Aging in Place: Normalizing Stasis is Ageism

Praying is like a rocking chair – it’ll give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.

– Gypsy Rose Lee

Aging in Place

Historically it was thought a long period of living-working earned “downtime” for the individual. “Here, sit, I will get that for you.” It was a form of respect and cultural expectation. Also, for many minorities experiencing a life of hard work, old age was considered a time of deserved rest (inactivity). Rocking chairs, Rest homes, all equated to the Peak and Decline model of aging.

It was the linear life plan, play for the child, education for the young adult, work for the middle-aged adult, then leisure for the old until death–all stages culturally sanctioned. Stasis was normalized for seniors which lead ultimately to ageism. Thank goodness these myth-making paradigms are giving way to new choices.

Aging is a Verb!

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National Senior Games Association