America turns 234 years old on Independence Day this Sunday. While being over 200 years old is young for a country, the population of aging Americans is increasing daily. Someone turns 50 years of age every six seconds, and those over 50 account for 43 percent of all U.S. households.

Most surprising about today’s senior population is the broad range of ages and lifestyles it encompasses. Ages range from 50 to over 100. The people of this age range have seen America through the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and the current digital age. Both parents and children are now part of the senior population.

As evidenced by the statistics below, the senior population shows no signs of slowing down.

• The over-85 age group is the fasting-growing segment of the population.
• 1 baby boomer retires every 7.4 seconds.
• By 2014, the youngest baby boomers will be 50 years of age and the oldest will be 68.
• By 2020,
  • One of six Americans will be 65 or older.
  • The senior population will account for 115 million Americans.
  • 12 million senior Americans will need long-term care.
• By 2021, the oldest baby boomers will turn 75.
• Currently, 55 million people in the U.S. are over age 55 and 34 million are over age 65. That figure will double by 2030.

The U.S. veteran population is also seeing the impact of aging. 

• We are losing World War II veterans at the rate of approximately 1,000 per day.
• 39.9% of veterans are 65 years or older.
• Veterans of Vietnam and the Korean Conflict will reach ages 65 to 84 between 2010 and 2015.

The diversity of the aging U.S. population is beyond definition. Their lives were shaped by the past 80+ years of America’s history. As the Fourth of July approaches, we reflect on the incredible history of the United States and the courage of brave soldiers and American citizens. The aging population’s influence on the future of America is unparalleled and will impact future generations for years to come.

Happy 4^th of July!

(Sources: HonorFlight.org, Boomeronline.com, The Center for Mature Consumer Studies, and The Roper Organization for Modern Maturity Magazine)

A positive life review process has therapeutic benefits for aging adults. Reminiscence therapy is used by professionals and non-professionals. It can be found in hospitals, senior centers, hospices, and other settings. Formal techniques are often used in hospices. With participation from loved ones and patients, the process can bring about closure through communication and the creation of a permanent historical record.

Capturing an entire life story and knowing where to start can be a challenge. You can begin by answering pre-written questions about the stages of one’s life. We provided several questions* to get you started. 

The People Who Shaped You

• How would you describe your mother to someone who had never met her?
• What is a key lesson you learned from your father? 

Your Memories

• Describe your childhood home, inside and outside.
• What did you want to be when you grew up?
• What were your most memorable experiences from high school?

The Real World

• Have you found true love? Describe what true love means to you.
• What is the hardest part of being a parent?
• What is the greatest invention that has come along in your lifetime so far? Why was this invention important to you? 

Bringing It All Together

• What does it take to succeed in life?
• What was the best time of your life? Why?
• It’s been said that, “The best things in life are free.” Is this true?

*Questions from LifeBio.com

Modern life moves fast. Families are becoming smaller and fragmented. People need to feel connected to others and the world around them. For older adults, a life review or autobiography can aid in avoiding that feeling of isolation and help fully understand their past and present. According to Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups, a life review helps those who want to leave a legacy and history, facilitate life transitions, enhance personal growth, and enjoy self-discovery.

What are the best ways to tell your story? Capturing your life story can be overwhelming, but resources exist to make the process easier and more enjoyable.

5 tips for writing a life review on your own

1)  Write down stories in notebooks or in formal recording workbooks.

2)  Create an audiotape or videotape to capture an oral history.

3)  Make use of family tree programs or software like Ancestry.

4)  LifeBio provides ways to create an online autobiography or scrapbook by using their online templates.

5)  Use Shutterfly or Flickr to compile old and current photographs using digital photo albums. These sites provide editing tools and the ability to enter short captions on your photos. Most importantly, they allow you to share your photo albums at any point along your process.

Coming up next…Capturing Your Life Story…with a Little Help

Many aging theories reinforce the benefits of life review and life storytelling. Eric Erickson’s theory used life review as a way to prepare for death and avoid despair. Atchley’s Continuity Theory explained how life review can maintain a sense of identity despite declining abilities. Once individuals realize the limited amount of time left, they examine and evaluate their lives as either a success or failure. Life review represents the final opportunity to resolve and understand conflicts when one’s life comes to a close.

By participating in life review or life storytelling, aging adults can make sense of their lives and their contribution to the world. It provides a way to share wisdom, humor, and a life’s legacy. Well-being in old age improves by linking together different experiences in a life. In the telling of a life story, sense is made of it.

The life review process can be silent or oral. If a life story is left untold and uncelebrated, it can manifest itself as a brief significant thought, as nostalgia or regret, and as anxiety, guilt, or depression. Sharing life stories is an important way for elders to link with others. By passing on the wisdom gained through life reflection, older generations can influence future generations.

Coming up next…Telling Your Story

A common saying goes “In aging, you are like you always were – only more so.” The Continuity Theory, formerly proposed in 1971 by Robert Atchley, states that the maturing adult develops certain habits, preferences, and associations that are ingrained in the personality. As one ages, those personality traits become more pronounced or “continue” with age. The theory originated from an observation of older adults and the consistency of their personalities despite changing physical, mental, physical, and social status.

Allowing for the various ways individuals adapt to aging, continuity provides a way to maintain a personal system. Satisfaction in life does not depend on a stranger’s impression or the physical changes of normal aging. For some, aging may affect cognitive abilities less than physical abilities.  This may explain why individuals focus more on spiritual development in their later years and exhibit more “wisdom” as compared to younger adults.

Relying solely on the continuity theory will not guarantee “successful” aging. Those with a preoccupation with work roles will not find happiness with the same behaviors that ignored other sources of satisfaction. Ignoring physical changes will also cause dissatisfaction in older adults. Carrying forward negative habits from midlife to late life, simply because it is “what I always did” can lead to a more difficult aging experience.

As a mature adult experiences the changes of aging, continuity can provide a way to maintain one’s sense of identity. By highlighting positive, meaningful changes and habits in life, aging does not need to be a radical break from the past. Changes that come from aging will become more predictable. Using life review to establish continuity can result in a joyful reflection of past experiences and a way to set goals for the future.