Part 7 Introduction

What emotions do you anticipate as you read about late adulthood? Sadness, depression, resignation, sympathy, sorrow? Expect instead surprise and joy. You will learn that many older adults are active, alert, and self-sufficient; that marked intellectual decline is unusual; and that even at age 90 or 100 people are quite happy. That does not mean mindless contentment. Earlier personality and social patterns continue; the complexities of human life are evident. Joy is mixed with sorrow, and poverty, loneliness, and chronic illness are always difficult. However, most older adults, most of the time, are active and independent.

Unfortunately, late adulthood, more than any other part of life, is a magnet for misinformation and prejudice. If your first thought was a sad one as you approached these chapters, you are one of many. Why? Think about that as you read.