In the final part of our four-part Aging in America series, we look beyond the challenges of an aging population and ask a different question: what if living longer is not simply a problem to solve, but an opportunity to rethink what later life can be?

We spend a lot of time worrying about America’s aging population.

Healthcare will cost more.

Social Security will face pressure.

Families will need caregivers.

We’ll need more accessible housing.

All of that deserves attention.

But there’s another question worth asking:

What if we’re looking at aging the wrong way?

Living longer is one of humanity’s great accomplishments.

Perhaps the challenge isn’t that people are living too long.

Perhaps our institutions haven’t caught up with the fact that they are.

Seventy Isn’t What It Used to Be

Age tells us something about a person.

It doesn’t tell us everything.

Two 75-year-olds can have completely different physical health, financial circumstances, cognitive abilities and lifestyles.

One might need daily assistance.

Another might be running a company.

One may be struggling with dementia.

Another may be training for a long bicycle ride.

Yet society often puts both people into the same category: old.

As lifespans increase, those categories may become less useful.

Imagine Another Stage of Life

We’ve traditionally divided adulthood into working years and retirement.

Maybe longevity gives us room for something in between.

Imagine someone leaving a demanding full-time career at 65 but not leaving productive life.

She works three days a week.

Mentors younger employees.

Volunteers.

Travels.

Takes classes.

Helps care for grandchildren.

Starts a small business.

At 70, she isn’t living the life she had at 45.

But she isn’t withdrawing from society either.

That could become a much more common version of later life.

Our Cities Will Have to Change

An aging-friendly community turns out to be pretty friendly for everyone else, too.

Consider a sidewalk without cracks.

A bench where someone can rest.

A pedestrian crossing that gives people enough time.

A grocery store within walking distance.

Reliable public transportation.

A home without unnecessary stairs.

Clear signs.

Good lighting.

Those things help an 82-year-old.

They also help a parent pushing a stroller, someone recovering from surgery and a person with a disability.

Designing communities for older people may simply mean designing better communities.

Technology Has an Enormous Role

Technology could dramatically increase independence in later life.

Remote medical visits can reduce difficult trips to doctors.

Sensors can detect falls.

Wearable devices can monitor health.

Voice interfaces can make computing easier for people who struggle with screens.

Robotics may eventually help with household tasks and mobility.

Artificial intelligence could assist with reminders, transportation, communication and navigating complicated healthcare systems.

But there’s a catch.

Technology for older adults can’t merely be powerful.

It has to be simple, trustworthy and accessible.

A brilliant device that someone can’t figure out isn’t much help.

Businesses Should Be Paying Attention

An aging America isn’t simply a public-policy challenge.

It is also a market.

Millions of older Americans need financial services, healthcare, travel, entertainment, transportation, home renovations, fitness programs, technology and assistance maintaining independence.

Businesses that understand this population without patronizing it could find enormous opportunities.

The winning products may not be products labeled “for old people.”

They may simply be products that are easier, safer and more useful.

We May Need a New Definition of Success

For decades, longevity has often been measured by one number:

How long did you live?

Maybe that’s no longer enough.

A better question might be:

How long were you healthy?

How long were you independent?

Did you have people around you?

Did you have purpose?

Could you afford your life?

Could you participate in your community?

Those questions lead us somewhere very different.

They shift the conversation from merely extending life to improving the years we’ve added.

The Future Is Older

America’s aging population is coming whether we’re prepared for it or not.

We can view that primarily as a burden: more healthcare expenses, more retirees and more people requiring assistance.

Or we can recognize the challenge while seeing the opportunity.

We have something previous generations spent centuries trying to achieve.

More years of life.

Now comes the harder part.

We have to decide what to do with them.

This concludes Our Aging Population, our four-part look at longevity, retirement, caregiving and the changing meaning of growing older in America.