Aging Stereotypes

Everyone grows older in his or her own way. Some stay active while others slow way down. Some people gain wisdom as others become more forgetful as time goes on. Because of the very nature of the mechanism of aging, there are noticeable similarities among populations of elderly. From these similarities, which are not always positive or attractive, stem multitudes of stereotypes.
For instance, a common stereotype of the elderly is the idea that they are less than adequate drivers. When you think of the origins of this belief, there could be some validity. Eyesight, coordination, reaction time, and muscular dexterity all diminish with age. Since all these competencies are needed for good driving, it would be easy to immediately cast off elderly folks as unable to drive as well after a certain statistically determined age. But what if someone started with exceptional abilities in these areas and maintained them well into their later years? Can we standardize the stereotype after comparing this individual to someone much younger with inherently poor eyesight and equally bad reflexes?
Another stereotype among the elderly is that they are all riddled with health problems and are a drain on Medicare. Again, the very mechanism of aging itself is based on the fact that systems are breaking down. It is safe to say that a great deal of medical attention goes to the elderly population because their bodies have lowered immune systems, reduced capacity to heal, and a greater tendency toward more frequent and/or more serious medical pathologies. With this taken into account, it is still not fair to say that becoming elderly is analogous to becoming extremely ill. I am very sure that there are plenty of people in the world considered to be elderly that could run circles around me. However, since the statistical norm of the situation is that the elderly are the ones occupying the majority of the hospital, the observation becomes the stereotype and the general consensus. With all things considered, this observation could be taken more as an over-generalization than a stereotype.
The fact that these stereotypes are so prevalent in our society could be interpreted as proof that there is some truth to some of these stereotypes. However, they could also be taken as indicators of topics to address when considering the needs of the elderly. Currently, there is much debate over how to handle senior citizens who can no longer command full control of their vehicle but have no other means of transportation to accomplish daily tasks outside home. The issue was brought to attention due to a stereotype but must be handled in way that will not perpetuate it.
As for the stereotype of elderly comprising the majority of the sick population, we must take it as an indicator of the result of health practices already in place. The status of the health of our elderly population must be realized as the end products of the habits formed in earlier years of life. If we make notes and changes of our elderly population of today, we can begin a better system to promote the health of future elderly populations by changing the habits of today.