“Are we living longer compared to 150 years ago?”
By Connie De La Rosa, Senior Care Advisor
One of the most important difference between the world today and 150 years ago is our “Lifespan”. According to studies , 150 years ago life expectancy was between 30 to 40 years, but today close to 800 million people are 60 years old or more. During the last century, aging has been associated with decline and decay, but gradually more people are now living a healthier lifestyle in older age groups. The expansion in life expectancy has become a synchronism of quality of life: the average 65 year old today is much healthier, physically and mentally more fit than the average 50 year old 150 years ago!
A Healthier and longer life contributes to community outreach and education efforts in exercise, eating, regular check-ups and social activity compared to 150 years ago. Here are two examples of how life has changed then and now:
- According to Pennsylvania State University, it was almost guaranteed that you would die of an infectious disease. In fact, had you been born just 150 years ago, your chances of dying of an infectious disease before you’ve reached the age of 5 would have been extremely high.
- Hospitals flourished 150 years ago from serving as a multipurpose sheltering center to a hospital for treating patients, and medical research.
