Wake up, world! Old age isn’t “old age” anymore!
AARP News recently issued a rather pointed editorial that we think makes a great argument: society’s perception of old age hasn’t kept pace with science.
“Most people turning 50 today can expect to live another 30-plus years, most of it in relatively good health,” says AARP, pointing out that this will be longer than we spent in:
- Childhood
- Adolescence
- Our careers (in many cases).
In other words, as we enter old age, we now have our longest chapter of life still ahead of us. That’s hardly anything to be less than optimistic about. And yet society still has this persistent idea that we roll “over the hill” at age 50 and tumble down a long spiral of unhappiness and poor health. It simply isn’t true.
“We have to change that perception,” says AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “We desperately need to disrupt aging. As we approach a time when people over 65 will outnumber children under 15 for the first time in history, let’s change the conversation in this country around what it means to get older. It’s really not about aging; it’s about living.”
That’s a beautiful perspective, and one we’re glad to see growing. The reality is that life is longer and richer than ever before, and it’s important that we all prepare for it. part of our estate planning and elder law practice is actually focused on young people and middle-aged families. After all, it’s never too early to start planning for retirement and long-term care, both of which demand more preparation today than ever before.
Let’s all start getting ready for a lot of life still to come. Give us a call today to find out how we can help.
