title: Perceptions by the oldest old of successful aging, Vitality 90+ Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discover how 90-91-year-olds see a good old age and identify the dimensions of good and successful aging that appear in their talk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Life-story interviews with 45 community-dwelling nonagenarians (25 women and 20 men), conducted in the context of the Vitality 90+ Study. In the interviews the respondents were asked to give their opinions about a good old age and its constituents. The answers were subjected to thematic analysis with an inductive approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dimensions identified in most popular theories of successful aging, such as the physical, the cognitive, the psychological and social functioning, were also found in our study. But we were also able to identify new themes that have rarely been mentioned in previous studies of successful aging. These themes were "living circumstances", emphasizing the importance of having one's own home and living there as long as possible, "independence" in relation to various aspects of life and a "good death". The respondents saw themselves as having a good old age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Definitions of a good old age provided by the oldest old themselves give new insights into the concept of successful aging. Good health is important, but more in the sense of being pain-free than of being disease-free. Social and cognitive aspects seem to be more important than physical health. The important things for our nonagenarian respondents were to continue living independently, preferably in their own homes, and to have a quick and easy death rather than being institutionalized.
authors: School of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. Electronic address: lily.nosraty@uta.fi.
authors: Lily
authors: L
authors: Nosraty
authors: School of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. Electronic address: marja.jylha@uta.fi.
authors: Marja
authors: M
authors: Jylhä
authors: School of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. Electronic address: raittilataina@gmail.com.
authors: Taina
authors: T
authors: Raittila
authors: School of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. Electronic address: kirsi.lumme-sandt@uta.fi.
authors: Kirsi
authors: K
authors: Lumme-Sandt
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012111:Residence Characteristics
keywords: Good aging; Healthy aging; Lay model; Nonagenarians; Qualitative method