Aging and Geriatric Issues

We think that growing old is something to be sad about. In years past, our society has led us to believe that growing old means you are doomed to a life of knitting and porch rocking with a cat in your lap. This is so far from the truth. Growing old is a privilege and inspiring. When you have raised your children and are enjoying life without the demands of parenthood, you find yourself in a place of learning and growing again. Successful aging is not always based on what you have accumulated in life. He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. – Ruth 4:15, ESV Common thoughts about getting older Throughout the years, misconceptions about aging have changed. There are still some that linger in the thought processes of most people. These thoughts have been around for decades based on the lack of information about aging. While the list is extensive, here are just a few of our most common ideas about aging as a society. As you age it is normal to feel depressed and lonely. The older you get the less sleep you need. After a certain age, you are unable to learn anything new. Older people do not need a social circle. Aging people cannot exercise due to the increased likelihood of injury. If you are old, you are poor. Older people shouldn’t be interested in intimacy. An aging person cannot contribute to society. Aging causes you to be set in your ways. The events of the world are no longer interesting to older people. Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. – [...]

Our culture is obsessed with getting older. More accurately, we are obsessed with not aging. We are laser-focused on looking younger longer. We deny wrinkles, fight back against loose skin, and refuse to let white hair show. Ageism rears its ugly head in movies, where the leading man is in his fifties and his love interest is twenty years younger. Skincare is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Tips and tricks to stay looking young are prolific on the internet. But the reality is we all age. Every year the clock ticks and our bodies change. We are in a fight against time that we will never win. No matter how many face creams we use, how much we put lotion on our legs, or how much hair dye we put on our heads, we keep getting older. Once we accept that getting older does happen, the next question becomes – what does it mean to age successfully? Successful aging will vary from person to person. It is important to start by asking: “Out of what I can control, what matters most to me?” Identify what matters most when getting older. For some, this will be relationally based. Successful aging means spending time with family and grandkids, meeting friends for lunch, and being active socially. For others, it will be skills based. You want to stay independent for as long as you can. You need to be able to drive, live alone, and maintain a standard of autonomy. Maybe it’s mental health that matters. If you fear dementia, then keeping your mind active will be how you define successful aging. Whatever the barometer, once it is defined the question becomes “What can you do today that will have the greatest impact tomorrow?” The keys to successfully getting older start with what we [...]

The saying, “Eighty is the new sixty,” may be true. More and more seniors live longer than before and enjoy their health and daily activities. Have these people found the secret to successful aging? What is successful aging? Successful aging is planning for the future by choosing better options now in all areas of your life. It is aging gracefully instead of giving in to “getting old.” As you age, you strive for peace in all areas of your life, including your health, family, spirituality, retirement, career, hobbies, finances, and other relationships. You try to make better decisions and consult with experts about making the transition smooth but exciting. How to age successfully (and gracefully). How do you age successfully? Stay active and emphasize your health, relationships, and spiritual life. If you have these bases covered, then everything else falls into place. Can you still get sick even if you eat well? Of course, but your outlook on life can change how you experience situations. It all starts with setting new goals and nurturing your relationships. Set new goals. It used to be that we would hear stories about people who seemed fine until they retired, and then their health rapidly declined. Why was that? How could someone’s mental and physical health be good, and then they would suddenly fall ill after retirement? Going to work and performing a job was a goal for these seniors. However, after retirement, they may have stopped setting goals and only went with the flow of the day. This is not to say that you shouldn’t enjoy the slower pace of retirement. It is to say that setting goals keeps your mind sharp and your body moving. For example, you could take up a couple of new hobbies. Maybe you decide to collect [...]

Successful aging in America requires planning and effort to gain or maintain a healthy lifestyle. It also means preparing for the future, financially and with end-of-life care. You will also want to ensure that you have made a will and instructions for what you want to be done after you pass. Aging in America is more than living beyond retirement age. It is a lifestyle of embracing a new season of life and enjoying what it brings you. But you need to prepare ahead of time as there are more older generations in the population than younger generations. Is aging in America an issue? Aging in America is quickly becoming an issue as the Baby Boomer generation ages and requires more care, such as healthcare, assisted living, nursing, and hospice. Closely following the Boomers is Generation X, those children born between 1965 and 1981. Generation X is entering a season of their lives that requires annual screenings and lifestyle changes to prepare for the next fifty years. These generations are also living longer than previous generations. The younger generations are choosing to have fewer children, delay having children, or deciding not to have any children at all. This means that by the time that generation is ready for retirement, the country may not have enough healthcare workers. This is another reason we must make plans and lifestyle changes before our health demands it. What we can do. There are several steps you can take to prepare for a new chapter in your life. Become financially aware. Do you know how you will fund your lifestyle after retirement? Will you rely solely on Social Security? Do you have a retirement plan, rental property, or investments? Now is the time to think about how you will live through your 60s, 70s, [...]