The challenge of change by Terry Ferebee Eckmann, PhD

In this world, change is inevitable and happens at incredible speed. It’s the process of making something or somebody different; it’s what happens when something is replaced, exchanged or substituted. Essentially, change is an alteration or modification.

Twenty years ago, when I started to work with older adults, I researched programs for this age group in countries around the world. The majority of people working with this population emphasized that older adults do not like change. Observing the process of change and older adults, I have found that the stereotype seems not to hold true: Attitudes about change vary greatly among these individuals. Response to change varies, too.