Think you know the facts about growing older? Think again.
Senior moments, increasing isolation, an inability to grow and change – these are just a few of the common stereotypes about what people can expect later in life. But thanks to research over the years, these tired cliches have been largely proven to be untrue. Of course, it’s hard to know first-hand until you’ve been there, and while many of us don’t want to admit it, aging, is a fact of life that begins at birth. How we age is impacted by a number of factors such as biology, physiology and our social circumstances and varies from person to person.
There are many myths about old age. Some of the common ones are:
- The older you get, the less sleep you need.
- Intelligence declines with age.
- Most people get dementia if they live long enough.
- Most older adults have no interest in, or capacity for, sexual relations.