Surviving the Senior Citizen Years

  I know if you have health and mobility problems, it is easy to feel like you should give up. Quality of life, or lack thereof, can be a sore spot for all of us. I am doing everything I can to improve my life. Healthy eating You are eating right, which is so important. But when you do eat all the right things, you might feel like you are missing out. I have a problem with snacks. I should not eat them, but putting them down is hard, so I’ll keep trying to cut back. What else can I do? Getting regular checkups is so important. Nobody likes going to the doctor. Especially if you have an ailment that bothers you. Taking another medication isn’t what you want either. You could always get another opinion, but they may tell you the same thing. Take the medication! Yearly physicals are essential as well. Bloodwork can show the doctor and you where you stand health-wise. Blood work can sometimes detect something early, and that is important. Exercise I need to walk more, t...

  Grieving personal loss In one’s life, there is always personal loss, like a grandparent or an older relative who succumbed to cancer or heart disease. And it's sad, but you still had friends and probably your parents. But when you get older, the loss seems to be frequent, and the loss of folks that you are closest to. Since my parents were older than most of my friend's parents, I seemed to spend more than my share of time in funeral homes. All my grandparents were deceased by the time I was thirteen, and I had lost many aunts and uncles from my mother’s family. I almost grew numb at all the funerals we attended. But I was a kid, young, and I knew that time somehow stood still when you were younger. Of course, it didn’t, but it seemed that way. As I moved on in my life and had a family of my own, death was sad but not devastating. My wife moved on after her father died of cancer at a young age. Then, her grandmother passed away. The emotional impact of loss gave my wife...

  I know you’ve heard folks talk about being young at heart for what seems to be forever. But things can get in the way of feeling young at heart, especially if you are a senior citizen. It’s never too late to change the way you’re feeling. Obstacles In my case, the main obstacle is health or lack of it. Being healthy is a lifetime job and eating right and exercising have much to do with it. Easier said than done, right? You need to keep your body in shape , but your mind and attitude are just as important. Things to change Change can be difficult after years of being down about life. Many times, the first best step is talking to your doctor and finding out where you stand health-wise, physically , and mentally . I know no one wants to take medication, but if it helps, why not? It can save you a lot of grief in the long run. Now, it might suggest that you seek counseling or a psychiatrist. Don’t be ashamed to do this. There has been a stigma about mental health for w...

  As you age, you may slow your pace and even drive slower. While these are issues, they don’t mean you can’t get around.   My walking is much slower and more deliberate than it used to be. My Meniere’s and Parkinson’s disease have much to do with it. I walk with a cane primarily for balance, especially if I’m out of the house and going somewhere. Even when I’m walking with my wife, I use a cane. I wouldn’t say I liked it initially, but I got used to mobility aids. Sometimes, you must do what you must do.   Going up and down steps can be tricky as well. We don’t have many steps in the house. We live on a split level, and it's only seven steps to get upstairs. I had fallen those seven steps and got bruised, but luckily, I didn’t break anything. The key is always to be alert and keep one hand on the railing. Not everyone gets as immobile as I do. My sister and her husband are regular Blue Ridge Mountain hikers older than me. I don’t think I’ll be hitching on any ...

    Ageism in society has been around forever, although it seems to be worse now. Most folks used to equate age with wisdom. Of course, that’s not always the case. Just because someone is retired doesn’t mean they know everything. But it also doesn’t mean their brains are shrunk and useless. Well, let’s think about this. Ageism in the workplace exists, but companies don't admit it. Why don’t they like folks over sixty? It could be that they are making more money than someone who was just recently hired. Ageism in healthcare  Another myth is that older folks have more health problems than younger people. I don’t think there is any evidence to back that up. Now, some companies cherish older workers because of the knowledge they have acquired over the years. Those are the companies you want to stick with. It isn’t just a problem at work; being in public can also have its challenges for senior citizens. Being slower can make some folks roll their eyes while waiting for ...

  Your body is older and certainly isn’t as strong as when you were young. Things sag and sometimes ache. You get out the salve and lay it on the muscles thick, knowing that you’ll have to continue to care for your body more and more through the years. You knew this time was coming, but what can you do? Do you dream of the old days? Most do, but it doesn’t help, does it? Life is a process of stages, and if you are older, you are in a stage that takes a lot out of you.   “I used to be able to run faster, lift more weights, and do activities where I didn’t strain myself, requiring days of recovery.” It's true but remember that things are different. Life can still be enjoyable even though you can’t go full out anymore. And everyone fortunate enough to get older is in the same boat. While it's okay to enjoy memories of days gone by, the life you lead now can be just as sweet. It’s a matter of having the right mindset and knowing that limitations affect us all. Diet and e...

    Everyone gets sad and melancholy at some point in their lives. Maybe it’s a parent who has passed away. Or perhaps a relationship ending happens to everybody. Most folks usually move on and recover. Depression is a little different. It’s a feeling that can come out of nowhere and stay with you. This often happens to older folks who find it challenging to deal with the senior citizen years, isolation, and then deal with depression.   Depression is a disorder that isn’t always accepted by people who don’t understand what it means to be depressed. Today, the public is more understanding than in years past. They considered that depression was just a bad attitude or a weakness.   In years past, some tried to self-medicate by drinking, which made it worse. Alcohol is a depressant.   In my own case, I felt something was not quite right in high school. I came from a typical family. I had friends, and most of the time, things appeared all right...