Kaiser Health News ran an article this week about
“the secret happiness as you age.” It features the story of a 76 year old man
who, despite severe heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, and osteoarthritis,
describes himself as a “happy guy.” He can’t see well, he can’t drive, and he
has to rest after walking short distances—really short, like 10 yards. So how
does he manage to be happy?
His secret is that he focuses on those things in
life that do bring him joy—listening to music and audiobooks, and writing. He
also derives pleasure from helping others in small ways. The article concludes
with a quote from a geriatrician who says that “the real key to happiness at
every age and stage—particularly old age—is not material things, but gratitude
for life’s simple blessings, like laughter among friends or watching a sunset
with a loved one.”
The message that frailty doesn’t have to spell
misery is a refreshing one. Readers of this blog know that I spend a great deal
of time discussing frailty: defining it, advocating screening for it, and
promoting an “intermediate” approach to care for people who have it. I lament
the disproportionate time and energy spent on addressing robust old age and
dying, two important states but not where most older people spend most of their
time. The Kaiser Health article is an important reminder that we don’t need to
hide frail people from view as though they carry an unbearable, unmentionable
stigma. But what is missing from the piece is the recognition that while
individuals who are frail can take steps to make their lives rewarding, the
larger society has an important supportive role to play.
Creating and
disseminating the technological aids that can make life enjoyable are crucial:
without his audiobooks and his virtual assistant (in the example given,
Amazon’s Alexa), achieving satisfaction might have been impossible. We need to make age-friendly environments, like those promoted by the World Health Organization’s “Age-Friendly Cities and Communities Program.” This means
building walkable communities, providing appropriate transportation, and
linking service providers to individuals. It means developing accessible
housing and means for civic participation, along with access to medical care.
It means joining the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities or local
organizations, such as the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative. Only then
will happiness among frail elders be the norm rather than the exception.
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