Making The Most Of Old Age In Dallas TX!
Article by Ruby Bhayani
Making The Most Of Old Age In Dallas TX!
A Guide For Making The Most Of Old Age!
Exercise, both physical and mental, has beneficial effects on people as they grow older.
Adopting healthful habits can significantly alter the course of aging, even if you don’t start until you are middle-aged or older, growing research suggests.As more people live into their 80s, 90s and beyond, researchers are increasingly asking what it takes not just to survive but also to thrive in later years. Here is Consumer Reports’ guide to successful aging.
Exercise your brain.
Your brain needs a workout just as much as your arms and legs. Education and an active work life when you are younger can help ward off dementia later, perhaps by building a cognitive reserve so that small losses in function are not as noticeable. It may be equally important to stay mentally engaged after retirement. A study of about 500 men and women 75 and older published in the journal Neurology in 2009 found that they could delay cognitive decline by participating in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, writing and doing puzzles.
Strong social ties can also help.
Harvard researchers followed 16,638 adults 50 and older for six years. Those who volunteered the most and had lots of connections to family and friends were least likely to show declines in memory tests.
Keep eyes and ears sharp.
Vision and hearing tests by specialists should be a regular part of your anti-aging plan. Sight-threatening diseases that are more common with age, including cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, can be controlled or halted if caught early. Hearing loss, the third most common chronic condition in older Americans, can contribute to cognitive decline, depression and social isolation, and can even signal an increased risk of other health problems such as Type 2 diabetes or stroke.
To reduce your risk of eye disease, avoid tobacco smoke, wear sunglasses, maintain a healthy weight and control high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. To reduce the risk of hearing loss, consider using earplugs in situations noisy enough that you have to raise your voice to be heard.
Stay young at heart.
Undiagnosed vascular disease — clogged arteries in the heart, brain or legs — may lead to disability not only by triggering heart attacks and strokes but also by causing frailty, weakness and unplanned weight loss, according to findings from the Cardiovascular Health Study, which was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and involved about 4,700 people 65 and older. So work with your doctor to keep blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels under control even as you get into your 70s
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Visit us at www.seniorcarecompanion.com or www.seniorcaredallas.net for more assistance with your aging loved ones.
About the Author
Rubyna Bhayani, Registered Nurse, Certified Case Manager with extensive clinical experience in the fields of Geriatric Case Management, Long Term Disability Management and Home Health Services. Proud owner and manager of Senior Care Companion.