A Positive Mental Attitude
Mark Twain once said: “What ever a man’s age he can reduce it several years by putting a bright colour flower in his buttonhole.” 2 A lively, fresh outlook is essential for enjoyable living at any age. Most doctors believe there is a direct connection between one’s state of mind and physical health. This is especially true when you are faced with the challenges of retirement. Plato said: “He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.” 3
Experts in the field of old age have found that most older people can relieve transitory depression by a deliberate shift of thought or by physical activity. If you look upon retirement as an opportunity to take better care of yourself and to pursue old and new interests, you’ll go a longer way toward better health.
The Annual Check-up
For peach of mind and to maintain and improve your health, make it a habit to see your doctor at least one a year. To remind themselves, many people make an appointment on their birthday. An annual check-up is especially important in later years and should not be put off or neglected.
During a routine check-up, the doctor checks the condition of veins and arteries and looks at your knees and arches- which are of particular importance to older people. In addition, the doctor usually asks about personal habits- smoking, drinking, eating. He also wants to know about any unusual symptoms you may have. Be completely frank with your doctor, answer his questions as directly as possible, and give all information that might be helpful.
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask them. Have him explain the nature of your ailment, how long it may take for relief or cure, how the therapy or medication is expected to work, and the possible impact on you everyday activities.
DIET AND HEALTH
Just what are your food requirements as you grow older? Basically you need the same essential nutrients that you have always needed, except that you face special problems.
Basic Requirements
How can you get the essential nutrients every day? A good rule is first to eat recommended servings from the Basic Four Food Groups. Then, eat other foods that you like, as long as they do not go over the recommended daily caloric intake.
Eating Habits
If you find that mealtime is a chore rather than a pleasure, try these tips to enhance your meals:
- Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up to promote good digestion, weight control, and bowel movements
- Try a walk or light exercise to stimulate appetite
- Make meals interesting by including some food of distinctive flavour to contrast with a mild-flavoured food.
THE VALUE OF EXERCISE
As you grow older, exercise can help you look, feel, and work better. Various organs and systems of the body, particularly the digestive process, are stimulated through activity, and, as a result, work more effectively.
You can improve your posture through exercise that tones supporting muscles. This not only improves appearance but can decrease the frequency of lower-back pain and disability.
Also, physically active people are less likely to experience a heart attack or other forms of cardiovascular disease than sedentary people.
SKIN PROBLEMS
As a person grows older, his skin begins to wrinkle; oil and sweat glands slow down, causing the skin to become dry. Also, the skin may lack the elasticity and tone of normal skin, and this might cause changes in facial contours.
However, the skin, like other parts of the body, tends to age according to various factors. Among prime agers of the skin are exposure to the sun and weather; the sailor and chronic sunbather may have older-looking skin than their years. Also, heredity and racial factors influence skin age.
HEARING LOSS
About three out of ten persons over age 65 have some hearing loss; at age 70 to 80 this percentage increases greatly.
Causes
While some hearing loss can be blamed on bad listening habits, the two major causes are conduction loss and nerve defects. A person with conduction loss hears high pitched sounds best; a person with nerve impairment hears low sound best. A combination of the tow is called mixed deafness.
OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS
The following health problems might also confront an older person.
Heart Disease
The heart is the strongest, toughest muscle in the body. It is like an engine that could run 70 years or more without an overhaul. The heart has a complete maintenance and repair system, enabling many heart disease victims to continue long and useful lives.
While heart disease is not necessarily a product of aging, some heart and blood vessel problems become more acute as one grows older.
Strokes
Strokes are not hopeless; even severely paralysed patients may make remarkable progress. “A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain tissue is cut off and, as a result, the nerve cells in that part of the brain can’t function. When this happens, the part of the body controlled by these nerve cells can’t function either.” 4
Cancer
Cancer strikes at any age, but it does strike more frequently in the later years. Many factors are believed to contribute to cancer: frictional and chemical irritations like cigarette smoking, irritation of the skin and mouth, exposure to the sun, X rays, or radioactive elements. Early detection and prompt treatment are the best protection against cancer.
The Eyes
The eye does age. After age 40, failing vision is usually caused by natural hardening of the lens, making it difficult to see close objects. Other diseases that may develop in later years affect the blood vessels of the eye.
Diabetes
Most likely candidates for diabetes are overweight persons past 40, particularly those who have a hereditary history of diabetes, and especially older women.
The exact cause of diabetes is not known, but it is a functional disorder in which the body cannot handle certain foods- mainly sugars and starches.
NURSING HOMES
While Medicare pays most of the cost of 100 days in an extended-care facility, you must be referred after a 3-day hospital stay. There is a confusion in the terms. “Nursing home” can mean almost any type of facility that provides some sort of health or custodial care short of that offered by a regular hospital. Thus, convalescent homes, homes for the aged, rest homes, geriatric hospitals, senior care homes all may be loosely classified as nursing homes.
Choosing a Home
Thus, picking the right home for the patient is not easy. The first step would be to have your physician recommend a place suited to the patient’s condition. The next step would be to visit the home, if possible. Try to find out as much as you can about the qualifications, staff, and services they offer.
Therefore, the ageing process still remains one of the great mysteries of medical science. Despite the negative aspects associated with getting older, it is a stage of life that should be welcomed and enjoyed. During this transitory stage, in order to overcome obstacles you may come across you must accept them with an open-mind and a positive attitude. After all, you are only as old as you think and feel.
