The quest to find the best way to make one’s golden years, happy, exciting, healthy and a time most people look forward to continues unabated. One factor that keeps popping up is the need to grow friendships with people more than 20 years younger than yourself. Do Not take this for granted. It is form of “social security” since these close friends who are much younger than yourself will step in to support you in more ways than you can ever imagine.
Some conditions may make life challenging for older adults but knowing these Geriatric Giants helps us to take the necessary steps to reduce our risk.
“Geriatric Giants” refers to a group of chronic health conditions that are common in the elderly, typically 65-year-olds and older.
These conditions quite often co-occur and can impact on the independence, dignity and overall wellbeing and quality of life of an elderly person.
These Geriatric Giants include:
1.    Impaired Intellect/ Memory (e.g. Dementia)
a.    one of the major battles we need to deal with is challenges with memory
b.    Exercise, adopt the Mind Diet, build a great social network and enjoy time outdoors
c.    Keep reading and solving puzzles for as long as possible
2.    Instability – leading to much feared falls
a.    A good reason to indulge in Balance Training and Core Strengthening exercises from today
b.    Ensure your home is safe; avoid clutter such as cables crisscrossing floors, toys etc. These are all trip hazards and should be avoided
c.    Many healthy, happy and fun-loving older adults have died soon after a fall with its attendant complications.
d.    Do whatever it takes to avoid falling
3.    Immobility (opening the doors to pressure sores, joint stiffness)
a.    Even when you are unable to move about on your own it is important to get support to change positions as often as possible or get an appropriate mattress or bed that prevents prolonged pressure over any single point.
b.    Make sure you passively or actively move joints daily.
4.    Incontinence (urine, faeces or both)
a.    This is one of the reasons older adults prefer to stay at home and avoid going out to meet friends etc.
5.    Iatrogenic Disorders – adverse effect of medication
a.    Quite often most older adults are on several medications and some side effects such as drowsiness may seem to cause more unhappiness and may even lead to falls.
6.    Inappetite – this may result in poor nutrition
a.     This may also be linked to loss of teeth thus making chewing very difficult or limited
b.    The loss of smell and taste may also reduce the amount of food one may willingly eat.
The power to reduce the impact of the Geriatric Giants starts now and should be a lifetime commitment. It is never too early to start making the appropriate lifestyle modifications, nor is it too late to reduce the impact of the giants on one’s life.
Other conditions that significantly impact on the lives especially of the elderly are:
•    Sleep Disorders
o    Good sleep has the power to give us energy, improve our thought pattern and even helps us to make good choices.
o    Good sleep sets the tone for a healthy life
•    Constipation
o    This is a challenge that confronts quite a number of older adults.
o    Movement, fibre and lots of water go a long way to reducing the stress that frequent constipation generates.
•    Fraility
o    Muscle loss is real and as we age, we lose a significant percentage of our muscle plus our bones also become brittle.
o    Make sure strength training is part of your exercise schedule
•    Polypharmacy
o    Another headache that needs to be confronted head-on
o    Everyone especially older adults need a good primary care physician or a general practitioner who can coordinate all medicines from the different Specialists who may be attending to an elderly person. This ensures that unnecessary medicines are dropped
The goal of care at all times is to optimize the quality of life. As family, professional caregivers and friends we should always show respect so that the dignity of the elderly is preserved at all times. For those of us who are not yet in the age group with such challenges, we need to start the conversation about the type of care we will prefer and take steps to stay healthy and independent for as long as possible. The goal should be a long Healthspan and not just a long Lifespan.