Our golden years can be a wonderful time. However, for many of us, these years come with hardships and the everyday tasks we once found easy become much more difficult. Below we discuss three all-too common senior health challenges.
The loss of even the simplest abilities may lead to confidence issues.
During the first half of your life, you may have been an accomplished athlete or the founder and-or CEO of a major corporation. You tackled problems head-on and earned a reputation as a respected member of society. Age has caught up with you, however, and now the challenges you face on a daily basis are less than prestigious. Even seemingly simple tasks have become a major hassle.
This situation, though inevitable for everyone, can be disheartening for the elder person that is losing his or her capabilities.
“It is common for families to struggle with the issue of their elderly loved one’s standing in the family once they become frail,” said to Richard Houeen of AmeriCare, an assisted living organization. “Someone who was once the family patriarch may lose their ability to offer guidance and help for their family. This can be incredibly stressful for the senior experiencing this change. Their confidence takes a hit.”
Maintaining personal hygiene becomes problematic.
During the aging process, keeping our hygiene in check becomes a major challenge. One simple and common reason is that we may not physically be able to clean ourselves. Elderly people often struggle to take a bath, brush their teeth or continue to do the things necessary to keep clean. These are tasks that they never thought twice about in their youth.
One familiar hygiene issue that most of us encounter is the graying, the loss of and the extreme thinning of our hair.
“The process of aging weakens our hair,” said Tyler Hicks, lead associate at National Salon Resources. “Seniors that do not or cannot properly nourish their hair will see it surrender to the aging process. The hair strands lose their color, become thin and it is very common for seniors to begin balding.”
One of the saddest side effects of aging: the fading of memory.
Memory loss or dementia is a very common problem facing the elderly. Even if we do not suffer from dementia, a memory-reducing disorder, our once-sharp mind often fades. Things like rememberingnames or where we put our household items become dramatically harder. This can contribute to a decline of self-esteem, especially when our younger family members or friends begin pointing out our obvious memory problems.
Although these health issues are common for seniors, it does not mean that we are all doomed to live our final years in misery. Even the youth face significant challenges. Old age has its benefits and it can be wonderful for those who are lucky enough to experience it.