What are some of the demographic changes we see, with regard to the elderly?
DANIEL YANKELOVICH: One of the most extraordinary changes in demography and people living longer that has been overlooked is not only are people living longer physically, but they’re retaining their vitality for a longer period of time. Today’s 79-year-old person is the equivalent of a 65-year-old person earlier in the century. In other words, at age 79 I’m no older, from the point of view of mental and physical vitality, than somebody was at age 65. So I think of that as the 14-year gift of life. From 65 to 79, for people in my age group and your age group, it’s like we’ve been given that tremendous gift of this extra 14 years of life and vitality. QUESTION: How is the psychology of older people changing? DANIEL YANKELOVICH: The psychology of the older person is very important and it represents a big change. One is the feeling that older people have that they don’t have to be dependent on their kids and on other people, so that it gives their lives a dignity and a meaning that they ju
