55+ Generation: The Silver Tsunami

There are over 30,000 residents of Santa Barbara over the age of fifty-five. Contrary to what is generally supposed, resilience does not necessarily fall off with aging.

There are over 30,000 residents of Santa Barbara over the age of fifty-five. As this generation ages, the medical, social, and economic costs of treating and caring for this population will easily outstrip the present health care facilities, including Cottage Hospital and the Sansum Clinics.

Contrary to what is generally supposed, resilience does not necessarily fall off with aging. In fact, studies conducted by NASA confirm that resilience can increase with age until very late in life, and there is a strong correlation of resilience with longevity.

In collaboration with the Center on Successful Aging and Adventures in Aging, Big Heart Technologies is launching a pilot 12-month study involving 75 participants with the goal of enhancing integral resilience, targeting associated measurable outcomes for loneliness, caregiver burnout, and hypertension. As there is strong clinical evidence that all three are closely related, it is hypothesized that positive results in any one will be transferred and multiplied in the other two.

Notes:

• Secrets to Healthy Living and Slower Aging from NASA Research
• The impact of resilience among older adults
• Aging, Resilience, and The New Normal (Psychology Today)
• Resilience in the Elderly
• To Be a Genius, Think Like a 94-Year-Old
• Resilience and Immune Function in Older Adults

Next: Kids and Students