The role of the environment in promoting healthy aging

Introduction.

According to Ranzijn (2002), the environment plays a vital role in promoting healthy aging. The physical, social, and communal environment affects the quality of life. My thoughts on this are that the concept of environment in regards to aging, to me, is a social construct. The idea of how best to live when aged or what determines a good life is only a social construct that is subjective to the ageing individual. A good example is living in a home. Living in a home may not be viewed as the ideal place for an aging individual to spend the rest of their life, yet it may still be classified as the best physical environment for the aged. The idea of the situation affecting the whole aging population has its shortcoming since we all relate differently to different environments, which are also the case for the aging.

In conclusion, the idea of the environment as a determinant of productivity or high quality of life is farfetched since it is the same environment that the aging has been living in. Therefore social constructs of what the ideal setting for aging should be should not be used to steer the debate on how to age gracefully.

References

Ranzijn, R. (2002). The potential of older adults to enhance community quality of life: Links between positive psychology and productive aging. Ageing International, 27(2), 30-55