1. MYTHS FACTS Old People Are Cranky All Old People Are Alike Old People are Uncreative And Unproductive Life Span Depends On Genes Old People Never Have Sex Retirement Is Always Golden Seniors Are More Different Than Alike All seniors are unique and molded by their individual experiences. Some are ultra healthy, while others have chronic disease. Some are “old” at 60 and “young” at 80. Everyone ages emotionally, physically and spiritually at different rates. Old People are Active And Productive Older people have the freedom to develop their creative side more than the young do and to choose how they spend their day, including remaining productive and active in their senior years. Life Span Depends More On Lifestyle Choices Our thoughts, emotions, and lifestyle choices along with stress coping skills determines how long we live and the quality of our lives more so than genetics. Older People Can Have More Energy Than The Young Human energy levels depend more on overall health, and lifestyle choices than chronological age. Good fitness choices, meditation, and healthy diet improve energy levels as we age. People Enjoy Sex Even In Old Age While testosterone levels do diminish as we age, the human sex drive is primarily mental. It is often disease; fatigue and stress that interfere with sex drive more than chronological age. Old People Lose Their Brain Power Old People Have No Energy AGING ABOUT Most Seniors Never Have Dementia Dementia is not a normal part of aging, but a disease affecting the brain and nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s disease that afflicts only 5% of people over 65. Wisdom Comes With Age University of California and Columbia University researchers found that subjects in their 60s and 70s did better on various tests than their 20-somethings counterparts. While the younger group was able to manipulate and process information faster, the older subjects benefited from a long life of education and life experience, and they were more focused, and patient. Happiness Increases With Age Levels of life satisfaction often hit bottom in our 40s and then increase as we age to our 60s, a pattern known as the happiness U-curve. A Stanford University study found that our emotional peak in life may not happen until our 70s. All Old People Have Dementia The Body Will Get Frail And Fall Apart 2010 524 MILLION PEOPLE WERE AGED 65 + 2010 524 MILLION PEOPLE WERE AGED 65 + DECLINES IN FERTILITY AND IMPROVEMENTS IN LONGEVITY IS SKYROCKETING THE WORLD’S SENIOR POPULATION By 2050 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE WILL BE AGED 65 + By 2050 1.5 BILLION PEOPLE WILL BE AGED 65 + 8% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION 16% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION Retirement Is Often Dark Many seniors face poverty, social isolation, grief, less control over their own lives and physical decline. Suicide rates are higher in people age 65 + than in younger people. Many Seniors Are Strong And Vibrant Chronological age does not determine biological age; this depends on health, diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices, preventative care throughout life and many other factors. Source: National Institute On Aging