Elderescence: The Gift of Longevity


Buy It Now!

Book has 'inspirational' tone
(June 2007 Issue)

"Elderescence: The Gift of Longevity"
By Jane Thayer and Peggy Thayer
Hamilton Books Lanham, MD, 2005

By Paul Efthim, Ph.D.

Two Martha's Vineyard psychologists have published "Elderescence: The Gift of Longevity," a portrait of the developmental passages between our early-to-mid sixties and our late eighties or even early nineties. Jane Thayer, herself an "elderescent" who still maintains a small private practice, teamed with her artist-psychologist daughter Peggy Thayer to interview scores of individuals about their experience of being retired. The result is an intriguing, inspirational, though somewhat uneven book that will appeal to a general audience.

Using a playful touch, the Thayers argue we need to name the transitional period between adulthood and very old age. Inspired by G. Stanley Hall, who pioneered the study of adolescence and senescence, the authors coin the term "elderescence" to denote a time similar to adolescence: both periods demand grappling with new aspects of identity. The adolescent wonders, "Who am I?" In an echo, the elderescent asks, "Who am I now?" The term "elderescent" itself is a lovely attempt to de-shame the language of this stage. It connotes wisdom, poise and emergence, rather than oldness, frailty and decay.

Interviewees answered three questions: Describe the changes you experienced during the process of becoming retired; What can this stage offer humankind? and How can we help elderescents confronting these changes? Participants included retired professionals, such as therapists, physicians, ministers, artists, and even a few notable Vineyarders such as Walter Cronkite.

Organized into four sections, the book begins with an overview of the literature on later-life development. The wisdom of Erik Erikson sits side by side with observations on aging by Bob Hope, Joan Rivers and other celebrities whose humor spices up this potentially bland material.

The second section covers the period of early elderescence, particularly the potentially treacherous "betwixt and between" period immediately after retirement. A common question faces these folks: What am I going to do with all this time? Several case studies illustrate challenges and rewards in adjusting to the loss of professional identity.

The third part focuses on the defining issues of elderescence, such as the physical aspects of aging, facing one's mortality, finding new meaning and purpose and facing changes in relationships. This section offers a rather chaotic but colorful collage of stories and commentary on these existential challenges. Of particular interest are descriptions of elderescent "nesting" behavior and the problem for many couples of "24-hour togetherness."

The book's final section offers a brief review of the findings of the study, restating the major themes and offering some closing reflections. The strongest features of the book are the first-person reports from the front lines, which the authors ably connect to larger developmental themes. They clearly know this territory and have great respect for their participants. The tone is inspirational and decidedly non-scholarly while offering references to the psychological literature for the inquisitive reader.

The book would have been strengthened by including more diverse voices beyond the largely white, educated, professional group sampled. The authors make a number of glittering generalities about elderescence but, like many developmental researchers before them, do not clearly acknowledge that they are looking at only one segment of a much more varied socioeconomic and ethnic population. Regrettably, the important issues of sexuality and partner loss get rather short shrift. Also, the volume has a rather homespun feel, from the low quality cover photography to stylistic problems with the writing and long strings of unconnected and uncritical quotations that negatively impact readability.

Overall, this book is particularly recommended for elderescents themselves as well as those who are trying to understand the challenges of this potentially rich time of the life cycle.

Paul Efthim, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in full-time practice in Brookline, Mass. He holds a faculty appointment at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology