Most Americans would like to live to 100-but only if ...

By Rita Baum

Some 60,000 Americans are 100 years old or older. These centenarians and those over 85 are among the fastest-growing age groups in America.

Who wants to live to 100? Surprisingly, 61 per cent of Americans queried would like to live that long if they could have a high quality of life and could afford it.

Human longevity, for years of interest mostly to gerontologists, has become the buzzword of popular print and electronic media, from Oprah to the weekly news magazines and financial publications. Dozens of books on aging are rolling off the presses. In Age Power, baby boom expert and gerontologist Ken Dychwald shares his vision of how baby boomers are changing the face of aging. Palo Alto author-physician Walter Bortz' book Live Long, Die Fast gives a how-to primer on aging well. A favorite author of mine from grad-school days, Leonard Hayflick, has written How and Why We Age, an exploration of aging from a scientific viewpoint for the lay reader. And the title of Centenarians: The Bonus Years reveals author Lynn Adler's upbeat view of advanced old age and the centenarian spirit.

These authors tell us that advanced old age is not necessarily synonymous with pain and suffering. Studies have concluded that it's not all downhill as we age. The highest levels of achievement and leadership--possible with good health--are reached across the entire life span. Excellence in sports achieved during the teens and early 20s, creativity in the 30s and 40s, the highest levels of leadership in the 50s, 60s and later, and the 80s and 90s for excellence and wisdom in justices of the Supreme Court and popes.

I have known many nonagenarians--people in their 90s--and a dozen or more centenarians. Through luck or lifestyle, they have escaped or survived the maladies and conditions to which many of their peers have succumbed, and enjoy good, happy lives. Santa Clara resident Carol Galbraith can attest to it. Carol makes time to volunteer after work for the Council on Aging as a visitor to older people who live alone. Until recently, she regularly visited Josie, who died at age 107 after 10 years of visits and close friendship. Josie was widowed and lived alone in the same house she had occupied for 50 years. She did her own marketing, cooking, light housekeeping and gardening. Their conversations covered many topics, including the Depression, work stress, relationships and death. At age 103, she moved to be near her 80-year-old son, who insisted she needed his help. Carol missed having her wisdom, humor and counsel close by, but they kept in touch. Josie had confided to Carol that she wanted to be buried holding an old-fashioned bouquet of lilies. Last year Carol provided the lilies, a last gesture of friendship; she is now matched with 99-year-old Katherine.

At the beginning of the century there were only 3 million Americans over 65; today there are 34 million. The increased number of older people will have far-reaching implications and will impact all facets of society, from music and fashions to health services. With fewer young workers to support the retired, we may need to rethink and re-evaluate policies and practices concerning Social Security, healthcare, housing, employment and financing old age.

Retirement as we know it may change. A solution might be to lengthen the years of work life by five years or more, with reduced schedules and frequent vacations. Other older people, already a major force behind volunteer programs, could count volunteer hours as in-kind work contributions to the retirement system.

While many of the oldest old will remain robust and independent, others will need facilities, services, medicine and money. Scientists, having nearly conquered most of the death-causing diseases, will work to resolve the two leading causes of death today, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Autopsies are performed on a very small portion of people over 85, so the words on most death certificates, "Death due to natural causes," may be only a guess.

We have learned from studies on centenarians that genetic heritage, environment, lifestyle, physical and mental fitness, diet, exercise, attitude, stress level and social ties can influence maximum longevity and quality of life. Most of us want to use this information not to reach the maximum lifespan of 115 to 120 years, but to attain advanced old age still in full possession of our mental and physical abilities.

In the movie Moonstruck, Rose, played by Angelica Houston, calls to her philandering husband, as he tiptoes up the stairs after a night out, "Cosmo, I just want you to know, no matter what you do, you're still gonna die, just like everybody else." Rose is convinced that middle-aged married men chase other women because they fear the loss of youth and their inevitable death.

Rose and Cosmo might have been more optimistic if they had realized that the new millennium is ushering in the worldwide phenomenon of a lifespan potential longer than previously imagined. And with it the realization of the plasticity and vigor of old age, new definitions of work and life in the later stages of life, and the demise of myths and stereotypes related to aging. No, it's not all downhill after age 65.

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Rita Baum is a Los Gatos resident. She has a master's degree in gerontology.

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