On Aging, Ageism and a Book I Am Reading

Rick Banas of assisted living provider BMA Management suggests that we need to change our thinking about aging and retirement.

By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.

Tis the day after Christmas
And my mind is spinning.
About ageism, our attitudes toward aging,
And a book I am reading.

Mr. Mercedes - Stephen King at Amazon.com

The book is the novel “Mr. Mercedes” by Stephen King. I had checked it out of the library in my hometown of Palatine, Illinois. It was published earlier this year.

What happens to a character by the name of Hodges in the first 100 pages of the novel is what has me thinking about ageism and our attitudes toward aging and retirement. Hodges is a retired police detective. An event gives him new life – a new purpose for living. He now has better things to do than sitting at home in his La-Z-Boy, feeding his face, watching afternoon TV shows and taking two-hour naps. He never has felt more awake.

What I find spinning through my mind are all of the things that I have heard and read about the importance of purpose in life – a reason for getting out of bed in the morning. A news release posted earlier this year on the Association of Psychological Science website, for instance, talks about research that indicates that having a sense of purpose may add years to your life. It doesn’t matter if you are young, middle-aged or older. The news release also mentions the importance of positive relationships with others and the implications all this has for promoting positive aging. You can click here to read the news release.

I recall walking into the Activity Room of the Cambridge House affordable assisted living community that we manage in Maryville, Illinois, last week and hearing the excitement as our thespian residents were rehearsing for an upcoming performance.

I also recall a resident of the affordable assisted living community that we manage in Bolingbrook, Illinois, who took up wood carving at the age of 92. At the age of 96, he spent three-and-a-half months carving the Gettysburg Address into an 8-foot-high display, which has been featured at the Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

My mind also spins to the White Oaks memory care communities that we manage. The communities serve older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. The focus is on providing opportunities for residents to maintain a sense of purpose and belonging throughout the seasons of dementia.

I ponder why we so readily tend to automatically associate aging with frailty and senility.

Yes, the risk of Alzheimer’s increases significantly with age. But let me suggest looking at the statistics in a little different way – it appears that 97% of those 65 to 74; more than 80% of those 75 to 84; and more than 50% of those 85 and older are not suffering from the disease.

In terms of frailty and older adults suffering from chronic medical conditions, a Blog by Madeline R. Vann, MPH, that was posted in March of 2014 on the everyday HEALTH website, indicates that more than three-quarters of those age 65+ rate their health as good or excellent.

In addition, research done by Dan Buettner and the organization he founded called Blue Zones notes that there are places in the world where people thrive into their 80s, 90s and 100s. They are not only living longer, they are living healthier and happier lives. They are dying without having suffered from a variety of chronic medical conditions that we commonly associate with old age.

In my opinion, a change in the way we view aging and older adults is needed. We need to value older adults. From all of their years of experience, they can provide valuable guidance and wisdom. They can serve as role models, mentors and volunteers.

We should relook at the whole idea of retirement. Should the goal really to be to retire to a carefree lifestyle, to sit back and relax in an easy chair, to do nothing but fish or play golf or tennis? Wouldn’t it be much better for the goal to be “Repurposement” rather than “Retirement” – at how older adults can continue to contribute to families, neighbors, society and the world.

We should also look at how we can live decades beyond the age of 75 and die without much in the way of the aches, pains and deterioration of the mind and body usually associated with aging. There is plenty of evidence to say that this is possible.

I would love to know what you think.


All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”

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Gardant Management Solutions has 20+ years of industry-acclaimed operational history in developing, managing and consulting for senior living, assisted living and memory care communities.