Growing older but staying young and healthy

Much has been written in recent times about population decline and that more people are growing older, thereby increasing the average age of the population in most countries. We may be tempted to think that the planet is overpopulated and, therefore, population decline is a good thing. Actually, it is rather disturbing from an economic point of view.

The growth rate in the US has slowed to almost zero and is projected to remain very low. In fact, according to a Congressional Budget Office report, population growth from 2043 onwards will be purely from immigration. Another economic risk is the increasing age of the population. In the US, the number of people aged 65 and older has grown from 10% to almost 17% in the last 50 years.

And so, that brings us to the issue that we’re writing about here. An older population means more age-related issues. More people may start encountering challenges while going about their everyday life. The silver lining, though, is that there are a lot of things that we can implement that will ease the burden of these challenges.

General health and wellbeing

Some general preventative care and looking after yourself will go a long way to making you a much healthier and happier person as you are growing older. Most of the strategies we will be looking at are things we often take for granted and consequently neglect. 

·           Stay physically fit and active. Regular exercise helps to keep your body strong and reduces the risk of age-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. You should aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise three to four days of the week.

·           Eat a healthy diet. Looking after your nutrition requirements helps your body to function at its best. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats in your daily diet. A quick search on the internet will bring up hundreds of menu plans that make meal planning and shopping a lot easier.

·           Stay socially engaged. Maintaining strong social connections has been shown to reduce the risk of depression and cognitive decline. Spend time with family and friends, join a social club or group or volunteer in your community.

·           Manage stress. Chronic stress can harm your physical and mental health. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, deep breathing or regular exercise. Taking up a hobby like model building or jigsaw puzzles can also be an excellent stress reliever.

·           Get regular checkups. Regular visits to your healthcare provider can help catch and treat age-related conditions early. Be sure to get the recommended screenings for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and certain types of cancer.

·           Take medications as prescribed. If you have a chronic health condition, make sure to take your medications as directed by your healthcare provider. Skipping doses or taking medications incorrectly can worsen your condition or lead to complications.

·           Stay positive. Maintaining a positive attitude and living a happy life can delay the onset of age-related changes and help you cope with them better once they do happen. Try to focus on those things you can control and find ways to adapt to those that you can't.

Expect the unexpected

Beyond the age of fifty most people will start experiencing changes. Eyesight and hearing deterioration isn’t the exclusive preserve of the elderly but is far more common among them. Bone density may reduce and muscles become weaker and tire more easily. Cognitive decline may set in around this time and we become more prone to incontinence and a collection of other age-related conditions.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to plan you are preparing to fail”. Well, okay, that sounds a bit ominous. But the point is, if you plan things properly, you have a better chance of keeping things under control or avoiding unwanted outcomes as you are growing older. Let’s look at the key areas where some planning will stand you in good stead.

·           Finances. This is perhaps the most important aspect of planning. According to the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, more than 50 million Americans will be a caregiver at some point in their life. The majority will be caring for people in the older age groups.

 So, there’s a very good chance that every one of us will require care at some point. We also need to ensure that we have somewhere to live, whether in a private home or an assisted living type of facility. 

 All of this will cost you money and the bulk of these costs would need to be self-funded. The sooner you’re able to start investing in insurance coverage or real estate, the less of a financial burden it will be.

 Appointing a proxy or someone to handle your financial affairs and ongoing care is also something you should consider sooner rather than later. These things become infinitely more difficult once your mental faculties are on the decline. 

·           Chores and routines. Unless you’re living in a retirement community or assisted living facility, you will need to take care of daily tasks like buying groceries, paying bills and filling prescriptions for medications or elder care supplies. Much of this can be done online nowadays with delivery to your doorstep costing little or nothing.

For incontinence, reduced mobility and a range of other personal care and nutritional products, get in touch with LL Medico. With more than 25 years of experience in elder care products, the team at LL Medico will take all the stress out of managing the supplies you need.

Shipping is free in the continental US regardless of the order value and should reach you within 1 to 3 days. For added convenience and peace of mind, you can use their Autoship feature. This lets you schedule your orders for automatic delivery whenever you need them. Autoship is totally flexible and you can amend, suspend or restart orders whenever you want without any additional charge.

In closing

We have touched on only a few aspects of dealing with the onset of age-related conditions. However, we believe that you should have a much clearer idea now of what you can do to live a fuller and happier life as you grow older. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” With a little planning and timely self-care, you can have a lot of life left in your years.