Abstract

At the forefront of gerontological science is the promotion of successful aging, the foundation of which is maintaining quality of life (QOL). Accordingly, extending the quality of years lived is an integral part of extending lifespan. The urgency of helping older adults maintain high QOL has become evident in light of the changing US demographics. The life expectancy has been increasing steadily over a number of decades and an average American is now expected to live to 78.3 years of age. Currently, there are 38.9 million adults 65 years of age and older in the United States, accounting for 13% of the total population, but this number is projected to grow to 88.5 million by the year 2050 when older adults are expected to comprise 20% of the total US population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008, 2011).