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Success at 100 is easier said than done – comments on Araújo et al: successful aging at 100 years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 January 2016

Peter Martin  and
Leonard W. Poon
Peter Martin
Affiliation:
Department of Human Development & Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
Leonard W. Poon
Affiliation:
Institute of Gerontology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA Email: pxmartin@iastate.edu
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Extract

Few would argue that achieving the age of 100 years is extraordinary, but what about the quality of life at this extreme age? Is it worth it to live to 100 and beyond? The study by Araújo, Ribero, Teixeira, and Paúl (2015) in three ways provided an answer to this question substantiating and complementing recent findings about successful aging in extreme old age (Poon and Perls, 2007; Martin et al., 2015). First, the study joined other investigators in asking whether the criteria for successful aging posed by Rowe and Kahn (1997) are applicable for older adults at the end stage of a very long life. Second, the study shed light on whether objective or subjective criteria are more appropriate to gauge levels of successful aging for the oldest old (e.g. Pruchno et al., 2010; Cho et al., 2012). Finally, the study provided additional data on psychological, social, and economic resources that enhance the needed ingredients of successful aging at the century mark.

Type
Commentary paper of the month
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , February 2016 , pp. 177 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

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References

Araújo, L., Ribeiro, O., Teixeira, L. and Paúl, C. (2015). Successful aging at 100 years: the relevance of subjectivity and psychological resources. International Psychogeriatrics, 1–10. doi:10.1017/S1941610215001167.Google Scholar
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