Age is relative, as the saying goes, so how do we know when we are “old”? Some of us may turn 40 and start to proclaim, “I feel so old! I’m falling apart.” Others may celebrate their 80th birthday and ask, “I wonder what is next? I’m so excited about what I am still learning and experiencing.” As we have discussed in this textbook, the age ranges that represent different stages of development have shifted over time. Since as recently as 100 years ago in the United States, the average lifespan was 47 years old and so today our perceptions of “old age” have certainly changed. Today, people in Western societies are living longer and longer. Within gerontological research, it is typical to distinguish among the “young-old“ (50–64 years), the “old“ (65–74 years) and the, and the “old-old“ (75+ years; Cronin & King, 2010). Our previous chapters discussed middle adulthood reaching into the lower to mid 60s; we now focus our discussions on this phase of life to include the ”old” and the ”old-old.” In this chapter, we explore the cultural and contextual factors that impact this final stage of lifespan development. As individuals move into their later phases of life, how do they experience the developmental process? How do beliefs around old age, physical and mental health, death and dying, and the role of “elder” in families and cultures impact the experiences of the old and very old? We will focus on the case of Rose, a recent widow of a partner of 40 years who is beginning to experience dementia.
