Social & Community

‘Graying of America’ Has an Up Side, Too

Recent years have brought a parade of news stories warning that the aging population of the U.S.—a phenomenon often called “the graying of America”—could create huge problems for our society, in areas ranging from a disrupted social fabric to uncontrollable health care costs.

But there are also many bright spots to having an aging population, says Kathryn Burgio, Ph.D., a behavioral psychologist in the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at UAB and the VA Medical Center. Not surprisingly, many of those appealing factors are what led her to choose a career in gerontology.

“I had the opportunity to work at the National Institute on Aging, and I just fell in love with the older patients. There were older men with all these World War II stories, and older women with these fascinating life histories. They had so much wisdom to offer, so much of a grasp on life, that as a younger person at the time I was really impressed by how much they had lived, how much they had been through, and how much they had learned.

“I was also struck by how much they were carrying around in terms of burdens—they had multiple medical problems, were on multiple medications. They had so many things they were trying to balance, and still they got up every day and managed those problems and lived their life. And as someone who didn’t have any of those problems yet, I was impressed with the grace they displayed, doing it. And I kept thinking, ‘Wow, I want to be like that. I wonder how they do it?’”

In the years to come, as Burgio studied behavioral psychology, she discovered a common thread that runs through those graceful lives:

“It’s partly their attitude and partly their lifestyle, and that’s what really got me excited about behavioral medicine. So much of medicine, when you think about it, involves changing people’s behavior, and emotional problems and mental health problems are a big part of that picture.

“The ability to adjust to life events depends so much on your outlook, on the view you take of the world. People who are able to accept adversity in stride and still come out with hope for the future, are the ones who ‘get right back on the horse’ and get on with their lives. They understand that life is problematic, life is messy, and that we constantly face challenges. But they decide to get through it, and go on.”

Learning such skills can go a long way toward improving the length and quality of life for all of us, Burgio believes:

“What the graying of America basically means is that a larger portion of the population is older and wiser. And they have a lot to say to all generations, if we listen to them. I think if we can keep a positive attitude toward aging, and can see the advantages, and can develop the habit of devoting the resources that older adults need, and supporting them in their old age, then we all benefit from that and become a better society.”