In last weeks Newsletter I introduced the process that people follow in trying to age well. We first need to select and prioritize our objectives. We are not defined by top down ideas of “ageing well” but can make our own choices. We need to review the “resources” available to us. These can be social such as our family and friends. They can be psychological including our perception of our purpose in life. Finally, we can look at our financial situation. All of which allows us to set realistic objectives of how we want to age well.
We can then set about assembling the means to meet those objectives. We can put together our plan for (say) ageing in place. We can modify our home to fit our physical abilities. We can join clubs and associations. This is a process not an end state. Our resources will change as we age. Our health might change, reducing our mobility. We first adapt the means. Perhaps moving to a different home. If that fails, finally, we need to compensate by reprioritizing the objectives.
Ageing Well Objectives
An academic team has developed a scale to measure how much people desire to age well (DAW). They first collected from the literature a list of over 80 possible objectives. They then had respondents complete a draft questionnaire. For each objective these people had to rate how important each was to them. After a lot of statistical and logical cleaning they were able to collapse this to only 18 items. The scale is interesting because it includes a general and specific desires to age well. There are three specific subject areas which are also part of the general scale.
Physical DAW
This taps into one’s desire to look good. The actual items were:
“Being more attractive than other people of one’s age”
“Being slimmer than other people of one’s age”
“Wearing clothes that are flattering”
Social DAW
This scale is all about taking care of other people, particularly one’s family:
“Looking after the well-being of one’s children and grandchildren”
“Taking care of one’s family or friends”
“Taking care of the younger generations”
Financial DAW
These items address the financial objectives of an individual:
“Dealing with the financial risks of ageing”
“Being in a satisfactory financial situation”
“Remaining financially independent”
The General DAW
The overall scale includes the physical, social and financial DAW. The balance of the items tends to be psychological. They are about maintaining a positive internal view.
“Enjoying one’s old age”
“Knowing oneself better and accepting oneself as one ages”
“Facing up to changes in one’s body”
“Maintaining one’s good humour despite wrinkles and greying hair”
“Maintaining a good character as one grows older”
“Finding new sources of satisfaction despite ageing”
“Calmly accepting the signs of ageing”
“Not feeling sorry for oneself in the face of difficulties”
These are all ideas that have shown up in other studies. Ageing well psychologically influences your health. Being positive about ageing influences cognitive ability.
Predicting Consumption
The researchers who developed the DAW wished to use it to predict consumption. They believed that chronological age is not a good way to segment consumers. They argue that one’s motivations are a better way to do it. The DAW is a way of tapping into those motivations. It documents people’s objectives in later life. Predicting consumption was also a way of validating their scale.
They looked at measures of both activity and intention. They measured the financial and insurance products an individual had purchased. They measured whether and how much cosmetic surgery a person had purchased. They measured the frequency and number of leisure activities undertaken. They also measured the interest in using e-health platforms. These emerging platforms are often linked to smart watches and monitors. They can act as a motivation for and a guide to healthy exercise.
Their findings generally supported the General DAW measure. They are less supportive of specific items. Cosmetic surgery was associated with the Physical DAW and with ones “felt age” (What age do you feel?). The interest in e-health platforms was related to the Physical DAW and the General DAW. However, the general measure was a two and a half times better predictor. Leisure activities were associated with the General DAW. They we also related to "felt age" and even chronological age. The DAW was not associated with the purchase of any financial products.
What are your objectives?
The DAW scale offers a menu of objectives from which you can choose. It does not restrict you to a single objective or set of objectives. You can prioritize them like the respondents in the study. You too will have to test them against the resources available to you. Beware the “enemy within”. The stereotypes that you hold inside that tell you what you should and should not do. We do not know where they come from. They build throughout our lives. Most are wrong and out of date with the growth of “healthy ageing”.
We do need objectives. Setting objectives is how we establish control over growing old. Without them we have no purpose. Without them we stop being consumers.