1. Sensory Changes Affect Quality of Life
As you age you are likely to lose a large amount of sensory integrity. Your hearing declines, visual acuity decreases and our mental skills slow down as well. We become slower with our motor responses and our fine motor skills decline. While these are accepted as expected outcomes of the natural and inevitable aging process, they do come with a price tag. That price tag can often be overwhelming and cause significant loss of quality of life for the person experiencing them. It is important not to overlook possible treatments and therapies that may improve quality of life by restoring some of the loss experienced.
2. Hearing Loss
Hearing loss has become synonymous with old age. We expect our elders to be able to hear less and often find ourselves automatically talking louder when we speak to them--even if they don't have hearing loss! Those folks who find themselves with a decrease in hearing ability are more likely to withdrawal from social situations and activities they once enjoyed. They may experience depression associated with the loss of hearing and the decrease in quality of life they've experienced because of it. Have your hearing checked--or the hearing of a loved one--and see what can be done to help.
3. Decline In Visual Acuity
Many diseases--macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic neuropathy and glaucoma--affect the visual acuity of our older generation. Over 119 million people 40 years of age and older have experienced a decline in visual acuity; that number is expected to triple as our baby boomers continue to age. Visual changes can affect what activities a person can be involved in but perhaps more frightening is the compromise of safety that occurs when an elderly individual experiences a visual decline. Safety of the home environment must be taken into account. Unexpected obstacles should be removed with consideration to unique visual ability. Also, you can accommodate visual acuity with magnifying glasses, large print publications and appliances and clocks that utilize larger print.
4. This Tastes Different!
Eating good, flavorful food is an experience enjoyed by many. At around the age of 60, our ability to smell decreases and we also experience a modest decline in our ability to taste. Flavor--or tasting and savoring food--is affected by both smell and taste and therefore is an unexpected victim of old age. Losing the ability to enjoy taste comes as a natural process of aging, possible medication side effects and sometimes certain illnesses can be contributing factors. Elderly individuals who taste less often lose their appetites--putting them at risk for malnutrition and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This puts them at a higher risk for disease and infection as well as unintentional weight loss--both contributors to a decline in health and wellness.
5. Take It Easy
The elderly often take longer to accomplish tasks that they once did with speed and efficiency. As the years pass our motor response time slows down, leaving us moving a little slower as we move through our days. It is important to give the elderly folks in your life the time to do things on their own--even if it takes longer--to foster their self-esteem and maintain a sense of independence.
