The Future of Aging and Longevity - Flipbook - Page 59
from the margins of public health to its core,
demanding investment. Mul琀椀-disciplinary
evidence, including the WHO Commission Report
on Social Connec琀椀on and the O昀케ce of the US
Surgeon General’s Our Epidemic of Loneliness
and Isola琀椀on, robustly demonstrates the cri琀椀cal
role of social connec琀椀on and suppor琀椀ve social
infrastructure in shaping health and resilience,
while loneliness and social isola琀椀on pose dis琀椀nct
risks.45 The implica琀椀on is clear: Healthy longevity
requires not only preven琀椀ng disease but also
crea琀椀ng the condi琀椀ons for people to thrive
throughout life.
“When socie琀椀es redesign for
health and social connec琀椀on
with meaning and purpose,
all genera琀椀ons thrive.”
We have shown that new social infrastructure
can be created to establish social connec琀椀on
through meaningful new roles for older adults
that meet their goals of contribu琀椀ng to solu琀椀ons
of societal needs, while also improving their own
health and well-being and allevia琀椀ng loneliness.
A prime example of this is the AARP Founda琀椀on
Experience Corps. When implemented (as
designed) as a senior volunteer program in K–3
classrooms, it supports the academic success of
children and the teachers’ e昀昀ec琀椀veness, while
improving well-being for the older volunteers.
This is, essen琀椀ally, a social model for health
promo琀椀on, designed as win-wins for young
people, schools, communi琀椀es, and older adults
from the same interven琀椀on. The subsequent
development of Eldera provides an online model
for intergenera琀椀onal one-on-one mentoring of
children by older volunteers, with support for
youth posi琀椀ve development while also crea琀椀ng
social connec琀椀on among the volunteers.
If the past decade has provided both the
evidence and the vision, the next will be judged
on whether it can translate that knowledge into
coordinated, mul琀椀system ac琀椀on at scale. To
capture the opportuni琀椀es of longevity requires
a fundamental shi昀琀 in goals, now supported
by evidence. Turning the dials, if you will: from
disease to health; from treatment to preven琀椀on
and promo琀椀ng health and func琀椀on; from clinicalto popula琀椀on-focused solu琀椀ons; from a focus on
the de昀椀cits of aging to enabling its capabili琀椀es;
from responding to isola琀椀on and loneliness a昀琀er
they occur to building the condi琀椀ons for social
connec琀椀on; from the invisibility of old age, s琀椀gma,
and denigra琀椀on to respect and value; and from
lack of roles to many opportuni琀椀es for meaning,
purpose, and contribu琀椀on; and building both
human and social capital.
This transforma琀椀on will require new health
infrastructure at a popula琀椀on level delivering
the condi琀椀ons for health needed at each age of
life and extending healthspan for all. It will also
require new social infrastructure in communi琀椀es,
bringing to every community meaningful
roles for older people that meet goals, reduce
disconnec琀椀on, and value and u琀椀lize capabili琀椀es
developed through maturity and experience.
Investment in human capital through educa琀椀on
across the life course must accompany health
investments. These shi昀琀s will deliver high societal
value and ROI.
Turning the dials—both incrementally and
transforma琀椀onally across mul琀椀ple systems—
could produce a third demographic dividend:
the social and economic returns that 昀氀ow when
socie琀椀es invest in longer lives, yielding bene昀椀ts
because of longevity, not despite it. The result
is a society in which the 昀氀ourishing of older
adults can strengthen younger genera琀椀ons
and deepen intergenera琀椀onal connec琀椀on, with
mutual bene昀椀t at every age. This dividend
will not arise automa琀椀cally with demographic
shi昀琀s; opportuni琀椀es for 昀氀ourishing of long-lived
socie琀椀es are potent but must be inten琀椀onally
designed, implemented, and sustained. The next
decade is the 琀椀me to act.
A D ECA D E O F P RO GRE S S , A D ECA D E TO ACT 55
