Tips for Aging Well

Recently, the American Geriatrics Society released a tip sheet designed to offer guidance for seniors about how to age with health.  The list was released in order to help aging adults with information regarding what makes a difference when it comes to getting old healthily.

Not only is the tip sheet designed to ensure that seniors live longer, but it was written up in order to ensure a more vibrant and fulfilled life in the older years.  It is also a useful resource for the loved ones of older adults and particularly for those caring for their aging parents and relatives.

A healthy lifestyle has become an ever more important means to combat age related diseases and chronic illness.  Increasingly, health authorities are advising aging adults to stay active and keep up with a healthy diet. 

The Tip sheet includes a variety of well known tips such as the importance of eating well.  According to the Geriatrics’ Society, diets should consist of colourful foods that are nutrient rich such as a variety of fruits and vegetables.  The Society also suggested that seniors stay physically fit by engaging in regular low impact exercise.

Mental fitness was also addressed by the Society, suggesting that aging adults would do well to continue to stay engaged mentally by sharpening their minds with games and other mentally challenging activities. 

Keeping in touch and staying open with medical practitioners is also one of the most important things to maintaining good health according to the list.  A patient should discuss keeping up with all of the latest vaccines with their health care practitioner.  Doctors and patients should also go over all medications currently being prescribed to ensure that no side effects or counter-indications are found. 

Beyond reviewing medications, the list also suggests that being able to discuss one’s feelings with one’s doctor is essential to maintaining good health.  According to the Society, patients need to feel comfortable telling their doctors if they are feeling any emotional or mental symptoms as well as any physical aches and pains they may encounter.  Being able to openly discuss things such as sadness, sexual dissatisfaction and anxiety are important steps in being able to remedy them.

While none of the recommendations are all that shocking they do again enforce the importance of taking care of our health even as we age.  If you are the caretaker of an aging adult you too can get involved by going over these issues with your loved one.  Aging well takes some doing, but the results are well worth the effort.