WHO'S OLD ?

Each of us possesses an image of who older people are, how they live, and how they should act.  For law enforcement officers and many health care professionals, that image is usually not a positive one.  Because such professionals often assist older people when they are most ill, most feeble, or when they are reacting poorly in the aftermath of a crime, they unconsciously fail to recognize the positive aspects of aging. When they do meet alert, productive, and healthy seniors, they mistakenly assume that they are exceptions to the rule.

There’s no denying the negative image most Americans have about older people, which includes older adults. As many studies have pointed out, we have become a nation obsessed with youth.  More important, we fear old age and do everything within our power to ignore or deny the inevitable.  Perhaps the biggest shame involved with such wrongheaded thinking is that it robs us of any possibility of enjoying the gift of longevity.

Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D, creator of an organization called Age Wave, identified five of the greatest myths about aging in his book, Age Wave (1989 Tarcher Books).  I've added my comments to his list:

·     People over 65 are old. (Says who? This concept usually stems from people in their twenties. I’ve personally met 90 years olds who would put most younger people to shame when it comes to fitness, mental agility and work ethics.)

·    Most older people are in poor health. (Simply because a person might experience a diminished ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or run a marathon, does not mean they are in poor health. Although the aging process does take its toll on even the healthiest of people, this does nothing to reduce their ability to lead a productive and healthy life.)

·    Older minds are not as bright as younger minds. (The belief that if you live long enough you’ll become senile is just wrong, and has been proven wrong my medical science.  Most instances involving memory losses have little to do with age and involve depression, drug interactions, lack of exercise, or other reversible conditions.)

·     Older people are unproductive. (Research has proven that older adults are more reliable, they stay with a company much longer than younger workers, are less prone to accidents, and possess superior judgment skills.)

.    All older people are pretty much the same. (This is so not true that it’s funny. Older adults are by far the most diverse segment of our population. About the only thing shared between these people is their age.)

So, you now ask, what do all these myths have to do with crime prevention?  As I noted earlier, people who lack even a basic understanding of this particular segment of our population are often the ones who design the senior citizen programs.  As such, those well-intentioned services are doomed to instant failure.

Soon after someone abandons the negative images they have about older adults, they discover the benefits to be gained by tapping into the wealth of knowledge and wisdom that exists among our older adult population.