The Purple Jacket

We welcome a guest blog post from  Home Instead Senior Care!

NEW RESEARCH DEBUNKS TOP FIVE MYTHS ABOUT AGING 

Leading home care provider dispels common misperceptions about seniors

OMAHA, Neb. – April 11, 2013 – Many Americans fear the social impacts of aging. From wrinkles to serious health and financial concerns, aging undoubtedly creates anxiety for people of all ages. However, according to new research* released by Home Instead Senior Care^®, the leading global provider of home care services for seniors, there are significant gaps between the perceptions and realities of mature age.

 The new research reveals that the majority of seniors do not experience many of the common concerns associated with aging. Younger generations can rest easy as the following myths about old age are debunked:

#1. Happiness is for the young. Not true. Only 29 percent of Millennials (age 18-30) describe themselves as very happy, compared to 44 percent of the Greatest Generation (age 66+).

#2. Your physical appearance will terrify you most. A decline in physical appearance as one ages is a secondary concern to memory loss. Memory loss was cited by more than 82 percent of American adults as a top fear, compared to 11 percent who cite beauty concerns.  

#3. Your bank account will run dry. Although more than half (52 percent) of Americans believe money is a very serious problem for older generations, only 14 percent of people over 65 lack financial resources to support themselves.

#4. Technology will outpace you. The future model of your iPhone won’t escape the older version of you. Nearly four in ten (38 percent) of Americans perceive people over 65 can’t keep up with new technology as they age. Yet, only 15 percent of seniors cite this as a serious problem.

#5. Aging undoubtedly brings loneliness. Loneliness was perceived as a major issue for older Americans by 37 percent. However, only 5 percent of seniors say it’s a very serious problem.

“Home Instead is committed to changing the face of aging. It is imperative for earlier generations – Millenials, Generation X and Baby Boomers – to distinguish myth from reality,” said Roger Baumgart, CEO of Home Instead, Inc.  “There needs to be a more realistic perception about aging as the older population rises from 800 million to 2 billion people over the next 30 years.”

Despite these misperceptions, most U.S. adults agree that older Americans lack respect from younger generations. Almost 80 percent say seniors don’t receive enough of it. Now those are words we can grow (older) on.

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