Abstract
While the aging population is well documented and understood, as is the fact that avoiding premature death is important in being able to age well, the concept of aging well is a more elusive idea. In general, the idea of successful aging in health terms means compression of the period of morbidity experienced by an individual (Fries et al. J Aging Res, 2011). Comments in the literature noting that there is not yet a consensus definition of aging well reflects the very individual and subjective nature of expectations, adaptation, and satisfaction with life that relate to this.
A systematic analysis by Kim et al. of “successful aging” includes domains such as avoiding disease and disability, having high cognitive, mental, and physical function, being actively engaged in life, and being psychologically well adapted in later life (Kim and Park, Res Aging 39(5):657–677, 2017). Similarly, in the model of “Aging well” by Fernandez-Ballesteros et al., successful aging is defined by the domains of health and activities of daily living (ADL), physical and cognitive functioning, social participation and engagement, and also positive affect and control (Fernández-Ballesteros et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 56(5):950–952, 2008).