We have been studying successful aging since 1996 and view it as a dynamic, individually-defined process. As such, we have repeatedly asked our cohort of aging veterans to provide hand-written narratives in response to the question, "What is YOUR definition of successful aging?"

Our publication entitled "Older Men's Lay Definitions of Successful Aging over Time: The Manitoba Follow-up Study" (Tate, Swift, & Bayomi; International Journal of Aging and Human Development 2013; 76(4):297-322) gives a detailed description of the manual that was developed to identify and code the themes that evolved from the narratives.

For access to the coding manual and accompanying rule book, please inquire at mfus@umanitoba.ca