Introduction
How do we define “successful aging”?  It surely can mean different things to different people.  Many equate good physical health — the avoidance of disease and disability — with successful aging.  Does that mean that those with physical limitations are destined to see only declines in their later years?  Defining success as “maximizing one's potential” — limitation or not — allows us to be more inclusive (Baltes and Carstensen, 1996, Baltes and Baltes, 1980, 1990; Neugarten, 1996).  In 2002 the National Center on Women and Aging (NCWA) surveyed 1,001 women across the country to gain a better understanding of their experiences, opinions and attitudes and to provide benchmark data that will enable future research and analysis of changes and trends among this important population.  In this issue brief we examine the poll responses of the subsample of midlife and older women who reported having a health condition which limits their daily activities.  We explore their attitudes about aging and social and economic factors which may also relate to their views.

Contents:
Youth Does Not Guarantee Wellness, Coping with Limitations
Does Physical Limitation = Financial Limitation?, Maximizing Talents
Sources

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Other titles in the series...
Women 80+
Women of Color
Work Status:  Staying Employed, Finding a Job
Savers & Non-Savers:  Different Expectations, Different Destinies
Marital Status:  Does Marriage Make Women's Later Years Brighter?