Successful Ageing: Psycho-Social Factors and Well-being in Later Life

This essay delves into the concept of successful ageing, examining its importance and historical development. It evaluates successful ageing through a bio-psycho-social research theory perspective, analyzing biological, psychological, and social factors that influence the ageing process. The essay explores various models and theories, including Maslow's Ageing theory, Activity theory, and Damage Theory, providing a critical analysis of their strengths and limitations in defining successful ageing. It also discusses approaches to achieve successful ageing, such as the SOC model, and identifies factors that affect successful ageing, including socio-economic and ethnic considerations. The essay highlights the role of health and social care organizations in supporting individuals in achieving successful ageing. The conclusion summarizes the main points, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of successful ageing and the importance of addressing various factors to enhance the quality of life in later years. The essay aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of successful ageing, its influencing factors, and the means to achieve it, drawing upon historical context and current research to provide a well-rounded overview of the topic.

Successful Ageing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Successful Ageing........................................................................................................................1
Importance of Historical Development of Successful Ageing....................................................1
Evaluate successful ageing from a bio-psycho-social research theory perspective.....................2
Models and theories and its critique to define successful ageing................................................3
Approaches to achieve successful ageing e.g. SOC model.........................................................4
What factors affect successful ageing: socio-economic, ethnic etc.?..........................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Successful ageing is considered as a concept which is all about what is important for
individual person in their old age and what they will be able to do with condition of ageing.
There are various factors are considered in concept of successful ageing which are related to
ability to live healthy in old age (Aiello, Ligotti and Cossarizza, 2019). This report is providing
brief information of successful ageing and importance of learning historical concept of
successful ageing. There will be different perspectives will be considered in report for evaluation
process that is related to Bio-Psycho-social research theories. Various models and theories will
be implemented to get critical knowledge of successful ageing. SOC model will be used in the
report to analyse various approaches that can be used to achieve successful ageing. Factors that
can affect the process of successful ageing also will be provided in the study.
MAIN BODY
Successful Ageing
Ageing is a process that is considered as process of getting older. This process is
basically considered for human beings. This process can be defined in human as accumulation if
various changes in human body that could be related to physical, psychological and social
changes. These changes also can be consider as indicators that are person is getting older. In old
age there are different challenges are faced by people with old age. Some of the main challenges
are related to the reflexes, disabilities and other disease of old age (Flicker, 2018). Successful
ageing is considered as a procedure that is used to make the life of old people easy and free of
challenges of old age. Some of he main considerations that are included in the process of
successful ageing are- stay free from diseases and disabilities of old age, good physical and
cognitive abilities and communicate with people in effective way. These are common
consideration to achieve state of successful ageing. In principle of successful ageing both
intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the lifestyle are considered. By considering all these factors state
of successful ageing can be easily achieved. To achieve this state role of health and social care
organization is too important. These organizations can provide better facility, knowledge and
abilities to stay free form ageing problems in old age.
Importance of Historical Development of Successful Ageing
To understand the concept of the successful ageing it is important to learn about the
historical development of this concept. Development process can provide better information
1

about how people had consider this topic over the time. In the era of 1980 it was just considered
as a fame work that can be used to reduce the challenges of people in the old age. But this
concept was not completely developed for the implementation. The processes and theories that
are included in this process were just theories and that could be implemented in the health care
and social care organization to encourage people and provide them with specific knowledge that
can help them to live healthy and effective social life. In late nineties there were various
discussion and debates were organized to develop better concept plan to implement various
practices in the health and social care organizations (Milte and McNaughton, 2016). With time
various other process are also included in the concept of successful ageing to improve the living
standards of people in their old age. The frame works that are developed over the time also has
been slightly improved with various new concepts like psychological, physical and social
development of people. There are main two things are considered in the process of Successful
Ageing are improving the lifestyle of people and implement some medical interventions that can
help the people to live healthy and social interactive life in old age. As per the historical
perspective, healthy lifestyle can be provided to the people by providing them with various care
facilities form health care organizations. The social lifestyle can be improved by providing them
with various opportunities to make positive and effective interaction with other people.
Evaluate successful ageing from a bio-psycho-social research theory perspective.
According to the Biopsychosocial model various factors of biology, psychology and
social environment are considered to find interrelation between these factors of ageing. Here
three concepts are explained to improve the ageing condition of people in old age.
Biological Perspective of Ageing
As per the biological concept of successful ageing, physical health standards are used in
the in this perspective to achieve this state of better physical health. The majorly in this process
prevention of various diseases and disabilities is ensured to provide healthy lifestyle to the
individual person (Reppermund and Trollor, 2016). This is all about the interventions that are
developed to provide better conditions to live.
Psychological Perspective of Ageing
In this perspective various things are explained that are related to changes in memory,
problem solving skill and some other mental capabilities that can help the person to live healthy
2

and effective lifestyle. There are different psychological challenges are faced by old age people.
In this perspective their mental health is consider to improve their mental and emotional stability
Social Perspective of Successful Ageing
In this perspective social environment around people is considered to improve social
conditions in or\der to provide better social environment to old people to avoid various
challenges that are faced by them in society (Robinson, 2018). For this purpose social care
services provide related services to the people.
Models and theories and its critique to define successful ageing
Psychological Theory of Ageing
The Maslow's Ageing theory is considered as psychological theory for successful
Ageing. As per this theory there are some psychological theory need to be provided to the people
of old age to meet the level of effective psychological health. These needs which are need to be
full filled are- physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness and love needs, esteem needs
and self actualisation needs. By full filling all these needs psychological satisfaction can be
provided to people of old age.
Sociological Theory of Ageing
The Activity theory can be used to meet the social needs of old age people to keep them
living in successful ageing. According to this theory people can be kept socially stable by
engaging them in various mental and physical activities (Rozanova, Miller and Wetle, 2016).
Effective communication within community, family and profession can be made to improve
social stability of people who are suffering from ageing.
Biological Theory of Ageing
Damage Theory can be used to understand and achieve successful ageing form biological
perspective. As per this theory with process of ageing some chemical reactions occur in human
body and as result some irreversible defects occur in molecule these changes can not be
prevented with ageing. There are some other reasons of these biological damage in the human
body which are- physical, chemical, infection and mechanical damage or injury to the body.
These injuries can be divided n two categories which are loss of function and other one which
can be repaired through different processes.
3

Approaches to achieve successful ageing e.g. SOC model
According t these model there are three different things are considered in the successful
ageing. These considerations are- selection of various functional domains to focuse of resources
of one's. Optimizing developmental [potential and compensating loses to maintain functionality
and minimisation of loses.
Selection- It is refers to developing, committing and elaborating personal goals. In life of a
person biological, individual and social opportunities and constraints are used to specify range of
alternative domains of functionality. Various resources are used n order to reduce the subsets of
these domains.
Optimisation- This is all about achieving the desired outcomes that are form selected domains.
The domains that are selected in the process of successful ageing need to tbe acquired, applies
and refined in order to achieving the target of gaining successful ageing.
Compensation- There are various things are need to be handled in order to achieve the
successful ageing condition. It is important to manage various things like health and other
capabilities in order to keep all outcomes positive and reduce the negative outcomes from the
conditions.
What factors affect successful ageing: socio-economic, ethnic etc.?
There are different factors can affect the process of successful ageing. This process can
cause different barriers which can prevent people from achieving successful ageing,. Thee
factors are- physical, social and psychological. In each category there are some factors which are
not good for successful ageing. Physical injuries, lack of important minerals and other diseases
like dementia can affect the old people and also these conditions are not recoverable (Wahl,
H.W., Deeg and Litwin, 2016). Factors like depression and mental pressure are psychological
factors that can prevent old people from achieving Successful Ageing. Social issues like poverty,
social complexities and less engagement in society also can isolate people from successful
ageing.
CONCLUSION
This report is concluding the importance of the successful ageing fr old age people and
various processes that can be used to provide support to these people in order to achieve
successful ageing to maintain living standards in old age. Different theories of successful ageing
ha been explained in report with various factors that can affect process of achieving successful
4

ageing. Role of health can organization also has been considered in report to meet all the
requirement of this concept.
5

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aiello, A., Ligotti, M.E. and Cossarizza, A., 2019. Centenarian Offspring as a Model of
Successful Ageing. In Centenarians(pp. 35-51). Springer, Cham.
Flicker, L., 2018. Successful or Healthy Ageing. Journal of the Indian Academy of
Geriatrics. 14.
Milte, C.M. and McNaughton, S.A., 2016. Dietary patterns and successful ageing: a systematic
review. European journal of nutrition. 55(2). pp.423-450.
Reppermund, S. and Trollor, J.N., 2016. Successful ageing for people with an intellectual
disability. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 29(2). pp.149-154.
Robinson, L., 2018. Successful ageing. The Lancet. 391(10118). p.300.
Rozanova, J., Miller, E.A. and Wetle, T., 2016. Depictions of nursing home residents in US
newspapers: successful ageing versus frailty. Ageing & Society. 36(1). pp.17-41.
Wahl, H.W., Deeg, D. and Litwin, H., 2016. Successful ageing as a persistent priority in ageing
research.
6