Published in the November 9 – 22, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By Susan Fent

Susan Fent

Susan Fent

How many times have you heard, “Aging is so sexy!”? Probably never. And there’s a good reason for that. Who wants to talk about physical decline, memory loss, wrinkles and all of those negative messages that we’ve received about the ugliness of aging?

But before total panic about aging sets in, let’s bear in mind that, truth be told, most individuals who reach the older years are healthy, engaged, highly functional and are at the happiest point in their lives.

The Centennial Recreation Senior Center provides a perfect example of the vitality that older adults possess today with a focus on holistic well-being and activity. Just step inside the Senior Center and look at the number of older adults who are dancing to Zumba, challenging their minds on the computers, or enjoying a heated conversation about the presidential race over lunch with friends.

Isn’t that how we all want to age? More than likely, most of us will say, “Yes, sign me up!”

And if we take care of ourselves and we’re lucky, that’s the path we’ll follow. But, here’s the part that gets hard to hear. We won’t all get to spend the entirety of our older years dancing to Zumba or spending the day with our friends at the Senior Center. In fact, about half of us who reach the age of 85 will develop dementia. About 80 percent of older adults have at least one chronic disease, and 68 percent have at least two. Many of us will outlive our savings that would have paid for services to support us to be able to continue to live at home. Did you know that there are more than 1,400 seniors (people 65 or older) in Morgan Hill who are trying to live on just $23,760 or less per year?

Within the challenges of aging, there can be dignity — and isn’t that what we all want? We all want to feel valued and to be able to live our lives to the fullest, regardless of our abilities or limitations.

Now ask yourself: what does aging with dignity look like for me? What does it look like in my community? What does it look like to my doctor? Aging with dignity won’t happen without some conversation. Will your political decision makers, doctors or loved ones know what aging with dignity means for you if you don’t talk about it?

We may not all think that aging is “sexy,” but we can be pretty certain that we want it to be dignified. A network of support that includes social service agencies, senior centers, religious organizations, health care providers, families and neighborhoods will help to ensure that we can all age in a dignified way, regardless of our abilities or limitations. How do you define aging with dignity? Today is a great day to start the conversation!

Susan Fent is the regional director of community living services at the Institute on Aging and a member of the Morgan Hill Senior Advisory Committee.