Table 1 Criteria for healthy aging^a by domain

Physical health

• Independent on all 7 ADLs (eating, dressing, taking care of their appearance, walking, getting in/out of bed, bathing, and toileting) and 7 IADLs (shopping, cooking, doing housework, taking medications, handling personal finances, using the telephone, and getting to places out of walking distance) [19, 20]

Cognitive health

• Score of ≥ 78 on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) [18]

Social health

• Positive responses (“mostly satisfied”, “pleased” or “delighted”) on each of 3 questions assessing satisfaction with social relationships (satisfaction with family, friendships, and recreational activities)

• Reported availability of instrumental and emotional support (someone they can count on for help and support, someone they can call for help if injured, and someone they can count on to listen when they need to talk) [21]

Psychological health

• Score of <16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale [22]

• “Good” general life satisfaction (i.e., answered “mostly satisfied”, “pleased”, or “delighted” when asked “How do you feel about your life as a whole right now?”) [21]