I’ve spent my career thinking about how to make aging easier in America. But, as I approached my own 50ᵗʰ birthday, my work suddenly became much more personal. My healthy and active husband Glenn had a heart attack at age 48. Thankfully, he survived. But, I was forced to face the fact that even when the odds are in our favor, nobody truly knows just how long they will live.
I began wondering what my own later years had in store. I went in search of answers to the questions now keeping me up at night: How long will I live? Will I stay physically healthy and cognitively sharp? How long will I be able to work? If I live long enough, will I run out of money?
At home I have books on what to expect during pregnancy, on savvy investing and being a better leader, on preparing to be an empty nester, and how to manage caregiving. But nothing that took those critical questions about aging and helped me to work toward some answers. So I went in search of them myself. This is how my new book, ð™ð™ð™š ð™Žð™šð™˜ð™¤ð™£ð™™ ð™ð™žð™›ð™©ð™® – out September 10 – came to be.
The book was a big undertaking, and I didn’t do it alone. I am a policy wonk, which means I dug into the data and reached out to the top experts in each field. I connected with demographers, neuroscientists, and geriatricians. I helped lead the AARP/National Geographic Second Half of Life Study, with 2,500 participants aged 18 to 90. They shared their reflections on health, finances, levels of happiness and optimism, relationships, retirement, housing, life expectancy, and end-of-life care and dying. A few key takeaways:
• ð—¦ð—¼ð—°ð—¶ð—®ð—¹ ð—°ð—¼ð—»ð—»ð—²ð—°ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—»ð˜€ ð—ºð—®ð˜ð˜ð—²ð—¿. It’s just as important to nurture the relationships in our lives as it is to eat well and get exercise. Studies that followed people for years or even decades found that those who were more socially connected were 50% more likely to be alive in any given year.
• ð—§ð—µð—² ð—¶ð˜€ð˜€ð˜‚ð—²ð˜€ ð—¼ð—³ ð—®ð—´ð—¶ð—»ð—´ ð—®ð—¿ð—² ð—¶ð—»ð˜ð—²ð—¿ð—°ð—¼ð—»ð—»ð—²ð—°ð˜ð—²ð—±. While each chapter can be read independently, the things people over 50 are navigating—health, housing, employment, long-term care—are interconnected. There are many gaps in our health, income, and social systems that need updating if they are going to work for us in the 21st century.
• ð—”ð—´ð—¶ð—»ð—´ ð—¶ð˜€ ð—±ð—¶ð—³ð—³ð—²ð—¿ð—²ð—»ð˜ ð—³ð—¼ð—¿ ð—²ð˜ƒð—²ð—¿ð˜†ð—¼ð—»ð—². There is no single story of aging in America. We need to address the inequities that result in big disparities in health, lifespan, and finances.
My book describes a lot of practical and even surprising steps people can take to live healthier and more financially secure lives. It also has some very clear recommendations for systemic changes that can improve our lives as we age. I’m optimistic that meaningful transformation is possible. ð˜›ð˜©ð˜¦ ð˜šð˜¦ð˜¤ð˜°ð˜¯ð˜¥ ð˜ð˜ªð˜§ð˜µð˜º is a guidebook for getting there.
I hope you’ll pick up a copy wherever you buy books. 100% of AARP's royalties from book sales support the charitable work of AARP Foundation.
www.aarp.org/secondfifty
