{"id":7764,"date":"2024-08-28T07:24:30","date_gmt":"2024-08-28T11:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.silvercentury.org\/?p=7764"},"modified":"2024-08-28T15:35:18","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T19:35:18","slug":"good-news-disappointing-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/78.142.243.82\/~silvercentury\/2024\/08\/good-news-disappointing-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Good News That’s Also Disappointing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released <\/span>a report<\/span><\/a> titled \u201cAging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging.\u201d The report outlines steps to create a national effort to foster positive aging as well as communities that respect and embrace old people. <\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine that! Creating a national plan on aging right at the moment of our never-seen-before demographic shift. Could our huge federal government be doing the right thing at the right time? <\/span><\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve written here before, our changing demographic requires us to think outside the box. Today, for the first time ever, there are more than 77 million people in the United States over age 60\u2014more than 23 percent of our population. Every day in our country, 15,000 people turn 60, and this trend is expected to continue for the next 50 years. In five years, for another first, there will be more people in the United States over 65 than under 18. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just doing more of what we\u2019ve been doing will not cut it. <\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s what\u2019s disappointing about the HHS report. This entire 40-page report\u2014with contributions from eight HHS divisions, the US Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Social Security Administration and AmeriCorps\u2014mentions the word \u201cageism\u201d once. One time in 40 pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yale University\u2019s Becca Levy, PhD, in her book <\/span>Breaking the Age Code<\/span><\/i> (2022)<\/span>,<\/span><\/i> used evidence-based research to identify how our beliefs about aging determine how long and how well we live. If we think old is bad and young is good, we will die an average of 7 1\u20442 years sooner than people who have positive beliefs about aging. If we think old is bad and young is good, we will be more likely to manifest Alzheimer\u2019s disease than people who have positive beliefs about aging. <\/span><\/p>\n

How can we talk about wellness and healthy aging if we don\u2019t talk about ageism? How can we craft a competent national plan on aging if we don\u2019t talk about ageism?<\/span><\/p>\n

Most institutions and individuals are behind the curve on aging and ageism. This is both a challenge and an opportunity. It is important to identify weaknesses in the plans our governments unfold to meet our needs. And it is also important to educate ourselves and our leaders about how to reduce those weaknesses. One opportunity to do this is Ageism Awareness Day on October 7. <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, we need a national plan on aging, and kudos for the good efforts to make that happen. And we need a national plan on aging that is forward looking and addresses the effects of ageism, both systemic and internalized.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report titled \u201cAging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging.\u201d The report outlines steps to create a national effort to foster positive…<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more Good News That’s Also Disappointing<\/span> ›<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

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