The Second Fifty: Seniors are happy, expect lives to improve, hold optimistic views – Herb Weiss

by Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues

It seems that America’s older adults are not fearful of aging. With optimism they are embracing it. That’s what the findings of a new AARP survey reveal in exploring the second half of life.  AARP’s 2024 survey of adults ages 50 and over reveals that older adults have an optimistic view and outlook on life and expect their lives to even improve as they grow older. Nearly 9 in 10 are at least somewhat optimistic about their future, with half being extremely or very optimistic, note the study’s finding.   

AARP new survey, “The fountain of happiness: Older adults’ outlook on life and optimism toward the future,” exploring the second half of life serves as an update to the original second half of life study released in June 2022, which inspired the publishing of The Second Fifty authored by Debra Whitman, AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Public Policy Officer. 

These and other findings are explored further in Whitman’s new book, The Second Fifty. The tome takes readers on a search for answers at a critical time in the nation’s history: by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, and by 2050, the U.S. is projected to have nearly 1 million centenarians. 

Taking a Look at “The Second Fifty”

“The Second Fifty provides a roadmap for navigating and celebrating the second half of life, emphasizing the importance of mindset to living well as we age,” said Whitman, in an Oct. 4, 2024 statement announcing the release of the 2024 survey’s findings.  “Whether you are approaching 50, well into your later years, or caring for someone who is, The Second Fifty provides practical steps, grounded in research, to help us all create a better second half of life for ourselves and our loved ones,”  she says.

According to the AARP’s recently released survey’s findings, older adults are optimistic and happy about growing older. Over four in five say they are optimistic (89%) about their future and feel happy (86%).  Age 60 year and older respondents reported higher levels of happiness than those persons ages 50-59.

The study’s findings also indicate that old adult’s optimism about the nation’s future has grown, with 61% reporting they feeling more hopeful today than two years ago (54%). The researchers noted that the initial study released in 2022 was  conducted following the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to researchers, health, gender and chronological age are three key factors that shape the aging experiences of older Americans. They say that gender differences are evident in the older respondents happiness about their future.  A higher percentage of older men reported being very happy (24%) than women (17%).  The study’s findings also indicated that older men are more likely than women to be very optimistic about their future (43% t0 34%, positive about the future of America (20% to 12%) and the world (15 % to 9 %). 

Expecting longevity key to one’s outlook on aging

Expected longevity is key to one’s outlook on aging, say the researchers, noting that with a self-reported life expectancy of 85 years, older adults would choose to live even longer, to the ripe old median age of 93.  At the same time, the study reveals that most older adults (74%) are currently afflicted with a chronic or serious health condition, and more than half (53%) are living with two or more chronic conditions.

As to viewing one’s longevity, researchers note that the older someone is, the longer they expect to live.  The study’s findings indicated that those adults age 70 and over (39%) are more likely to hope to age into than nineties than their younger cohorts (50 plus-28 %, ages 50-59-19%, ages 60-69-26%).

As people grow older, they then to value each decade of their adulthood different, says the study’s findings. While most are currently happy and optimistic about their future, over two-thirds (67%) say their best decade came before age 50.  For those ages 50-59, they most likely to consider their 20s (34%) as their best decade. But for those persons age 60-69, they value their time in their 30s. For those age 70, 22% favor their 30s, 20% consider their best decade the 40s and 21% favor their 50s and 19% remember their 60s as the best.

And the researches found that relationships tend to get better, improve and more meaningful with growing older. Over the past five years, more than 28% of the older respondents experienced improved relationships. Almost half (45%) expect their relationships to become more meaningful, too.  The findings also indicated that persons ages 50-59 are significantly more likely to believe their relationships will become more meaningful in their future (51%) compared to those ages 70 and older (38%).  

Taking a look at the study’s implications

As to implications, the study’s researchers note that existing health and gender disparities in aging are risk factors to older adults to age with hope and dignity.  They call for local, state and national policies to address these disparities by improving access to affordable and quality healthcare (by increasing access to health insurance, primary care and preventative services).  Policies should address gender-specific needs and support systems must ensure that older men and women equality benefit from improvements, they say.

Researchers also stress the importance of understanding that each generation of adults age 50 and over value different life stages and this is essential for providing support to these individuals as they age. Designing effective policies, interventions, and support systems can be accomplished by recognizing “diverse and evolving needs, values and priorities of older adults.”

As recognized by the U.S. Surgeon General, relations are importance to your health and well-being.  The researchers recognize that “reliable and meaningful relationships are central to aging well.” The AARP study calls for “policies to prioritize the development and funding of programs that foster social connections among older adults.”  These programs, recognizing that older men and women experience social connections different, might include creating accessible community centers and social engagement initiatives. 

To download the original second half of life study released in June 2022, go to https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/life-leisure/2022/second-half-life-desires-concerns-report.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00538.001.pdf.

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To read more articles by Herb Weiss, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/herb-weiss/

Herb Weiss, LRI -12, is a Pawtucket-based writer who has covered aging, health care and medical issues for over 43 years. To purchase his books, Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly and a sequel, compiling weekly published articles, go to herbweiss.com.