Louisiana Hines, America’s oldest African American at age 113,
died this year.
If you’re an aging boomer or older, you may have started thinking about your bucket list and your mortality in
general. For example, if you buy certain long-term items like beds and appliances, you may
think about buying those that will “take you on out.” For some of you, that
future time will be much longer than you anticipate. You could belong to a group
of older adults who are the exceptionally long-lived. Who are these people living in their
late 90's and beyond?
According to research on older Americans, the exceptionally long-lived have these characteristics:
1) They are relatively healthy and high
functioning for most of their lives.
2) They experience health declines only upon
reaching maximum longevity.
3) Although many individuals reach maximum
longevity in a state of poor health and functioning,
exceptional survivors remain
healthy and high-functioning even in very old age.
Is 90 really the new 70? With
more and more people living in their 90's, it’s one of the fastest growing age
groups. This video introduces you to older adults being photographed and
interviewed. Having a ball with life while living in their 90’s, they think getting
old is just a state of mind.
Frances Shani Parker,
Author
Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer
in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback and e-book
editions in America and other countries at online and offline booksellers.
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