Aging is defined through the use of various measures. It can be described by three different measures which include chronological age, functional age, and subjective age. Chronological age is measured by the number of birthdays a person has had. This is the actual age based on the year that the individual was born. This specific age does not provide any specific characteristics-rather, it is just used to determine eligibility for certain things. Chronological age is used to determine if an individual is eligible to drink, drive, vote, or if they qualify for entitlement programs. A person’s resources and needs can change as they move through the different chronological age categories.
Functional age is measured by what people can do and what they are doing. This type of age is also called biological age. Everyone’s body ages at a different rate, meaning that while two individuals might have a chronological age of 60 one may have a functional age of 40 while the other may have a functional age of 80. Understanding a person’s functional age allows their needs to be better met.
Subjective age is a person’s perception of how old they feel. The perception of being old shifts depending on the age group. Younger adults believe that a person becomes “old” at a younger age while older adults believe that a person becomes “old” in later years. If two individuals who have different chronological ages are asked “At what age does one become old?”, the answers will be very different. A respondent who is 30 years old might consider 60 to be old, but a respondent who is 50 years old might consider 70 to be old.
A person’s age is not just one number. It can consist of three different numbers. As mentioned above, these three different numbers include the chronological, functional, and subjective age. How old an individual actually is, how old an individual’s body function is, and lastly how old an individual feels. These three ages can be very different or similar, but it varies from person to person. A person with a chronological age of 70 might have a functional age of 50 and a subjective age of 40. As Betty Friedan states, “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”
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By: Cindy Birrueta
Office Support Specialist at WellPath Partners
B.S. in Healthcare Administration at California State University, Long Beach
