How to take care of yourself in old age

How have we used our time... and how are we going to use it further? How we look and think in the context of this “profit and loss balance” strongly influences our perception, well-being and overall functioning. This has implications for both the biological, social and psychological spheres of man.

What does old age entail?

The developmental period called old age, or late adulthood, means facing new challenges. Here, of course, one can find further development and life wisdom, connected both with baggage and wealth of experience, as well as individual perception of the current reality.

Aging is an irreversible, inevitable and long-lasting physiological process. It increases with the passing of the years, and the symptoms that accompany it become more and more pronounced. The consequences of late adulthood are, among others, a deterioration in mental and somatic state, as well as a decrease in motor performance. We may observe a reduced rate of task performance, processing of new information, concentration and divisibility of attention, memory processes, and problem-solving abilities. Adapting to these changes and accepting them is a time-consuming process and does not happen overnight.

The way you experience many difficult situations during this period depends on many different elements. It is influenced by both personality factors, the way of dealing with stress, support from loved ones, the ability to use one's own resources in more difficult moments, and, of course, the state of health.

Diseases of the period of late adulthood

Somatic diseases that most often affect the elderly are, first of all:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system,
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system,
• overweight or obesity,
• diseases associated with the endocrine system.

Equally common are disorders associated with sleep, concentration of attention and memory. The aging process can lead to the development or increase of complaints related precisely to mental health. A common disease is depression, where we can also observe problems with concentration of attention and memory disorders. A structure in the brain called the hippocampus examined by computed tomography is diminished. It is responsible for remembering, learning and feeling emotions.

Scientists are finding increasing evidence of links between the functioning of the hippocampus and various medical conditions, such as depression, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. Dementia disorders, to which we include the latter, or temporal-frontal dementia, are closely related to the aging processes of the body. In addition to symptoms related to memory, we can also observe changes in behavior, apathy, irritability, emotional instability and speech disorders.

Another condition is anxiety disorders, which often co-occur with depression. They manifest themselves in difficulty sleeping, as well as an accelerated heartbeat, digestive problems, headaches and back pain or increased muscle tension. Equally common in late adulthood are disorders of consciousness, in the form of difficulties in recognizing the environment.

What improves the quality of life of older people?

Old age is a period when many changes occur in the human body. There is a decrease in the quality of physical and mental health. Unfortunately, many diseases or mental disorders can significantly affect the health and well-being of an elderly person, and thus significantly reduce the level of their functioning. However, physical as well as mental and social activity can improve the quality of life.

The World Health Organization reports that seniors who care about their condition and relationships are significantly less likely to experience discomfort associated with health changes. Such people get sick less often, experience fewer ailments associated with their physical and mental state.

It is very important to pay attention to any changes in behavior and those associated with a decrease in mood. The sooner and more decisively we respond to them, going to the appropriate specialists for support if necessary, the more we will be able to remove the symptoms of the disorder or at least slow down its course.

So let's take care of ourselves and our close seniors so that mindfulness and a healthy dose of movement are never lacking in our lives.