Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a teen, with neither fears nor cares and in a blink of an eye you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old. Is fifty that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the fifty years. It is never too late to make changes.

As we trudge through life most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between forty to sixty-five years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.

NECESSARY STEPS TO ENHANCE LIFE OF ELDERLY

1. Never boss or try to “parent” your parents
   1. Think about this; we unconsciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without finding their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!
2. Ask for their opinion
   1. Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.
3. Do not overtreat them medically
   1. Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional
4. Hospital stays should be as brief as possible
   1. Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and convenient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If its not an emergency find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hospital environments and why should they?
   2. When admitted for an illness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno
5. Have them stay at home for as long as possible
   1. Sometime children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options
6. Help them to socialize
   1. Organize time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to everyone including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer
   2. …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live
7. Ensure physical activity
   1. No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better
   2. Sunlight is a must. Do whatever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.
   3. The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.

STEPS TO PREPARE FOR OUR OWN GOLDEN YEARS

1. Start a wellness plan or continue if you already have one
   1. It’s a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.
2. Keep in touch with your classmates
   1. They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination
3. Surround yourself with younger people
   1. They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.
4. Avoid loneliness at all costs
   1. You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends
5. Protect your brain / memory
   1. Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls memory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up

Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week (1) – “Ageing comes with Psychosocial challenges such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, other mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel