Science Daily highlighted a longitudinal study of aging and managing illness in a Florida retirement community:

Eva Kahana, Robson Professor of Sociology and director of the Elderly Care Research Center at Case Western Reserve, reported the findings from interviews with 100 cancer survivors. These survivors are part of a longitudinal study of 1,107 elderly adults living in a retirement community.

This study calls attention to generally accepting, timid behaviors that elderly patients report about their interactions with the healthcare system while battling cancer. Nevertheless the very same older adults offer advice to other older cancer patients to take a more activist stand and become advocates in their care.

This finding of the study overturns the notion that elderly patients are disinterested and disempowered health consumers, Kahana said.

In-depth interviews about their cancer experiences revealed elderly survivors became advocates for others battling cancer, though they had taken a more passive stance – “relying on physicians and family members” – during their own struggle. So…

The researchers said the findings suggest “a transition maybe occurring from passive to a more-active or even activist orientation due to the illness experience.”