The International Journal of Aging and Human Development

The question of age changes in frequency of dream recall was addressed in a questionnaire survey of 295 college-educated men and women aged seventeen to seventy. Dream recall was found to be maximal for men and women alike during the college years, with a subsequent decline to a much lower level in the forties and beyond. The drop in recall frequency is paralleled by a declining interest in, and valuation of, dreaming among middle-aged and older adults.

This article describes and analyzes the accomplishments of a group of aged Jews residing at the Toronto Baycrest Centre, a multilevel geriatric facility. A project that began as an informally planned program to keep the participants socially engaged and active led to the publication of their memoirs, From Our Lives [5], with financial support from the Canadian government. The value of the memoir activity for the group and for the community is outlined. The article concludes with a general discussion of the importance of replicating such activities not only with elderly Jews but also among other groups of elderly persons.

A review of the literature indicates that until recently little attention has been paid to the effects of the environment on well-being among the aged. This study analyzes data relevant to both the individual and his or her environment from a large (N = 2265) national sample of low- and middle-income elderly. A recursive causal model is presented; the results indicate that perceived health and housing satisfaction contribute the most to well-being among the elderly. In addition, for men and women home ownership was not found to affect well-being positively. For men who owned their own homes lower scores on well-being were reported. The findings also indicate that while the quantity of neighbor interaction benefits the well-being of men, women benefit more from the positive sentiments of sociability in the neighborhood. This study emphasizes the importance of environmental satisfaction and neighborhood sociability as key determinants of well-being in later life.

It has been assumed that the fifties are a relatively stable decade; however, women in their fifties are susceptible to many stresses, internal and external. The possibilities of widowhood, divorce, or poverty, combined with intra- and interpersonal strains, make this a time of insecurity about aging for many women. Some suggestions as to why women nonetheless cope successfully with aging are considered.