Abstract
Over the past several decades, gerontologists, policy makers, and public health officials have generated a notion of “successful aging” in an attempt to stipulate the factors that influence an elder’s ability to age well. Within existing research models, the elder voice is dominated by conflicting and ambiguous researcher driven conceptual models of successful aging. This study aimed to understand how elders themselves define successful aging. A layperson definition of successful aging was determined by interviewing fifteen elders of varying socioeconomic status. Respondents vocalized that participation in meaningful activities as well as possessing a positive attitude are critical components of a successfully aging individual. Respondents included acceptance of chronic illnesses within the definition of successful aging, as long as the illness did not hinder the individual’s ability to maintain their independence. Additional factors important to successful aging were highlighted within this work. Respondents determined an especially strong association between independence and successful aging. Additionally, respondents conveyed elevated levels of satisfaction to be associated with successful aging. Respondents conveyed a desire to have busy and active schedules. Finally, respondents revealed that limited income negatively impacts an individual’s health and overall well-being; however, respondents revealed that challenges associated with limited incomes could be compensated for with other successful aging criteria.