Especially for Senior Adults...

Senior adults face many struggles in life, as well as young adults.  They say a person is “old” at the age of 68, but that varies from person to person – I am going to use the word senior, instead of “old” in this blog entry. 

Seniors struggle with things like new technology, expectations from younger adults, and health issues.

Seniors are less likely to adopt new technology than their younger counterparts for reasons ranging from doubts of its benefits to a general lack of comfort.  Almost 6% of seniors do not understand what a tablet is, even after seeing a manual with descriptions and photos.  The relationship between age and technology is predominately negative, meaning as the age increases, the negative attitude toward technology increases.  Ageism is also an issue, since the seniors are perceived as less mentally and physically competent – some seniors have relatively high levels of anxiety when they are introduced to new technology. 

If there’s one realm of modern life where old and young behave very differently, it’s in the adoption of newfangled information technology.  Just four-in-ten adults (aged 65 – 74) use the internet on a daily basis, and that share drops to just one-in-six among adults 75+.  By contrast, ¾ of all adults aged 18-30 go online daily.

We, as young adults, have to remember that seniors taught us how to use a fork and spoon, how to drive, how to behave, etc.  We have to help them learn as well, especially where technology is concerned.  This world is changing so fast!  Just take a moment to remember how much things have changed since you were a child...

Getting old isn’t nearly as bad as people think it will be.  Nor is it quite as good.  The expectations that young and middle-aged adults have about old age and the actual experiences reported are completely different.  Often, young adults associate things like illness, memory loss, an inability to drive, and end to sexual activity, a struggle with loneliness and depression, and difficulty paying bills to seniors.  

According to a national study, only one-in-four adults (aged 65 and older) report experiencing any memory loss.  Only one-in-five say they have a serious illness, are not sexually active or often feel sad or depressed.  About one-in-six report they are lonely or have trouble paying bills.  One-in-seven cannot drive.  One-in-ten say they feel they aren’t needed or are a burden to others.  When it comes to these problems, younger adults expect to encounter these, but they are actually much lower than expected. 

You’re never too old to feel young!  In fact, nearly half of all seniors (aged 50 and older) say they feel at least 10 years younger than their actual age!  Seniors report to being able to now spend more time with their families, that they get more respect, and that they feel less stress than when they were younger.  Seniors have a count-my-blessings attitude when asked to look back over the full arc of their lives.  Even in the face of illness and aging bodies, they appear to have made peace with their circumstances.  How many of us can say that? 

Of course, daily activity levels diminish on most fronts – especially when it comes to exercising and driving.  On the other hand, daily prayer and daily meditation both increase with age.  Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults than younger adults!

Among all adults (aged 65 and older), nine-in-ten talk with family or friends every day.  Mothers and daughters are in the most frequent contact; fathers and daughters the least.  Sons fall in the middle, and they keep in touch with older mothers and fathers at equal rates.  Overall, ¾ of adults are very satisfied with their relationships with their parents.  The great majority say they have people around them, other than family, on whom they can rely for social activities and companionship. 

More than ¾ of seniors say they’ve talked with their children about their wills and/or what happens when they cannot make their own medical decisions.

Seniors who continue to work are healthier, consume less in public benefits, pay more taxes, and contribute to higher levels of economic growth.  More than nine-in-ten seniors (aged 65 and older) live in their own home or apartment and the vast majority are satisfied with their living arrangements.

Older workers may not have the same tech-savvy of their younger colleagues, but they have years of experience you can't teach or replace.

Here are a few key advantages to older workers:

1. They have good leadership skills. Older workers make good leaders because they often have stronger communication skills than their younger colleagues.

2. They're focused. Older people have been working their entire lives and are often not searching for the next opportunity like younger workers. They know exactly what they want to do and are focused on getting the work done. 

3. They're loyal. Since older workers are typically more satisfied with their jobs, they also tend to stay longer.

4. They have a good work ethic. "Nearly six in 10 respondents cited work ethic as one of the big differences between young and old. Asked who has the better work ethic, about three-fourths of respondents said that older people do."

5. They have strong networks. Older workers have been in the workforce longer and they've had more time to meet people and network along the way.

Seniors do have some advantages over us young adults.  They grew up in a world without the internet – where you had to communicate face-to-face with others!   They enjoy their jobs and are satisfied with their life.  Seniors could teach us a lot about how things work, if we will take the time to listen.  Don’t look down on them because they are “slow” or “incompetent” – you might be surprised at the amount of stuff they can teach you!  

Thank you, Seniors, for helping us and for letting us help you!