Messenger - Vol. 4, No. 1, Page 7 1994 Advocate for aging research The graying of America is one of the most important issues facing the country, says John Cavanaugh, Delaware '75, chairperson of the Department of Individual and Family Studies. Because the percentage of older adults is expected to make up 20 percent of the total population by the year 2025, additional behavioral science research focusing on aging is vital, Cavanaugh says. As part of a national task force, Cavanaugh and Denise C. Park of the University of Georgia recently helped produce a document calling for such research. The Vitality for Life: Psychological Research for Productive Aging document was published by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society, after representatives from 25 behavioral science agencies and organizations met to formulate a national research agenda. The research areas targeted were health and behavior, functioning of the oldest-old, productivity of older workers and specific issues in mental health and well-being. As Cavanaugh and Park wrote in the introduction to Vitality for Life, "...not enough attention is being paid to identifying ways to change behaviors that improve older adults' health and reduce the cost of care...little has been done to understand psychological functioning in very late adulthood in order to document normal versus abnormal behaviors...virtually nothing has been done to understand the needs of older workers or how to maintain their productivity. Finally, the mental health needs of older adults also have been neglected, in part, because of a proclivity to view psycho-pathology as either part of the normal aging process or as medical disorders." The report addresses each research priority, by stating the problems, highlighting what is known and what needs to be known. For example, one problem is that research on psychological functioning has been limited mostly to those under the age of 80. More information is needed about the oldest-old (those 80 and older) "to determine how to optimize functioning in late life, building on the skills and abilities that are least changed with very advanced age." Other areas that should be explored include why some of the oldest-old adapt to change and some do not, as well as the impact of environment and genetic factors on aging. According to Cavanaugh, emphasis thus far has been on medical research involving older Americans, but applied psychology can provide practical help in improving life for this group. Based on his own research, Cavanaugh, points out that applied psychology and non-medical interventions can be useful for Alzheimer's patients. For example, some Alzheimer's patients have a tendency to wander-a problem for them and their caregivers. By putting up a red octagonal sign on a door, the international "stop" sign, some patients will stop. Another simple maneuver is to tape a grid on the floor, which also will stop some patients. Other non-medical treatments that do not involve drugs nor treatment can improve the quality of life for older Americans, he says, such as persuading them to exercise, to eat properly, to stay active cognitively and to stop smoking. Research is needed to develop psychological strategies to encourage healthy lifestyles. In addition, many older Americans suffer from chronic diseases that can be helped by behavioral interventions, Cavanaugh says. -Sue Swyers Moncure