Experts on ageing, now seniors themselves, see things differently

AS A social worker for older adults, Robyn Golden, 67, preached the importance of staying active as you age.

- AMANDA ERICKSON

In her early career, Golden was often inspired by the way her clients tackled new challenges.

“I found it very enriching,” she said, to see that “they can change, and they can grow.”

As she has grown older, she has tried to embrace that openness to new experiences. But she didn’t realise how hard it could be. Last year, for example, she took up pickleball (a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong). She wasn’t expecting to play professionally, but she assumed she would improve alongside the younger students in the class she joined.

When she didn't, she started to think about quitting. “I’m in this class and all these people are progressing and I'm not,” she said.

A conversation with a friend changed her mind. “I realised, they're all thirty-some years younger,” she said. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

Golden, now associate vice president of social work and community health at Chicago’s Rush University, stuck out the class, and she still plays every week.

That is an experience echoed by other social workers, professors and researchers who study ageing in America. Many have spent decades working with seniors, but they found that getting older themselves shifted their thinking and what they tell their clients.

Some are surprised by how much fun they are having. Others have had to adjust their expectations of themselves and their bodies. And all acknowledge that some of the biggest obstacles facing seniors include the rising cost of health care, the dearth of affordable housing, and the astronomical fees for nursing homes or assisted living.

We spoke with more than a dozen experts to gather their thoughts on ageing, and what they would tell their younger selves. Here are some of the most common lessons:

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