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Many of today’s older adults lead active, productive lives. For example, 83.6% of persons 65 and older in 2014 had completed high school or higher education, and 26.3% of these older adults earned a bachelor’s degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). The majority of adults over 65 continue to work, volunteer for humanitarian causes, serve in public office, travel, and remain otherwise active (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009).

Typically, people who have aged successfully have the following characteristics:

 In general, they have managed to avoid serious debilitating diseases and disability.

 They function well physically, live independently, and engage in most normal activities of daily living.

 They have maintained cognitive function and are actively engaged in mentally challenging and stimulating activities and in social and productive pursuits.

 They are resilient and able to cope reasonably well with physical, social, and emotional changes.

 They feel a sense of control over circumstances in their lives. (Lachman, 2005)

The best way to experience a productive, full, and satisfying old age is to lead a productive, full, and satisfying life prior to old age. Establishing these qualities early on in life creates habits and beliefs that will continue into older adulthood. Tips for successful aging are shown in Table 3.1.

A number of attributes are vital to successful aging (Walker, 2001). Individuals who are oriented toward the future age successfully. This attribute is defined as the ability to anticipate, to plan, and to hope. Additionally, gratitude, forgiveness, and optimism are important and are described as the need to see the glass as half full, not half empty. Empathy is another key factor in successful aging, which is the ability to imagine the world from someone else’s viewpoint. Finally, reaching out to others and having the desire to do things with people are important attributes (Walker, 2001). Individuals who possess a long-term perspective and engage in positive lifestyle behaviors increase their potential for successful aging.