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Grandparents Day is approaching, and it’s important to consider the loneliness that many elderly people face—especially since we’re all living longer than ever. By 2050, the world’s centenarian population—those aged 100 or more—will increase eightfold, and ageism means that senior citizens may not thrive even while they’re surviving to be 100. Check out my review here.
In The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging (Diversion Books, Oct. 3, 2023) acclaimed journalist William J. Kole examines the forbidding bleakness, as well as profound policy, societal, and lifestyle solutions that can brighten the future for us all.
Kole notes, “Ageism isn’t merely unjust, unhealthy, and immoral— it’s also a leading cause of loneliness.”
That loneliness can lead to worse mental health (including depression) and even contribute to dementia. Some of those who’ve hit 100 say the pitfalls can easily outweigh the benefits: debilitating medical conditions, a loss of independence, and the loneliness that comes with vastly outliving spouses, children, and friends. Eventually, as significantly more of us age into triple digits, we’ll have more company. But a society where 100 is the norm is decades away—and until then, many centenarians live alone, especially those over 80, and social networks of the frail elderly, whether living at home or in a nursing home, shrink with age.
How can we combat elder loneliness? In The Big 100, Kole examines potential solutions, including:
- Some Countries, including Japan and the United Kingdom, have “Ministries of Loneliness” to study and remedy the problem
- Social media can be a help for some
- Small interactions, like saying “hello” during a walk or at a shop checkout, can make a big difference
- If you have an elderly person in your life, phone calls and visits can be literal life-savers
- Seeking solace in memories of loved ones who’ve passed
With expert sources, like Dr. Jane Goodall, longevity expert Dr. Thomas Perls and even 112-year-old supercentenarian Herlda Senhouse, Kole uncovers plenty of surprises, including how (spoiler alert!) “Blue Zones” aren’t really centenarian factories, as well as the troubling truth that extreme longevity tends to be overwhelmingly white, a product of the “weathering theory”: the idea that the health of African Americans begins to deteriorate in early adulthood as a physical consequence of socio-economic disadvantages. What will happen to us when 65 is merely a life half-lived? The Big 100 explores the most pressing questions of our super-aging future and offers an encouraging view of the reality that awaits us, our children, and our grandchildren.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William J. Kole, recently retired as New England editor for The Associated Press, is an award-winning former foreign correspondent who’s reported from North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A 2022 fellow in aging journalism at Columbia University and the National Press Foundation, Kole has been writing about extreme aging since the 1990s, when he was based in Paris and told the world the extraordinary story of Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122.
Kole studied journalism at Boston University and joined AP in Detroit, where he covered Dr. Jack Kevorkian, his suicide machine and the spirited national conversation around individual end-of-life decisions. Later, as AP’s bureau chief in Amsterdam and Vienna, he reported extensively on terrorism, corruption, immigration and human trafficking.
In Paris, he was a lead writer on the crash that killed Princess Diana. In The Hague, he oversaw coverage of the trial of the two Libyans who blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. From Vatican City, he reported on the death of Pope John Paul II and the conclave of cardinals that elected Pope Benedict XVI. In Belgrade, he covered Kosovo’s independence and the arrest of former Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic. His favorite assignment, however, was covering poor Pluto’s demotion to a dwarf planet at a meeting of leading astronomers in Prague.
Kole’s many awards include one from the Society of American Business Editors & Writers for an investigation into the exploitation of undocumented immigrants by the Walmart retail chain.
Kole, who speaks French, Dutch and German, is a past president of the New England Society of News Editors. He and his wife, children’s book illustrator Terry DeYonker Kole, live in Rhode Island. They have two children and two grandsons. THE BIG 100 is his first book.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
