Scientists: you really are only as old as you feel
[29 January 2003 - Reuters Health] Expressions like "You're only as old as you feel" may be cliches, but according to a new study they can have a positive effect on a person's mental and physical wellbeing. Researchers from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston found that so-called "memorable messages" about aging can persuade people to change their lifestyle as they grow older. Dr. Sherry J. Holladay and colleagues wanted to test if pearls of wisdom about the benefits and drawbacks of growing old actually have any impact on the way younger people live their lives as they get older. To find out, they asked 104 people ages 18 to 77 to fill out a questionnaire detailing one specific memorable message they recalled and how it had influenced them. The results were published recently in the Journal of Communication.

Influences on quality of life in early old age
[17 January 2003 - Eurekalert - American Association for the Advancement of Science] A golden early old age is within sight for many people, says new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, which demonstrates that the good life is much less influenced by your past � the job your father had, for instance � than by the present, when two of the most important influences are having choices about working or not working, and having friends in whom you can confide. "Good quality of life in early old age is a realistic ambition for all", says the research team, headed by Dr David Blane at Imperial College of Science Technology Medicine, London, "to the extent that it is possible to free the present from past influences". Early old age, sometimes called the Third Age, between 55 and 75 years old, is the phase of life between leaving the labour market and the onset of physical dependency. ... The findings:
... Having control over when and when not to work has a significant bearing on quality of life. People who choose to retire early and those who opt to work beyond normal retirement age enjoy better quality of life than people who have had the decisions made for them, because they have been made redundant, for instance, because economic circumstances have forced them to carry on working beyond the age at which they had expected to retire, or because ill health prevents them from staying in work. The issue of choice seemed to be more important for people classified as 'socially disadvantaged' than those who were 'advantaged'. ...

Department of Labor Announces Competition for Grants to Serve Seniors
[8 November 2002 - U.S. Department of Labor - Washington, DC] The Department of Labor announced today that the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) will administer a $342 million grant competition for the Senior Community Services Employment Programs. The competition will promote part-time employment opportunities in community service activities for unemployed, low-income individuals 55 years of age and older to increase prospects for their economic self-sufficiency. This new grant competition will not cause any senior currently participating in the program to lose service. Under the program, participants usually work at community service agencies for 20 hours a week and are paid the higher of the Federal or State minimum wage. The program typically serves approximately 100,000 participants per year and is authorized through 2005. See grant details.