Furthermore, because of increases in average life expectancy, each new generation can expect to live longer than their parents’ generation and certainly longer than their grandparents’ generation. Think of it another way: a 10-year-old child today has a 50 percent chance of living to the age of 104. Some demographers have even speculated that the first person ever to live to be 150 is alive today.
As a consequence, it is time for individuals of all ages to rethink their personal life plans and consider prospects for a long life. We need to ask ourselves questions such as:
- What do we know about longevity?
- How do our brain and body change during this part of our lifespan?
- How can I age successfully and enjoy life to the fullest?
In this module, we will discuss several different domains of physical, cognitive, psychological, and social development, as well as research on aging that will help answer these important questions.