Successful Aging: A Psychology Report on Case Study Analysis

This report delves into the psychology of successful aging, examining a case study of an individual living in a retirement village. The analysis highlights the positive impacts of factors such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and socioeconomic status on the individual's overall well-being. The report emphasizes the importance of these factors in maintaining physical and mental health, as well as in preventing chronic diseases and promoting an active, independent lifestyle. The study also references several research papers to support its findings, providing a comprehensive understanding of the key elements contributing to successful aging. The report concludes by summarizing the role of these protective factors in enabling the individual to actively participate in the community and enjoy a purposeful life.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
Successful Aging
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction- Successful aging refers to the process of optimizing most opportunities
for enhanced health (Ouwehand, de Ridder, and Bensing 2007).
Discussion- One such person who is aging well is X, a septuagenarian who is recently
living in a retirement village. His son lives in New Zealand and maintains regular contact,
besides providing him adequate financial assistance. However, X belongs to high
socioeconomic status of the society, performs exercise, follows good dietary pattern,
practices gardening, and also spends time in the library of the retirement village. An analysis
of the case scenario suggests that there are several protective factors that have contributed to
successful aging of the person. Gardening activities and regular exercise are one of the
greatest factors to enhanced mental and physical wellbeing (Soga, Gaston and Yamaura
2017). These habits help him to lead an active life by maintaining his fitness, thus facilitating
the process of gaining functional independence.
Exercise also lowers his likelihood of suffering from a range of chronic diseases such
as, depression, cardiovascular complication, and arthritis (Hawkins et al. 2015). Maintaining
a healthy diet that comprises of nutrient-rich food such as, whole grains, vegetables and fruits
also help in healthy aging by preventing the onset of adverse health outcomes (Bischoff
2016). Taking into consideration the positive correlation between socioeconomic status and
improved health, good financial status of X and monetary assistance from his son also
facilitate accessing healthcare amenities, which is crucial to healthy aging (Williams, Priest
and Anderson, 2016).
Conclusion- To conclude, there are several protective factors that allow X to actively
participate in the community, and enjoy a purposeful and independent life.

2PSYCHOLOGY
References
Bischoff, S.C., 2016. Microbiota and aging. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition &
Metabolic Care, 19(1), pp.26-30.
Hawkins, J.L., Smith, A., Backx, K. and Clayton, D.A., 2015. Exercise intensities of
gardening tasks within older adult allotment gardeners in Wales. Journal of aging and
physical activity, 23(2), pp.161-168.
Ouwehand, C., de Ridder, D.T. and Bensing, J.M., 2007. A review of successful aging
models: Proposing proactive coping as an important additional strategy. Clinical psychology
review, 27(8), pp.873-884.
Soga, M., Gaston, K.J. and Yamaura, Y., 2017. Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-
analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, pp.92-99.
Williams, D.R., Priest, N. and Anderson, N.B., 2016. Understanding associations among
race, socioeconomic status, and health: Patterns and prospects. Health Psychology, 35(4),
p.407.