number of years reported in Genesis 6:3. But major advances in genetic engineering, in organ replacement, and in the treatment of infections diseases may lead to further declines in mortality and extension of longevity.

The following myths pervade our culture and confound the truth about aging:

1. “Old” refers to a fairly specific age.
Gerontologists, experts in the study of aging, refute the belief that a specific age is signified by the term “old age.” Individuals from 55 to 84 might be considered “young old,” whereas “old old” refers to individuals 85 and older. More important than chronological age are the levels of physical, mental, and emotional functioning.

2. The genes we inherit are the predominant determinant of longevity.
Equally important is lifestyle, including proper diet, physical exercise, religious faith, and the practice of moderation. Furthermore, we are living longer due to exciting advances in medical science and the availability of governmental health care programs.

3. Intelligence, memory, and the ability to learn diminish considerably by age 65.
No marked deficits are observed for some individuals well into their 80s or 90s. Research confirms that many elderly individuals can adapt quite well to any mental, physical, or psychological changes they are experiencing. In fact, with advanced age have come increased wisdom, creativity, and peace.

4. Mind and body are largely independent of each other.
In reality, mind and body function together, with consciousness responsible for coordinating this unity. For this reason, the process of aging can be altered by changing our perception of what is happening to us as we age.

5. Poverty or limited financial resources characterize most older people today.
Surveys have reported that older Americans are healthier, better educated, and more prosperous than at any time in history.

6. Retirement affects men and women equally.
Men are less able to survive retirement. The greater flexibility and resilience of women in old age can be attributed to the discontinuity and pronounced changes in their many different roles experienced over a lifetime. For men, unable to handle separation from career and feelings of being unproductive and irrelevant, retirement often becomes a major crisis.

7. Sex markedly declines, is unenjoyable, or is absent after age 70.
Sex experts Masters and Johnson found that healthy men and women can enjoy an active sex life well into their 80s or 90s.

8. Widowhood creates a drastic identity crisis among older women and hastens their death.
Women adjust to the death of a spouse with less difficulty than men at any age. If a man loses his mate, he is more likely to become sick and die from any number of diseases. This vulnerability has been found to disappear, however, if he remarries.

9. Aging people lose their ability to be productive.
An impressive list of famous individuals have made outstanding contributions beyond the age of 80. Thomas Edison, Albert Schweitzer, George Bernard Shaw, and Winston Churchill are among many others with outstanding contributions at an advanced age.

What about you?

Readers, have you encountered any of these myths in your own experience? Is it accurate to call them “myths,” or are any of them true? Let us know in the comments below!