Prosperous old age: from scientific theories to the fundamentals of its programming

In most countries, due to changes in the age structure of their population caused by the global process of demographic aging, discussions have been held for many decades about the essence of the aging process itself and the mechanisms of adaptation of society to the ongoing changes. The multidimensional nature and complexity of aging, in which biological, age-related, socio-cultural, economic and psychophysiological transformations are intertwined, are repeatedly emphasized. A universal understanding of aging cannot be developed, but each country needs its own aging concept in order to provide for a full-fledged and decent life of older adults. The aim of the study is to generalize conceptual approaches to understanding aging and systematize its factors; this will allow us to conceptualize prosperous old age as a basis for effective public policy in the field of aging. Theoretical basis of the study includes foreign and Russian works on demographic aging. We elaborate on the conceptual framework used in the research and on the relations between key categories; generalize relevant aging concepts and highlight a theoretical basis for our approach; systematize factors contributing to the process of successful aging; provide our own view of the term “prosperous old age” and the conceptual framework of governmental policy on its basis. Scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that we elaborate on the concept of prosperous old age and substantiate ways to formalize it in modern institutions and tools of social policy. The results obtained can provide a theoretical basis and contribute to the further development of Russian research on successful aging.