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Why Focus on Vital Aging?
"Life is a promise. Fulfill it."
Mother Theresa
Although we recognize that vital aging is a lifelong development process, VAN is focused on the latter half of life -- on looking at older people as a resource -- on shaping a new societal vision of what it means to grow old.
Public officials and service providers tend to see aging as a problem, as they struggle to meet the needs of a growing population of old-old, frail elderly. However, improvements in health status have done more than expand longevity. They have also resulted in the active independence of more than three-quarters of older adults into their eighties. The growing population of healthy, active, young-old adults constitutes a new generation in the world. For many of us who are part of this new generation, these years are turning out to be the best years of our lives, when the opportunities for rich life experience outweigh the challenges of coping with decline. In this time of life called the Third Age, there are unique opportunities for self-actualization -- for seeking and finding meaning and balance.
When the baby boomers become seniors, Minnesota and the nation will experience the most dramatic age shift in history. The future is already here in farm communities and retirement communities where older residents must share their strengths, get the community's work done, and take care of each other. There's a lot that can be done to provide easy access for seniors to learn what's available and get involved.
VAN's task is to support involvement with the process of Vital Aging, by:
- Linking people to opportunities for productive and meaningful activities that will respond to their individual interests and community needs; and
- Providing a forum where individuals and organizations can work collaboratively to support self-sufficiency, community participation, and quality of life for and with older adults.
