Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
January 1, 2006
On this first day of 2006 I am taking my own
advice...and a day off. The little quiz below is my stand-in
for this issue. We'll get back to normal on the 15th,
I promise.
True or false? Answers below.
1. Everyone becomes "senile" sooner or later, if he or
she
lives long enough.
2. American families have by and large abandoned their
older
members.
3. Depression is a serious problem for older people.
4. The numbers of older people are growing.
5. The vast majority of older people are
self-sufficient.
6. Mental confusion is an inevitable, incurable
consequence
of old age.
7. Intelligence declines with age.
8. Sexual urges and activity normally cease around age
55-60.
9. If a person has been smoking for 30 or 40 years, it
does no
good to quit.
10. Older people should stop exercising and rest.
11. As you grow older, you need more vitamins and minerals
to stay healthy.
12. Only children need to be concerned about calcium for
strong bones and teeth.
13. Extremes of heat and cold can be particularly dangerous
to old people.
14. Many older people are hurt in accidents that could have
been prevented.
15. More men than women survive to old age.
16. Death from stroke and heart disease are declining.
17. Older people on the average take more medications than
younger people.
18. Snake oil salesmen are as common today as they were on
the frontier.
19. Personality changes with age, just like hair color and
skin
texture.
20. Sight declines with age.
1. False Even among those who live to be 80 or older,
only 20 to 25 percent develop Alzheimer's disease or some
other incurable form of brain disease. "Senility" is a
meaningless term, which should be discarded.
| If you want to test your memory, try
to recall what you were worrying about one year ago
today.
|
2. False The American family is still
the number one caretaker of older Americans. Older people
live close to their children and see them often; many live
with their spouses. In all, 8 out of 10 men and 6 out of 10
women live in family settings.
3. True Depression, loss of self-esteem, loneliness,
and anxiety can become more common as older people face
retirement, the deaths of relatives and friends, and other
such crises - often at the same time. Fortunately, depression
is treatable.
4. True Today, 12 percent of the U.S. population is
65 or older. By the year 2030, one in five people will be
over 65 years of age.
| The more sand that has escaped from
the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see
through it.
|
5. True Only 5 percent of the older
population lives in nursing homes; the rest are basically
healthy and self-sufficient.
6. False Alzheimer's disease or other conditions,
which cause incurable damage to the brain, can cause mental
confusion and serious forgetfulness in old age but some 100
other problems can cause the same symptoms. A minor head
injury, a high fever, poor nutrition, adverse drug reactions
and depression can all be treated and the confusion will be
cured.
7. False Intelligence per se does not decline without
reason. Most people maintain their intellect, or improve, as
they grow older.
| I have enjoyed greatly the second
blooming that comes when you finish the life of the
emotions and of personal relations; and suddenly find -
at the age of fifty, say - that a whole new life has
opened before you, filled with things you can think
about, study, or read about...It is as if a fresh sap of
ideas and thoughts was rising in you.
|
8. False Most older people can lead an
active, satisfying sex life.
9. False Stopping smoking at any age not only reduces
the risk of cancer and heart disease, it also leads to
healthier lungs.
10. False Many older people enjoy--and benefit
from--exercises such as walking, swimming, and bicycle
riding. Exercise at any age can help strengthen the heart
and lungs, and lower blood pressure. See your physician
before beginning a new exercise program.
The whole business of marshaling
one's energies
becomes more and more important as one grows older.
|
11. False Although certain
requirements, such as that for "sunshine" vitamin D, may
increase slightly with age, older people need the same
amounts of most vitamins and minerals as younger people.
Older people in particular should eat nutritious food and
cut down on sweets, salty
snack foods, high-calorie drinks, and alcohol.
12. False Older people require fewer calories, but
adequate intake of calcium for strong bones can become more
important as you grow older. This is particularly true for
women, whose risk of osteoporosis increases after menopause.
Milk and cheese are rich in calcium as are cooked dried
beans, collards, and broccoli. Some people need calcium
supplements as well.
| Talk of joy: there may be things
better than beef stew and baked potatoes and home-made
bread -- there may be.
|
13. True The body's thermostat tends
to function less efficiently with age and the older person's
body may be less able to adapt to heat or cold.
14. True Falls are the most common cause of injuries
among the elderly. Good safety habits, including proper
lighting, nonskid carpets, and keeping living areas free of
obstacles, can help prevent serious accidents.
15. False Women tend to outlive men by an average of
8 years. There are 150 women for every 100 men over age 65,
and nearly 250 women for every 100 men over 85.
A woman's always younger than a man
of equal years.
| ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning |
|
16. True Fewer men and women are dying
of stroke or heart disease.
17. True The elderly consume 25 percent of all
medications and, as a result, have many more problems with
adverse drug reactions.
18. True Medical quackery is a $10 billion business
in the United States. People of all ages are commonly duped
into "quick cures" for aging, arthritis, and cancer.
19. False Personality doesn't change with age.
Therefore, all old people can't be described as rigid and
cantankerous. You are what you are for as long as you live.
But you can change what you do to help yourself to good
health.
| No man is ever old enough to know
better.
|
20. False Although changes in vision
become more common with age, any change in vision,
regardless of age, is related to a specific disease. If you
are having problems with your vision, see your doctor.
(Source: LIFELONG LEARNING FOR AN AGING SOCIETY - AN
INFORMATION PAPER. Prepared for use by the Special Committee
on Aging, United States Senate. Serial No.102. U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC: 1991. Last
updated January 28, 2002)
I wish you all the best for every day of this
bright new year. May serenity, prosperity and joy attend
you.
