Age: Is it no more than a number?

Is a person's age more than just an number? Yes and no. Today the news made note that Nancy Reagan is celebrating her 90th birthday. Last week, at the conference we attended, a friend was serenaded in the hospitality suite to mark her 90th birthday. Betty White is spry and active at 89 and Ernest Borgnine is past 90 and still working. There are people well into their 8th and 9th decades celebrated for their level of activity on a regular basis. The thing to keep in mind is that they are celebrated because they are outside of the norm. Most of us are not physically active and in good health past 75 or 80. It is advantageous of us to begin to help gradually as our loved ones age.
We need to acknowledge that our loved ones are probably slowing down as they age. Bone strength can be promoted by weight bearing exercise but bone loss will eventually catch up with all of us as we age. Women represent a greater percent of those who experience osteoporosis because of two factors. Women have less bone mass at the peak of skeletal strength and we live longer into the ages that result in bone loss. Men will also experience bone loss as they age but they start with more. Other effects of increasing age include a loss of muscle mass and strength, diminished collagen under the skin which results in wrinkles, and diminished sensory sensitivity.
A diminished sense of taste and smell makes food less appealing and appetites often decrease. This will result in weight loss and poor nutrition if we don't find ways to help our aging relatives find ways to enjoy food with more intense flavors as well as good nutritional content.
Keeping active physically will improve bone mass and muscle strength. It will be helpful to promote exercise if we attend classes or the gym at the same time. If you ask them to come to support you in your efforts to be more fit they may see it as a means to help you even if it is really the other way round. Of course, it never hurts to be more active ourselves.

Fall Risks for the Aging

As we age, our ability to maintain a sense of balance may begin to deteriorate. As a result of aging or disease the risk of falling increases. We are also more at risk of injury when we fall. These injuries can be as simple as bruising to as complex as serious fractures.  Taking the time for a bit of planning can go a long way to limit the risk of falls and the damage when we do fall.

The surface of the floor is an important factor in the prevention of falls. Loose throw rugs, thick pile carpets and uneven floor boards all contribute to instability when walking. When this is combined with a poor sense of balance, reduced speed of reflexes and the use of a cane or walker, the risk of a fall climbs dramatically. As we age our bones become more brittle and the risk of a break rises as well.

In order to reduce the risk, remove or anchor throw rugs, replace the thick plush pile carpet with a lower pile (when you are redecorating in your 50’s) and fix any uneven floor boards or replace the flooring (again when you redecorate). Keeping this in mind when you are completing routine maintenance on the house removes the risk before it becomes a problem.

Exercise to maintain flexibility and limit bone loss will limit injury when and if you fall. Keeping a good tip on a cane or changing to a quad point cane or being sure that a walker is in good condition will also go a long way to preventing a fall.

Day to Day

As we age, it is important to keep as active as possible. The more we move around, the better we are. It can become a challenge to get to the gym or the pool and our aging relatives will be well served if we can find a way to promote physical activity.

We need to keep in mind the usual level of activity and be sure that we don’t push our relative or friend to exceed their own capacity for exercise. If you have never been a runner but want to enter the New York Marathon, take the time to find a trainer. If you have always been a runner but have never run a marathon it would still be a good idea to work with a trainer. Remember that some activity is better than no activity and take it slowly if you want to ramp it up.

Sometimes you only need a little help to stay involved in an activity that has always been of interest, sometimes you need to abandon an activity and substitute something else. Also, sometimes you need to explore alternative methods of continuing to be involved in activity when your status changes due to a change in medical status.