New CenterWell "Senior Fulfillment Index" Highlights Essential Factor for Later Life Wellbeing
by Adam Felts
It would be easy to assume, based on portrayals in the media or observations in the community, that the primary focus of older adults is or should be on physical health, as manifestations of aging are overt, and maintaining health and mobility is a common challenge for many older adults. Yet many older people feel they are aging successfully despite challenges in physical health -- suggesting that wellbeing is a more complex and nuanced concept that cannot be simplified into a single factor.
CenterWell, the health care services segment of Humana, Inc., has published a white paper on the significance of fulfillment as an indicator of wellbeing for older adults, detailing the numerous factors associated with feelings of fulfillment.
Fulfillment refers to a person's overall sensibility about her life, "a sense of wholeness, fit, and value towards the self, one’s life, and one’s impact." It is associated with resilience and the ability to adapt to circumstances in later life.
Whether an older adult feels fulfilled is determined by several underlying factors, which the report identifies: they include a person's affect (a level of contentment in life), their approach to life (a sense of purpose and spirituality), and the meaningfulness of their day-to-day activities (whether they are socially engaged, physically capable, and involved in their community).
Fifty-four percent of older adults report feeling fulfilled. Fulfillment tends to drop in the years shortly after retirement before rising in one's 70s and 80s.
Because fulfillment encompasses a wide range of factors associated with health and wellness, it may function for practitioners as a way to evaluate the wellbeing of older adults. Identifying low fulfillment, the authors write, and improving factors related to fulfillment can help improve many elements in the lives of older adults.
AgeLab Research Scientist Lisa D'Ambrosio is a co-author for the report, reflecting the AgeLab's research expertise in conceptualizing and measuring wellbeing in later life.
Read the CenterWell report on older adult fulfillment here.
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