Common Health Issues

How To Age Well

• By Rich Health Editorial Team
• February 05, 2025

There is much truth to the joking remark that one way to live a long time is to choose the right ancestors. Statistical studies (1) show that a lot of the people who live to be 80 and above had either one parent or two grandparents who reached a ripe old age.

 

Many other reasons have been offered by aged people who felt they knew the secret of long life. Some, like Luigi Cornaro, a famous Venetian who lived for almost a hundred years, recommended leading a sober and unemotional life.

 

On the other hand, Titian was an intensely emotional man, and he lived until his late nineties. George Bernard Shaw, who lived to be 94, adhered to a vegetarian diet.

 

Despite all their contradictory secrets of longevity, most of these people hand one thing in common: an interest in life coupled with great enthusiasm.

 

This combination is at the head of the list. The remaining precepts are mostly common sense: Be especially careful to avoid accidents; see a doctor regularly so that minor illnesses do not become major; observe the general rules of good health and good hygiene

 

RULES FOR AGING WELL

 

EXERCISE

Vigor is desirable, but older people should always avoid strain and exhaustion. Regularity of exercise is the primary concern. One major benefit of regular exercise to the elderly is the maintenance of good digestion. The digestive process is closely connected with the circulatory system, so that moderate exercise that promotes good blood circulation benefits the entire gastrointestinal tract, as well as other organs of the body.

By the time an individual is 40, he should have established the custom of consulting his doctor before undertaking any new form of exercise. This procedure should continue.

 

An older person should always stop exercising as soon as he is tired—and long before he feels exhausted. He should try to be a philosopher, not a sprinter, when he is tempted to chase after a bus—or anything else.

 

REST AND SLEEP

In the later years, rest for half-hour after meals and at intervals during the day is a sound practice. Older people whose work does not permit them to lie down should take advantage of breaks or rest periods to relax completely, with their feet elevated when possible. But the older person should avoid inactivity.

 

If he happens to be ill and the doctor says he should get up, the patient should make every effort to do so. A prolonged stay in the bed can be harmful to the aging.

 

It is not true that older people require less sleep than younger ones. Research shows that most elderly persons who sleep eight hours or more have fewer complaints than those who sleep less. In fact, some problems of the aged may be caused by lack of sleep, resulting in tension, crankiness and nervous exhaustion. There is no need to suffer from sleeplessness, because consultation with a doctor can usually find a solution to the problem.

 

WEIGHT WATCHING

People tend to require less food as they grow older. If an individual puts on too much weight, he should talk it over with his doctor. Older people should diet only under a doctor’s supervision. If the person is overweight, the only thing safe for her to do on her own is to cut out sweets and starches between meals, and make certain she is eating a well-balanced meal.

Generally, it is better for the elderly to eat three meals a day of about the same size, rather than to have smaller breakfasts and lunches, with large dinners in the evening.

 

ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO

Those who drink in moderation generally do not have to stop in later years, provided they are healthy. In fact, there is some indication that light drinking can aid digestion and perk up the appetite. 

Tobacco, however, is apt to cause distress, such as dizziness and indigestion. It is best to avoid smoking at any age, and it is frequently forbidden by doctors when an older person has relatively minor illnesses such as a tendency toward bronchitis or high blood pressure

 

 

CLIMATE

Older people should be particularly careful not to exert themselves when the cold, or more important, the heat and humidity lower their vitality. For instance, shoveling snow is terribly taxing, and most people past middle age are not conditioned for that level of strain. If snow must be shoveled, it should be done in several installments; the elderly should never work to the point of fatigue.

 

An elderly person should carefully weigh the pros and cons before pulling up stakes to find a more moderate climate in which to settle. Some older people find it difficult to adjust to new surroundings. Their old friends and the sight of their own street are often better medicine than anything a warmer climate can offer. But if the individual still has a desire for new experiences, he should not hesitate to move.

 

PLANNING RETIREMENT

In order to retire successfully, one must have more than money in the bank. A healthy reserve of personal interests that make life worth living is vital. That is why many doctors urge young people to cultivate hobbies and recreational activities that they can continue in their later years.

Clubs of all kinds for elderly people are springing up throughout the world. The town hall, church, community center or library can provide information about those in the community.

 

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELDERLY

Difficult family situations often arise when older people must live under the same roof with their children. That is one reason it is usually best for the elderly to maintain their own homes as long as possible. Often a room in a light-housekeeping hotel or boarding house will prove satisfactory, if it is not possible for the older person to maintain a house or apartment because of the expense or the housework involved.

 

Apartment houses and entire communities are now organized to meet the special needs of the elderly. Older people should investigate these places, because many of them offer excellent facilities—physical, social and medical. Before agreeing to anything in writing, however, the individual should consult his doctor to be sure that he is in sufficiently good health to settle in a new apartment or community, and to ascertain that the medical facilities and staff are adequate for most needs. 

The advice of a lawyer should also be sought before signing away property or income, or assuming a heavy financial obligation.

 

When aging parents must live with their children, it is usually best not to separate them by putting the mother with one child and the father with another. It is not easy for elderly people to divide their time among their various children, although this is usually considered the only arrangement.

 

The difficulties can be minimized by establishing definite dates of residence. Having a room of their own awaiting them, with some of their cherished possessions in it, adds immeasurably to the older couple’s feeling of security and independence.

 

ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE AND USEFULNESS

Many of the emotional difficulties of old age will not occur, and the older person’s enthusiasm for life will be sustained if he or she remains independent, useful and interested.

 

Every effort should be made on the part of both generations living under one roof to achieve a degree of independence. Older men and women can be genuinely helpful in the household. They should be allowed and encouraged to do whatever they can.

Projects outside the home can help to foster a feeling of independence by the elderly and also help to prevent irritations caused by the generations spending too much time together. Attending church, participating in charitable affairs, and taking part in other outside activities such as visiting friends—if possible, on a regular basis—are stimulating breaks in what otherwise could be a monotonous routine.

 

Volunteer programs such as ‘telephone reassurance,’ and ‘friendly visiting,’ are important services older people can give to others of their own age. In the telephone programs, elderly people call others daily to check on their wellbeing and to talk.

 

Under visitation programs, regular visits with an older person are arranged solely for social reasons. Doctors, clergymen and social service workers can often find volunteer work for the older person to do. This is particularly important for those who have no family or friends whom they can help.

 

It is possible to provide a cheerful, stimulating atmosphere for both the elderly and their juniors if everyone regards older persons, not as problems, but simply as people.

 

REFERENCES

1. Longevity Relatives Count Score Identifies Heritable Longevity Carriers and Suggests Case Improvement in Genetic Studies by Niels van den Berg et al