As people grow old, their immune system, bones, mental and overall health become more susceptible to infections and illnesses. Age-related disorders vary from mild to severe, so you should be aware of all the possible health conditions your loved ones may end up with, so you can recognize the symptoms in time, and take care of their needs right away. From arthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, and hearing impairment to cognitive and mental health issues, there’s a vast number of conditions that can prevent your elderly loved ones from growing old in peace.
Sensory impairments
Vision and hearing impairment is very common among elderly people, so you should not be surprised when your parents or grandparents start to ask you to repeat something, or they suddenly need the TV to be on a higher volume. One in six older adults deal with visual impairments, and some of the eye diseases include diabetic retinopathy, cataract, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. To reduce the rate of vision loss, you could try to offer your parents or grandparents food with high antioxidant content. Hearing loss increases with age and can lead to depression if it starts to affect a person’s way of life.
Osteoporosis
Almost 44 million of adults aged 50 or older suffer from osteoporosis and low bone mass. Considering osteoporosis isn’t a part of normal aging, it can be prevented or minimized with healthy behaviour and treatment. Women are at a higher risk of suffering from osteoporosis, because a decrease in calcium is one of the biggest causes of this disease, and since developing a baby takes a whole lot of calcium, women are more susceptible to osteoporosis. Try to take between 1000 and 1200 milligrams of calcium a day to prevent osteoporosis.
Cardiovascular disease
According to statistics, more than one-third of men and women between the ages of 45 and 54 are affected by cardiovascular disease. From congenital heart disease, through stroke, orthostatic hypertension, and heart failure to arrhythmia, arteriosclerosis, and coronary heart disease, elderly people can suffer from some of these serious diseases unless they embrace a healthy lifestyle early on. Stop smoking, eat healthy, stay physically active, cut down on alcohol and you will lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dementia
Once a person’s ability to think, learn, and remember decreases, it means their cognitive health is jeopardized. Dementia is the most common cognitive health issue the elderly struggle with. According to statistics, almost 47.5 million people worldwide have dementia and the prognoses are not good for the future either, since the experts claim the number will nearly triple by 2050. Smoking, HIV, depression, hypertension, diabetes, and substance abuse are some of the diseases that contribute to developing dementia. Some of the side effects of dementia are memory loss, a change in personality, lack of interest in life, and inability to care for oneself and other people. Once your loved one is diagnosed with the disease, it’s best if you looked for specialized residential aged care facilities like NewDirection Care where they will be well taken care of and have the chance to socialize, stay active, and lead a normal life in spite of their condition. People with dementia may forget to eat, bathe, go to the bathroom and perform other everyday activities, which is why some of the residential communities will be a perfect home for them.
Arthritis
Almost half of the elderly population is affected by arthritis. Namely, if you’ve spent years wearing high-heels, or you played high school football, the side effects will catch up with you in your golden years. That old No pain, no gain saying is definitely not true when it comes to preventing arthritis, because steady regular exercise is the key to preventing arthritis. Don’t push yourself too hard to do weekend spurts, but avoid straining yourself until you feel pain. Once it starts to hurt, you’ll know you’ve overdone it and it’s time to take it slow. To maintain good joint health, manage your weight because it’ll help you reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.
Mental health
Multitasking, stress and anxiety are just some of the reasons why our mental health weakens with age. Once you start putting your brain into overdrive by doing several activities at the same time, you’ll start experiencing memory loss and other mental issues. Regular exercise, blood pressure control, and keeping diabetes under control will help you keep your brain in function and delay the memory loss for ages. Staying mentally active will also help fight off any mental issues, so feel free to engage in stimulating conversations, join a book club, do crossword puzzles and other activities that will help you train your brain. Depression is also one of the major mental health issues elderly people struggle with, since growing old concerns major life-changing issues. Retirement, kids moving away from home or loss of a loved one are just some of the triggers for depression. Therefore, it’s good if you prepare yourself mentally for retirement, and think about all the things you never had the chance to do because of your work. Just because you’re not working anymore, it doesn’t mean your days won’t be fulfilled with a myriad of exciting activities.
Health issues become more severe with age, and our bodies are more susceptible to various diseases, which is why you should be more attentive to your health while you’re in your 30s and 40s. Better safe than sorry, so make sure you live a healthy life to prevent or slow down the progression of various troublesome diseases.