Home > Blog > June 2014 > Senior Care – 6 Health Challenges of Aging

Senior Care – 6 Health Challenges of Aging

Posted: 6/16/2014 9:21 AM by Interim HealthCare

There are plenty of changes that occur as a person ages, some of them are normal for every elderly person, and some of them are connected to other diseases and problems. How are you supposed to know which is which? Senior care can be a challenge in itself, but you might not realize the challenges your parent is personally going through. It’s hard to empathize when you’re still young. In order to really help your parent and lend a shoulder to their concerns, you should understand more about what they’re dealing with as they age. The following list will talk about many of the things your elderly mother or father is experiencing, and what you – and your parent – can expect as they continue to get older.

Knowing what to prepare for and how to prevent some of these things will make a great positive difference in your elderly loved one’s life. Planning for future problems that might affect them is essential to aging gracefully and helping them to be able to live their life fully as long as they can.

Health Challenges Elderly People Experience

1. Teeth
There is good news for teeth and aging: your parent will probably keep their own throughout their life. Dentures are only worn by about 25% of people over age 60. A lifetime of good dental practices and diet will really help. Senior care services can help your loved one with dental hygiene as well as all personal care and transportation to the dentist and other doctors for checkups.

2. Falling
The risk of falls and having low bone mass affects millions of older adults today. About a third of those who experience falls suffer an injury that decreases their mobility.

3. Obesity
About 75% of adults who are over 60 are overweight or obese. This is mostly related to having high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gall bladder disease, or cardiovascular disease. Getting your elderly parent to exercise regularly can greatly help solve this problem.

4. Arthritis
This disease affects about half of seniors, and can be related to old injuries from sports or years of wearing high heels. Avoiding overuse of joints and muscles, but still doing moderate exercise is the key to relieving symptoms.

5. Vision
Eye related diseases that occur as a person grows older include: macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy. To prevent most of these, you can include more antioxidants in your elderly parent’s diet.

6. Hearing
Loss of hearing increases as the older your parent gets. It can really take a toll on quality of life to lose hearing, and many seniors who experience this become depressed or socially isolated. You can avoid accelerated hearing loss by not putting headphones or earbuds into your ears – at any age.

If you or an aging loved one are considering home care services, contact Interim HealthCare today. G+