For Zhenmei Zhang, Ph.D., aging is about much more than what happens after someone turns 65.
The Michigan State University professor studies how family relationships, social connections and health across the life course can influence how people experience aging, including their risk of dementia later in life.
“I think one of the misconceptions is that aging happens when you are old,” Zhang said. “But actually, it’s a lifelong process.”
Zhang, a professor in MSU’s Department of Sociology, researches family, aging and health. Her work examines how relationships with parents, friends, partners and communities can influence health and cognitive outcomes later in life.
Her interest in aging began during graduate school, when her parents were experiencing chronic illnesses. A mentor also introduced her to aging research, encouraging her to explore a field she said offered many opportunities to help older adults.
The Power of Relationships
A major focus of Zhang’s research is how relationships affect health as people age.
Marriage, friendships, family members and community connections can provide emotional support and practical resources. Zhang’s research also examines how social relationships throughout life may influence the risk of dementia.
“Maintain strong social relationships throughout life, and those things like social factors can reduce the risk of having dementia and other chronic illnesses in life,” Zhang said.
For Zhang, those relationships are important long before someone reaches older adulthood.
What Does Healthy Aging Look Like?
Zhang said healthy aging does not mean being free of health problems. Instead, it means being able to manage those challenges while remaining independent, active and connected.
“You can still basically maintain your physical strength, have a clear mind, and have good emotional well-being,” she said.
Even with chronic conditions, Zhang said older adults can continue to live fulfilling lives when their health is properly managed.
Inequality and Isolation
While everyone ages, Zhang said people experience aging differently.
Education, income and where someone lives can influence health and well-being in later life. She also pointed to changing family structures as an important concern.
Families are becoming smaller, and adult children may live farther away from their parents. As a result, some older adults may have fewer family members nearby for support.
Zhang believes communities can help address these challenges by creating more opportunities for older adults to remain involved.
Volunteering, senior centers, libraries, transportation services and opportunities to learn new technology can help older adults stay connected and independent.
“Society is changing so fast in terms of technology, AI,” Zhang said. “We can actually help older adults learn those new skills.”
Challenging Stereotypes
Zhang also wants people to reconsider assumptions that older adults are weak, dependent or no longer contribute to society.
Many older adults volunteer, support their families, help raise grandchildren and contribute to their communities.
“There’s a lot of evidence they still contribute a lot,” Zhang said.
She believes supporting older adults should be viewed as a shared responsibility.
“For older adults to have a good life, it really needs the support of society,” Zhang said.
That support can begin long before someone reaches old age. Zhang encourages her students to recognize that education, healthy habits and strong social relationships throughout life can influence health decades later.
Protecting Older Adults From Financial Abuse
Zhang’s work also addresses financial abuse and fraud among older adults, particularly those experiencing cognitive impairment.
She has collaborated with colleagues in MSU’s School of Social Work on efforts to help caregivers recognize and prevent financial exploitation. The work has included training caregivers in rural communities on strategies for protecting loved ones’ finances.
Zhang notes there are people out there with ill intentions seeking to take advantage of older adults.
“They target older adults, and they want to get money out of them,” she said.
Zhang encourages families to discuss financial planning and protection before a crisis occurs, particularly when an older adult begins experiencing cognitive changes.
Ultimately, Zhang’s research emphasizes that aging is shaped by much more than biology. Family, relationships, education, communities and public policy can all influence how people experience later life.
“Aging is a lifelong process,” Zhang said, and preparing for it is something individuals and communities can begin doing at every stage of life.
AgeAlive serves as Michigan State Universities designated age-friendly university hub, connecting research, education, intergenerational programming and community engagement, supporting wellbeing across the aging spectrum.