Worrying about a frightening old age.

This study investigates the worries of persons regarding their future old age. Worry is looked at in relation to the respondents' sense of coherence in order to evaluate the relationship between a person's ability to cope and to find meaning in life and their image of future old age. The impact of worry over being the victim of elder abuse is compared to other reasons for worry. Results indicate that for the most part, the elderly are not overwhelmed with worries and manage their lives, coping adequately with the problems of day-to-day living. Findings show that middle-aged people indicate the highest worry scores. The findings further show that the post-retirement group has the highest scores on sense of coherence.