Does your day-to-day experience ever result in several disjointed things striking you with a common cord?
I was grateful that a now nearly 80-year old friend still runs a weekly music radio show. In partnership with his daughter, he brings my husband and me joy. In addition to music, hearing the voice of a dear friend helps our sense of connectivity while isolated.
A recent article by SCORE, the local chapter of the nation’s largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, primarily retirees, highlighted the advantage of hiring a multi-generational workforce. They brought to light how the combined characteristics of different generations create a powerful set of talents for any employer.
I sat through a test run for my Rotary club’s first virtual meeting. With quite a few members of advanced years and many unfamiliar with the technology, they weren’t shy in asking questions on how to find mute and video buttons, control volume, and so on.
So what’s the common cord?
After weeks of appropriate focus on the isolation needed to combat COVID-19, and the increased vulnerability and danger to older people, these are all great examples of the flip side of being older, resiliency.
There is much written about the effect of trauma on children, particularly in the formative years. There’s less but increasing research on the effect of trauma and change, experienced throughout life, on the older crowd.
By living to advanced years, most people have lived through multiple adversities. Dr. Carol Hoare, a Professor of Human Development at George Washington University points out that studies comparing young adults, under 26, with older adults, over 64, found that older adults were more resilient than young adults, particularly in the areas of problem solving and ability to regulate emotions.
It’s not surprising. They’ve had more experience.
Dr. Morton Shaevitz, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California describes the natural process of aging as a time of continual change and loss in what he calls The New Normal for persons over 65. The New Normal underscores the likelihood of having to cope with one or more chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, or orthopedic conditions, which translates to taking more medications to manage health.
Shaevitz recognizes common quirks, like losing one’s glasses or keys or phone, may reflect short-term memory loss, also part of The New Normal. Such changes should be not seen as dementia, which affects a relatively small minority. He reminds us that with the inevitability of age comes the fact that those we depend on and love are aging too. Friends, spouses, physicians get ill and pass on.
Not to be dismayed, one of the most successful approaches to adverse change is to respond with definitive action. Research shows that people seen as resilient tend to approach change in an action-oriented way.
Examples might include continuing a beloved hobby like running a radio program; finding purpose in helping someone start a business by being a mentor; or taking the plunge to learn a new technology as means to stay connected. Balancing vulnerability alongside strength – impressive.
That’s not to say we can all be equally resilient, concluding that if some people can cope with change and difficulty, everyone should be able to. Not so.
It’s important to recognize that our personal circumstances, our social, financial and physical environments and opportunities, either add or subtract from our personal resilience. Ability to achieve resilience can be measured on the individual, community or national level.
Janine Wiles, an Associate Professor in Population Health at the University of Auckland points out, “We need to attend to ways that public services, public and built spaces, relevant legislation, good income support and taxation systems, housing polices and other supports, and thoughtful social values and attitudes can enhance the resilience of individual, families, and communities.”
Amen.