Aging in the 1990s and beyond

The future of aging persons in an aging society will depend equally upon the exogenous factors of the society and upon our attitudes and behaviors. The changes in the numbers and proportions of elderly create constraints and pressures upon resources and services. These incentives for decision-making are then mirrored in our behaviors and attitudes about aging, and about the elderly. The role of the aging person is undergoing re-evaluation--from "retired," "grandparent," and "being seen and not heard" in family matters, to a more active and participative role. Retirement to (rather than from) second careers, political participation, community leadership, and new creativity in the choices of leisure roles are the new norms for aging persons. The changing demographic profile motivates us to anticipate new approaches to health care for an aging population. In the face of increasing longevity, the primary concern to be addressed is the development and administering of a system of services for the chronically ill. These health services must be coordinated to meet a range of needs from nutrition to hospice care, and yet to protect the individual and personal rights of the individual and to respond to the changing attitudes of the elderly as well as toward the elderly.