May is Older Americans Month -- a time Americans pay tribute to older people across the country.
But while Americans are living longer and the number of seniors are on the rise, a new University of Chicago study shows that older people remain vital and active members of society as they age, despite a popular notion that they are more likely to be socially isolated.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 37.3 million people 65 and older in the United States on July 1, 2006, which accounted for 12 percent of the total population.
The number of people over 65 years of age is expected to increase to 86.7 million by 2050 and would comprise 21 percent of the total population at that time, the Census Bureau reported.
By midyear 2008, there will be 506 million people worldwide who will be 65 and older. Census Bureau projections indicate the number will increase to 999 million by 2030.
And as the senior population increases, the University of Chicago study found that although older individuals have fewer intimate relationships, they may respond to social loss by becoming more likely to volunteer, attend religious services and spend time with their neighbors than those in their 50s.
"A person's social network will inevitably shrink a little as they retire, as they begin to experience bereavements, and so on," said Benjamin Cornwell, one of the study's researchers.
He said that is where the stereotype comes from.
"But that stereotypical image of the ’isolated elderly' really falls apart when we broaden our conception of what social connectedness is," Cornwell said.
Lois Stienike of the Grand Generation Center in Grand Island agrees.
"I think older people are pretty satisfied with their lives," Stienike said.
She said many seniors nowadays have more money compared to the past and many more are still working.
Also, Stienike said seniors nowadays are also healthier because of better health care services and have more activities to be socially engaged and have more opportunities for volunteerism.
"Many have such a beautiful outlook on life," she said. "It's good to hear them talk about their lives and how hard they worked, but they were happy."
In their study, Cornwell said they looked at other forms of social involvement as well and found that older adults are more socially engaged in the community than previously thought.
The study revealed a number of interesting details of social involvement among seniors.
- About three-quarters of older adults between the ages of 57 and 85 socialize with their neighbors, attend religious services, volunteer or attend meetings of other organized groups on at least a weekly basis. Those in their 80s were twice as likely as those in their 50s to engage in one of these activities.
- Whereas about 50 percent of people in their 70s and 80s socialize with neighbors on at least a weekly basis, about 40 percent of people in their 50s and 60s do. In fact, people in their early 80s are more than twice as likely to socialize with their neighbors than people in their late 50s.
- About 50 percent of those in their 70s and 80s attend religious services on at least a weekly basis, compared to 40 percent of people in their 50s and 60s. People in their 70s are twice as likely to attend religious services on at least a weekly basis as people in their late 50s, and those in their 80s are nearly 50 percent more likely to do so.
- About 22 percent of people in their 70s and 80s volunteer on a weekly basis, compared to about 17 percent of those in their older 50s. People in their 70s and 80s are about 36 percent more likely to volunteer on at least a weekly basis than people in their 50s.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 5.5 million people 65 and older who were in the labor force in 2006. Projections indicate that by 2016, the number will reach 10.1 million.
Some of the highest rates were found in South Dakota, Nebraska and Washington, D.C., all with about one-third of people in this age group in the labor force.
Cornwell said the new image of the older American is far from being helpless or isolated.
"They are actually extraordinary adaptive creatures," he said. "Not only are older adults exceptionally adaptive to social loss, but we speculate that they may also be more proactive than younger adults in establishing ties to the community. In short, they appear to be more socially engaged."
And that's good news for the world as the projected percentage increase in the 65-and-older population between 2000 and 2050 is 145 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By comparison, the Census Bureau said the population as a whole would have increased by only 49 percent during the same period.
Not only are they more socially engaged, but the University of Chicago has found that older people are the nation's happiest.
The study found that Americans grow happier as they grow older.
The study also found that baby boomers are not as content as other generations, men are less happy than women, happiness can rise and fall between eras, and that, with age the differences narrow.
"Understanding happiness is important to understanding quality of life. The happiness measure is a guide to how well society is meeting people's needs," said Yang, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Chicago.
Yang said the increase in happiness with age is consistent with the "age as maturity hypothesis."
He said that with age comes positive psychosocial traits, such as self-integration and self-esteem. These signs of maturity could contribute to a better sense of overall well-being, Yang said.
Older American Month facts and figures, according to the U.S. Census Bureau:
- Median 2006 income of households with householders 65 and older was $27,798, up 3.4 percent, in real terms, from the previous year.
- Poverty rate for people 65 and older in 2006 was 9.4 percent, down from 10.1 percent in 2005. There were 3.4 million seniors in poverty in 2006, a decline from 3.6 million in 2005.
- Median net worth for families in 2004 whose head was between 65 and 74 was $190,100. For those whose head was 75 or older, the corresponding figure was $163,100.
- Estimated number of people 65 and older who are military veterans was 9.1 million in 2006.
- Percentage of people 65 to 74 in the labor force in 2006 was 23 percent, up from 20 percent in 2000.
