From ageing to sageing: Eldering and the art of being as occupation

One of the great revolutions and changes within modern society is the unprecedented growth of our ageing populations and the impact of elderly people on community resources. To date, much concern and fear has been raised about the negative consequences of ageing ‐ physically, psychologically and socially. The occupational developments and benefits of this phase of living have too often been denied or remain unrecognised. Publicity and merit in modern society has been given to productive activity and the norm of ageless youth. This paper draws from indigenous and ancient cultural experiences and the author's research into ‘ wellness in spite of all odds’, and offers a new [or rather] a renewed way of viewing the life stage of ageing, as the opportunity to sage ‐ a challenging occupational developmental stage where people have the time and space to become more fully themselves, and to share with others the fruits and wisdom of their being. In accepting this view we renounce the singular myth of entropy as the only outcome for humanity and open the doors to a more dynamic and interrelated perception of living sytems ‐ one in which increasing complexity, growth and order is possible.