Myth: Older
persons "naturally" grow
more
confused and child-like,
become
forgetful,
and lose
contact
with
reality.
They
become "senile".
Reality: Senility
is an outdated
term referring
to abnormal
deterioration
in the
mental
functions
of some
older people,
linking
the process
of growing
old to
symptoms
of forgetfulness,
confusion,
and changes
in behavior
and personality.
Such
an image
is false,
stereotypical,
and is
neither
a normal
sign
of aging
nor even
a disease.
The word "senility" implies
an assumption
about
elderly
people
that,
because
they
are old,
they
are also
mentally
deficient.
This
insidious
myth,
still prevalent,
discriminates
by
causing
or
promoting
social
isolation,
dependency,
and
loss of
independence.

Myth: Older
persons
with
severe
functional
disabilities
experience
a greater
number
of associated
diseases
than
those
with
less
severe
disabilities.
Reality: There
is no
correlation
between
the
severity
of a functional
disability
and
the number
of
associated
diseases.
While
incidences
of
both increase
with
age,
the
number
of diseases
affecting
a
person
does not
equate
with either
the
severity
of
a disability
or
the magnitude
of
functional
loss.
Vigorous
people
can
acquire
several
diseases
and
remain
independent.
Conversely,
many
older
people
with
severe
functional
disabilities
remain
otherwise
healthy.

Myth: As
we age,
we lose
our individual
differences
and become
progressively
more
alike.
Reality: Aging
does not
affect
us as a
person;
our personality
remains
fairly
constant.
Not only
do we retain
our individual
differences
throughout
our lives,
these differences
become
even more
pronounced
as we get
older.
We
generally
become
more
like our
youthful
self;
a talkative
teenager,
for example,
becoming
a talkative
older
person
and a stubborn
youngster
carrying
the trait
of stubbornness
into
old age.
Except
for changes
in
our physical
appearance
and
experiencing
more
physical
problems,
being "old" feels
no
different
from
how
we
feel
now
or
when
we
were
young.
In
reality,
an
old person
is
a young
person
who
has just
lived longer.
|
The
Myth of Lonely
Isolation |
Myth: Older
persons
are abandoned
by their
families
and forced
to live
out their
lives in
isolation,
loneliness,
and despondency.
Reality: Most
older
people
do not
live
alone.
Over
half
of thoseage
65 and
older
live
with
a spouse
or with
other
relatives,
while
less
than
one in
five
live
alone.
Most
of these,
however,
are women
because
women
generally
live
longer
than
men.

 |
The
Myth of Dependency |
Myth: Elderly
people
become
helpless
and cannot
take
care
of themselves.
Reality: The
overwhelming
majority
of older
people
are not
helpless
and for
the most
part
can and
do take
care
of themselves.
Ninety-four
percent
live
independently
and
enjoy many
of the
same activities
as
do younger
people.
It
is very
important
to
understand
that
very few
older persons
require specialized products.
Most
want—and
use—the
same
kinds
of
products
and
environments
enjoyed
by
younger
generations.
Moreover,
only
4
to
6
percent
of
all
older
people
are
institutionalized
at
any
one time.

Myth: As
age increases
we withdraw,
become
inactive,
and cease
being productive.
Reality: Healthy
aging
covers the
spectrum
from introspective
disengagement
to staying
active
for as
long
as possible.
Diminished
capabilities
and
personal
preferences
also
tend to
affect
our level
of
activity. These
factors,
coupled
with
personality
differences,
result
in
some of
staying
active
while
others
disengage.
 |
The
Myth of Inability |
Myth: Older
persons
are forgetful,
incapable
of learning,
and refuse
to adapt
to new
ways.
Reality: Aging
does not
affect
our ability
to learn.
The information
processing
literature
does not
support
the idea
that cognitive
functioning
declines
with age.While
we may
experience
some
difficulty
with
short-term
(working)
memory
as we
get older,
our long-term
memory
generally
remains
sound.
Older
persons
do,
however,
tend
to solve
problems
differently
than
younger
persons,
preferring
to "think
things
out" rather
than relying
on "trial
and error."
And
while
our reaction
time
increases
with
age and
correlates
with
thecomplexity
of
a task,
this
increase
is
only measured
in milliseconds.
Myth: Most
persons
retire
between
ages
65 and
70.
Reality: Although
the 1978
amendments
to the Age
Discrimination
in Employment
Act raised
the mandatory
retirementage
to 70
for most
workers,
over
60 percent
of us
choose
to retire
early.
In
fact,
early
retirement
before
the
age of
65 has
become
a
pattern
ingrained
in
our society.
Indeed,
all
indications
point
to
this
trend
continuing;
but
this
does
not mean
that
people
will
stop
working.
|