„Líður á þennan dýrðardag“ : farsæl öldrun og vangaveltur um hvernig aukin þekking getur haft áhrif og bætt þjónustu við aldraða

Öldruðum hefur fjölgað hér á landi eins og annars staðar í hinum vestræna heimi og almennt hefur heilsufar þeirra batnað. Með auknum fjölda eldra fólks og aukinni þekkingu á áhrifavöldum lífsgæða er þarft að kanna hvernig staða aldraðra birtist okkur hér á landi í byrjun 21. aldar. Umræða um aldraða í samfélaginu hefur á stundum verið nokkuð einsleit og neikvæð með áherslu á ýmsar aldurstengdar skerðingar og sjúkdóma. Í þessari grein eru lagðar aðrar áherslur, án þess þó að gera lítið úr þeim vandamálum sem vissulega er að finna hjá ákveðnum hópi eldri borgara. Markmið þessarar greinar er að veita yfirlit yfir rannsóknir sem fjalla um farsæla öldrun (e. successful aging). Kynntar eru skilgreiningar fræðimanna og rýnt í það sem þær eiga sameiginlegt, hvað greinir á milli og hvernig stuðla megi að farsælli öldrun. Auk fræðilegrar umfjöllunar verður litið á upplýsingar um álit aldraðra, sem aflað hefur verið á síðustu árum, á því hvað felist í farsælli öldrun. Gögn sem liggja þar til grundvallar eru svör einstaklinga við spurningum Þjóðminjasafns Íslands um þjóðhætti, ályktanir Félags sjúkraþjálfara frá árinu 2013 og loks nokkrar meistaraprófs- og bakkalársritgerðir sem fjalla um efnið. Þá verður sjónum beint að þroskaþjálfum sem unnið hafa á stofnunum sem veita öldruðum þjónustu og spurt hvað fagstétt þeirra geti lagt af mörkum til að stuðla að farsælli öldrun skjólstæðinga sinna. Gögn eru sótt í opinberar upplýsingar, bakkalárs- og meistaraprófsritgerðir auk viðtala sem höfundur hefur tekið við starfandi þroskaþjálfa. Breytt viðhorf setja nú mark sitt á þjónustu við aldraða og líta má á greinina sem innlegg í þá umræðu og þá þróun.
The population grows older in many countries, also in Iceland, and the level of health among the elderly is rising, the elderly as a social group are getting older. With an growing number of older people and higher expectations regarding quality of life at the onset of the 21st cenury, it seems only appropriate to explore aging in Iceland. Public discussion about elderly people has often been narrow and negative with a focus on age-related deficiencies. This article takes a different perspective. Instead of highlighting deteriorating health and various curtailments, the article concentrates on successful aging. This is not meant to diminish the problems that many elderly people experience; rather, the aim of the article is to explore the concept of successful aging as defined by scholars, and discuss the characteristics of successful aging and ways to promote it. Perspectives of older people will be presented as well as those of social educators who provide institutional services for the elderly. The concept of successful aging, which first appeared in the middle of the last century, is examined in a historical and theoretical context. Various theories that explain and define successful aging are presented, although agreement about what the concept entails is lacking. Findings from a growing number of studies on successful aging, both international and Icelandic, are discussed; however, the lack of consensus of what constitutes successful aging inhibits their comparison. Special emphasis is given to Rowe and Kahn’s conceptualization of successful aging which identifies three fundamental conditions necessary for successful aging: avoiding disease and disability, retaining physical and mental skills, and being socially engaged and active. Perspectives of older people on successful aging and how to promote it were obtained through interviews and other qualitative methods. The elderly believe that negative stereotypes about aging and older people are harmful both to them and society. Problem-oriented media coverage plays a role in upholding the misconception that the elderly are unhappy, impoverished and helpless. Elderly people believe that this needs to be corrected and provide suggestions for ways to steer media coverage in a more positive direction. Attention is also drawn to research findings which show the important contribution to society made by the elderly in the form of assistance to their families, volunteering and more. Finally, the article presents findings from interviews with social educators working at various institutions that provide services to the elderly. They were asked to express their views on what can be done to increase the quality of life of elderly people. Today it is recognized that it is important to listen to the views of other professionals who work with the elderly regarding services for the elderly in addition to those working within the health care system. More emphasis is needed on the social and emotional needs of the elderly to enhance successful aging. Social educators possess knowledge and expertise which can be used to identify effective strategies that can benefit older people and enrich their lives. The purpose of obtaining diverse perspectives is to shed light on and increase our understanding of aspects which can contribute to a happier and more fulfilling life for people in their later years.