I am 69 years old and the baby of six kids. Two of my sisters have already passed away (God Bless them both!), while the other three siblings and me, are holding our own.
However, with each day's passing our final breath draws ever nearer. My siblings and I call each other, sharing our issues of the day; back problems, migraines, cancer, and an array of other unpleasant issues that are having their way with us.
Talking with the elderly can be difficult due to physical problems like hearing or seeing. Technology is foreign to many seniors and they have a hard time understanding it.
These things add up to:
Misunderstood conversations
Because of the lack of technical skills, they may fear they they trying to learn and use new technology.
All people should try to spend more quality time with older adults. Try to help them to understand the new technologies. Seniors are more apt to be emotionally and mentally healthy when they feel connected and supported.
We, old folks, can use all the help we can get when it comes to making things a little easier for us, helping us stay in communication with our kids, and grandkids, and helping us find new friends.
2. Staying Active!
After retiring from being a professional dancer my entire adult life, I soon learned the importance of staying active. My bones began to ache from the inside out. My back and knees from pounding the boards for almost 50 years, are suffering from over and misuse.
As we age, we often begin to slow down due to aches and pains relating to our joints. Arthritis is one of the things that seems to attack everyone sooner or later. Between the hands, back, and feet we begin to stiffen. Exercise if possible is a must in staying fit as we age.
I was a ballroom dance instructor, competitor, and performer for 45+ years. When I began teaching I was only 22 and most of the students I taught were senior ladies.
These wonderful senior ladies were all like my grandma. I loved dancing with them because they were funny and thought I was a real cutie. HaHa!
They always told me how dancing kept them walking and alive. I thought they were exaggerating a tad but now that I am a senior I know exactly what they meant.
We can help older adults be more active by creating safe and accessible environments for them to exercise in, such as social dancing. Other activities may be outdoor parks and trails or indoor facilities such as gyms, swimming pools, and community centers.
3. Financial Concerns
This is a biggy!
Finances for an aging adult, or should I say, the lack of finances can be the worst nightmare in a senior's life. It doesn't matter why a person is forced to retire with only a Social Security check to support them, the point remains, living on a fixed income doesn't fix a thing!
Then as we age, older folk often live with decreased cognitive abilities and may struggle to understand complex financial concepts such as:
Taxes
Investments
Insurance
All of which can lead to a higher risk of economic insecurity and making sound financial decisions. On top of all that scams, fraud, and exploitation of the elderly are constantly increasing.
Graying with Grace helps elders address financial security by providing them with access to pro-bono legal services. They have access to legal aid, financial advisors, and counselors who help seniors understand their financial situation and come up with solutions.
4. Living a Comfortable and Fulfilled Life
When I was talking to my older sister the other day, she said the only thing she doesn't want to happen as she ages is to outlive her usefulness or her money.
I laughed - but it is true.
Living a comfortable and fulfilled life can be challenging for some older adults. The elderly may have physical and or mental issues they are dealing with. Then if their driving privileges are taken from them and are left immobile, feeling disconnected from the rest of the world is fairly easy to imagine.
Now, add to the mix that there are fewer financial resources - less access to goods and services - all of sudden the "On Golden Pond" paradigm of living a fulfilled and comfortable life becomes far more difficult.
Always stressing over how to pay your bills is an awful way to wake up each morning. Especially if you are alone and helpless. This is one of the contributing factors related to the rise of senior suicides.
5. Living with Chronic Health Conditions
Here is a topic I have to address every day. Because I was a professional dancer my entire adult life my back and knees are a mess. The other issue I deal with is one from my childhood, a chronic malady that has followed me into my twilight years - Epilepsy!
Seniors from all walks of life suffer from chronic pain and diseases. Living with these types of health conditions often makes managing healthcare complex because it can lead to a lack of energy and physical strength.
The lack of transportation to medical appointments
Difficulty understanding the causes and treatments of medical issues
Navigating our bloated healthcare system
The inabilityto pay for necessary medical care
These are all factors the elderly must contend with trying to stay alive. Sometimes the elderly do not have essential health care available, or it is cost-prohibited, or just an unknown option due to the inability to research their conditions.
Maybe you are without a car, are tired of burdening friends and family for rides, and wish life would just get a little easier instead of a lot harder. This is what healthcare can be like for the elderly.
Therefore, helping seniors by providing a ride to medical appointments and services can be a simple but great service.
If you know someone who is elderly like a grandparent, friend, or co-worker make sure they are aware of their health insurance options. For example, Medicare or Medicaid can often help pay for many medical expenses.
Help the elderly research their treatment options then discuss those options with them. This allows them to feel empowered and educated when talking with their medical team. If they want, go to the appointments with them and help them with these critical discussions.
It is a lot scarier being old than you youngens may think!
7. Access to Nutritious Food
Fresh ingredients make for a healthy meal. Unfortunately, many seniors do not have access to fresh food for one reason or another.
They may not have a way to get to a store or the money to stock their refrigerators with good wholesome food. Many seniors have a harder time prepping and preparing a good nutritional meal. That usually takes a lot of time and energy.
So a quick and easy but very unhealthy microwave dinner is usually on the limited menu.
Many seniors are food insecure and barely eat once a day. Some elderly people are unaware of local food banks, state and federal nutritional programs i.e., Snap or WIC, nor where to find help.
Being hungry is a hard way to go through life especially when you are old. It can be a huge challenge for seniors, for all the obvious reasons.
8. Safety and Security
Being safe and secure are major concerns for older adults. The ugly truth is that seniors are more likely to be victims of crime or exploitation.
The older you may have certain physical or mental impairments - reduced access to law enforcement or emergency services - an inability to protect yourself from physical harm due to age-related limitations.
Many elderly people are more vulnerable or at risk of:
Psychological or Emotional Abuse
Neglect - due to social isolation and feeling disconnected from family or friends.
Being taken advantage of financially due to limited income, age discrimination, being too trusting of others, or being unaware of scams.
One way to combat this problem is by educating seniors on basic safety precautions, such as who to call and having a list at the ready.
Home safety resources, i.e., safety checklist and safety tips - this can help them to see how safe their home is and make any necessary changes.
9. Social Connection and Engagement
There are a few reasons that cause an elderly person to feel isolated from everyone else. Generational gaps can be one cause - a death in the family or a friend can prevent a person from socializing as much as they did.
Lack of mobility can prevent older people from going to events they enjoy. Visiting with friends, sharing life's experiences, and making new friends. This is super important in living a healthy life.
Without socializing with others, being alive can feel lonely, depressing, and without purpose. - (Outliving one's usefulness!)
A social dance party at a school in Rhode Island.Photo byDancing Feeling
In closing
I was a ballroom dance instructor for 45 years. When I began teaching, I was only 22 years old and most of my students were in their 60s and up. Over the many years of being a dancer, I have found that keeping active and always learning new things does help me keep walking and feeling young - just as my students said so many years earlier.
There are no generational gaps at these parties, everyone is having fun, laughing, talking with each other, sharing stories about their learning, and moving to the music. This is one of the best ways to exercise your mind, body, and soul.
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