Video games have become a mainstream activity among older adults who have found functional utility and pleasure in gaming. With better access and ease of use, older adults are using video games to reduce stress, maintain mental sharpness, connect, and to have fun. According to a survey conducted by the AARP, which included 3737 people aged 50 or older, 47 percent of respondents reported playing video games every day. The average respondent spent five hours every week playing video games on tablets, phones, game consoles, or computers. According to the study, the 50-59 age group is experiencing the most significant spike, which is an interesting fact, as this is the generation that grew up playing Ms. Pac-Man and Atari.

While teenagers and especially boys are still the most avid gamers, the grandparents are emerging as an essential player group. An AARP survey reported that more than 10 million U.S. citizens above the age of video had become video gamers between 2016 and 2019. There were more than 40 million gamers in the target age group in 2016, and this number has grown to more than 50 million in 2019. It has a massive implication for companies such as Nintendo and Electronic Arts (EA) that may now create more products targeted towards the older adult market.

According to Dr. Anne McLaughlin, an engineering psychologist, and professor at North Carolina State University, older adult experiences may be enriched, depending on the type of game played. McLaughlin, who was part of the team that conducted the digital games case study, says that the highest benefits usually come from unfamiliar games. Challenging and new games rather than familiar but challenging are thus the right combination because “completely new tasks form new pathways in your brain.” For persons who are just new to the world of gaming, it is essential to start with much simpler games such as Solitaire, online chess, and scrabble. The case study also found that both occasional and regular video gamers benefited a lot from playing. Older adults reported significantly lower rates of depression, better health, more excellent social functioning, and well-being as compared to non-gamers.

While playing to enhance mental acuity is great, some older adults play video games for the sense of community it provides. As such, it is not surprising to find older adults who enjoy video games, especially multiplayer games such as World of WarCraft or Super Mario. According to Greg Portell, head of global consumer industries and retail price at Kearney consulting firm, video games provide a sense of interaction and virtual community because of the isolation many older adults feel. Loneliness and social isolation in older adults are serious public health risks associated with dementia and other serious medical conditions.

Given the many benefits of gaming for older adults, digital entertainment has turned into some form of clinical therapy. The science is still in the formative stage, but studies show that video gaming can address loneliness and loss of purpose that many older adults experience. According to Dr. Kathrin Gerling, an assistant professor of computer science at KU Leuven, a research university in Belgium, gaming restores a sense of accomplishment and agency for older persons. Her paper titled “Designing Video Games for Older Adults and Caregivers” examined the design of interactive technologies to support caregiving relationships through play. Accessible game design and its impact on older adults is a critical area of focus, which can further improve the demographic’s uptake of video games. It can be a very empowering experience for an older gamer to thrive and feel a sense of belonging in an activity that mostly involves younger adults.

Edited by Global Health Aging

A newly released book by first-time author, Breanna Deutsch, proclaims that the world’s largest and most pressing healthcare issue is none other than what the majority of people consider an unwavering part of life: aging. Deutsch asserts that the leading cause of the world’s most critical health conditions—chronic diseases that lead to organ failure, heart problems, immune issues, and a general decline in quality of life, all boil down to the body’s aging process.

In Finding the Fountain: Why Government Must Unlock Biotech’s Potential to Maximize Longevity, Deutsch demands that governments direct more resources to tackle the issue of aging, in particular by taking advantage of biotechnology. She also stresses that while aging may seem inevitable, much can be done to impede, reverse, and possibly even prevent it altogether. For example, IV Therapy promises to help boost immunity, but IV therapy costs are not low-cost. Consumers should also be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not monitor the supplements in IV therapy. 

As a resource that adopts and encourages others to embrace a positive view of aging as a healthy, normal part of life, our goal is to also encourage and welcome honest dialogue with those we disagree with, such as Deutsch. This is because everyone is growing older, older people still exist, and the aging population, like other age groups, brings both challenges and opportunities.

Deutsch suggests that although global life expectancy has gone up in recent years—the United Nations estimates it at a record 72.6 years—the assortment of ailments that plague the elderly makes the uptick in years hardly worth it. She claims that while technologies exist to combat the cell death that leads to aging, these treatments often face roadblocks which prevent them from making it to hospitals or centers that are accessible to the everyday person.

While we agree with Deutsch that aging increases vulnerability to age-associated diseases, we disagree that the increase in life expectancy is hardly worth it. There are benefits with living longer, from increased productivity to boost the economy, to intergenerational connections that give the child and the older adult a sense of purpose. The fact people are living longer but not necessarily healthier does not imply that aging is at fault. Instead, it means we have and continue to put little focus on prevention.

Healthy aging does not begin when we are older adults. It starts in our younger years. How young? As soon as we arrive in this world! Putting a greater focus on tackling social determinants of health (SDOH) will reap faster dividends than current biotechnology therapies for aging and longevity, which are either expensive or not FDA-cleared or approved. We need more research and better resource allocation into SDOH because, for several years, SDOH has only been popular among public health practitioners and recently moved into the policy domain.

We also cannot forget that beyond focusing on genetics plays a critical role in how we age. For example, family studies demonstrated that about 25 percent of the variation in human longevity is due to genetic factors. However, promoting proven public health interventions can help mitigate chronic conditions that accompany aging.

As both scientists and science communicators, our team at GHA are careful about current language toward aging, which could lead to ageism. Because, at the moment, everyone is growing older, older people still exist, and the aging population, like other age groups, brings both challenges and opportunities.

Deutsch’s book offers a step toward the future by putting pressure on the government to aid its citizens in taking care of their overall health. While we take a different approach, we also believe in prioritizing the goal of prevention and allocating the necessary funds to reach it. Ultimately, the saying prevention is better than cure always rings true.

Edited by Global Health Aging.

There are many shocking stories about the way older people have been treated by friends, family members, and even nursing home employees.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), elder abuse can lead to physical injuries – ranging from minor scratches and bruises to broken bones and disabling injuries – and serious, sometimes long-lasting, psychological consequences, including depression and anxiety. For older people, the consequences of abuse can be especially serious and take a longer time to recover.

Approximately 1 in 10 Americans aged 60+ have experienced some form of elder abuse. Some estimates range as high as 5 million elders who are abused each year. Victims often become more confused, frail, and unhappy with their circumstances as they are abused and exploited. Older adults, in particular, need advocates, such as elder abuse lawyers, health professionals, and social service agencies, among others.

In addition to the health and social problems linked to elder abuse, older adults are left feeling undervalued and underappreciated, a sobering fact that another human being would deem another human being less than them.

As stated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, “…all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, which among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Older adults deserve to be treated with dignity, feel loved, and cared for since every life across the age spectrum is precious. If not, ageism (discrimination and stereotyping based on age) will continue to prevail because ageism is linked to elder abuse. Health care professionals can help to revolutionize society through health education, empowerment, and advocacy.

Elder abuse is more common than anyone might think. It is a critical public health issue that results in poor health outcomes and increased mortality among older adults of all races, cultures, sexual orientations, social classes, geographic areas, faith communities, mental capacities, and physical abilities. Until service providers work together to address this problem, elder abuse will continue with devastating societal implications for older adults and their loved ones.

This is part of a series about aging in the twenty-first century.