YOUNGING: A Completely New Perspective On Aging
YOUNGING: A Completely New Perspective On Aging.
Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, CEO and Founder at Archetype Discoveries, which uses cultural anthropology, biology, and advanced learning theories to uncover hidden cultural forces, says, “We are not living longer, we are living younger. Our biological age is more important than our chronological age. This is a major breakthrough in the evolution of humankind.“
MorseLife: Transforming Perceptions of Longevity
MorseLife has always been the enlightened leader in caring for older adults, but with “younging,” we’re transforming the way we view longevity. Keith A. Myers, President and CEO of MorseLife says, “Younging: this is where our emphasis is and must be…at the forefront of this new frontier in attitudes toward aging. People don’t accept the “inevitables” of growing older the way they once did. For individuals over 70, this is a remarkable time of vitality, choice, and freedom. “Younging” is a paradigm shift away from the conventional view of growing older. And it’s long overdue for our culture as a whole.“
Age Isn’t A Number Anymore.
At MorseLife, “younging” means living youthfully and smart; and it represents a sea change in the way we think about growing older. The fact is that, thanks to advances in health care, diet, cultural imperatives, individual choices, and the growing awareness of the value of fitness, engagement and community, age no longer matters. But the way society characterizes age may still be problematic.
Senior Living: Why Not Just “Living”?
The word ‘senior’ as well as its many synonyms goes far beyond linguistic controversy to cultural meaning, referring to a group that MorseLife sees increasingly defying the stereotype. Even as the years accumulate chronologically, the term “senior” becomes less and less attractive, or even accurate, as it is associated more with decline than with what is really afoot, which is a renaissance of youth, vitality, curiosity, adventure, and excitement…in other words “younging.” Dr. Linda Fried, Dean of Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, states, “We are in the process of defining what we want our lives to look like in our seventies, eighties, nineties, and beyond.”
Retired But Not Retiring
At MorseLife, Dr. Fried’s observation is something we see and support every day. We’ve discovered that our residents want to be carefree but still connected. They want to do fun, new things, and they’re looking anew at their future. They’re optimistic and excited about opportunities opening up to them, and about being in an environment, whether Independent Living or Assisted Living, that understands and encourages a new conceptual framework for mature life.
Where once, growing older meant their worlds’ might shrink, now our residents want more: more fantastic food, more fun with family and friends, more freedom and a more enriching future. They want life to be like life aboard a luxury cruise ship: pure indulgence without worry.
Recognizing the paradigm shift away from conventional views of aging has inspired us to reshape life at MorseLife Residences, whether at the Levin Palace Independent Living, Tradition Assisted Living or Memory Care. (Yes, it is true that, concerning Alzheimer’s, choices take on a new dimension, but even here we’ve implemented innovations that make a huge difference in the quality of life, relationships and time for our residents.)
It’s Not Your Grandparents Old Age Anymore.
At MorseLife today, it’s not just life. It’s More Life – outstanding food shared with friends, having fun, and celebrating family milestones like anniversaries, birthdays, a grandchild’s wedding, a great grandbaby’s birth or a resident’s new puppy. It’s the freedom to explore new interests you may not have had time for earlier in life. It’s laughter, music, dancing, learning, and doing. It’s younging.
As a community, we are pioneering this new idea of “younging,” not only because it reflects our model of innovation, but also because it is the way of the future. And how much more exciting and enlivening to look forward to “younging” rather than aging!
We are not just living longer; we are living younger – this is our philosophy and commitment at MorseLife.