[Fragility and experiencing limits as a chance for development in old age--the meaning of the particular experiences of the aging body for identification and development as focused on the very old].

The main focus of this article is the meaning of particular experiences of the aging body for identity and development with respect to very old age. This experience of embodiment results from a dynamic development between unpleasant experiences of physical aging, positive bodily experiences of the pleasure of living, and reflections on this direct engagement with the aging body. The interaction of those three dimensions requires a constant rebalancing, which, in view of the frail body, becomes increasingly demanding. Beyond one's own experiences with aging through direct engagement with the body, established social relationships give room for an individual's physical nature and support the maintenance of identity and development. People who look after and care for old aged people have to recognize their own embodiment and have to acknowledge their aging body. This applies not only to contact with old aged people, but also requests that the potential for developing one's own identity be recognised. The inclusion of the body in the discourse on the aging process demands a mindset change in social gerontology and for the individual it means to submit oneself to the ethics of embodied existence.