Reinvent yourself at 70!

Very few of us may have realised the dramatic change in demographics over the past 50 years. In our childhood we witnessed how people died in the prime of their lives due to malaria, coronary heart disease and smallpox. Thanks to improved medical care and preventive measures, we are living longer than our forefathers. Apart from the occasional killer diseases such as dengue, people live longer than they did in the past.

Although longevity is a salutary process, welfare states are facing a serious problem of coping with the large ageing population created by the longer lifespan and declining birth rate. According to the London-based magazine 'The Economist' the percentage of national GDP spent on benefits to the elderly by 2040 will be double the current levels. This will affect the United States, Canada, and most countries in western Europe.

One redeeming factor is that most of the elderly people in these countries do not seek old age pension or any other State support. For instance, there are many Japanese employees who are above the age of 70. A sprightly 103-year-old Japanese worker claims that work is the "most enjoyable thing" for her. She is a farm worker who enjoys her work immensely. In Manhattan, a 92-year-old media salesman Ted Lillenhall has the same opinion, "Anyone who keeps active not only lives longer, but enjoys their life too."

Gerontologist Ken Dychatwald once compared life to climbing Mount Everest. For 40 to 50 years we ascend the mountain and after reaching the summit have a good look around. After that we begin to descend every day. However, the scene has changed very much today. People now want to reinvent themselves at 70 or even 80! That means they do not wish to retire from work. It is not strange for someone with the right qualifications and experience to apply for a job and be gainfully employed at the age of 70.

The developed world is ready for training and employing elderly people. Foreign universities do not have an age barrier for most of the courses. The situation in Sri Lanka is somewhat deplorable. Most of the post-graduate courses advertised by universities and other statutory bodies have an upper age limit varying from 45 to 55. As a result, elderly people cannot follow post-graduate courses. While our retirement age varies from 55 to 65, the Icelandic government has pushed it from 67 to 72!

When you seek a late retirement from work both employers and employees stand to benefit. Employers will have the added advantage of utilising the experience and reliability of elderly employees. What is more, they are unlikely to shift from one job to another like young employees. Now employers are beginning to realise that people in late adulthood are a force to reckon with.

Although all of us grow old, there is no single way to age successfully. According to the disengagement theory of ageing, old age produces a gradual withdrawal from the world. Elderly people may not want to engage in physical, psychological and social activities. This will provide them with an opportunity to reflect over their emotional life.

On the other hand, the activity theory of ageing holds that those who age most successfully are those who maintain the interests, activities and the level of social interaction of their younger days. According to this theory, in late adulthood people should continue the activities begun in the early part of their life.

Thus, both disengagement and activity can lead to successful ageing. However, many elderly people may not wish to engage in studies or research work. They will not need a life full of activities. They will be quite satisfied with a relatively inactive existence. Recent psychological research shows that positive self-perceptions of ageing are associated with increased longevity.

Whether the elderly people lead an active or inactive life, they engage in a process of life review. They try to examine their lives and find out whether they have achieved anything worthwhile. Intelligent people in their late adulthood often come to a better understanding of themselves. Old age is the time to reflect and resolve the lingering problems in life. This is a time of continued growth and development.

Although at some time in our lives we all face death, old age is not meant to brood over it. So long as you lead a normal healthy life, you can pursue education and make yourself a useful citizen. Active people will live longer than those who resign themselves to a life of boredom and inactivity.