(This is an updated post. See Post #5 for the original)
Almost two years ago I spent a couple hours with my parents and an aunt and uncle. The average age between the four of them was 90 (Since then my aunt has passed away). They inspire me, because they haven’t stopped living independently. When I combine that with what I’m experiencing each day now on the health front, that’s what led to this post.
Two other related posts are #14 and #38, so you’ll see some integrating of comments among the three documents.
Mobility. Do we take it for granted? I assure you the three senior citizens mentioned above aren’t taking it for granted anymore. Quality of life deteriorates quickly when mobility difficulties arise. Start with the challenges of getting out of a car.
Walking without a walker. At some point we will not be able to walk 100% of the time without one, and things probably go downhill from there. Even now I don’t lift my legs as high as I used to and end up stumbling more often these days. From cane to walker to scooter if one is fortunate I suppose.
The ability to safely drive– What happens when that goes away, and at what point do we realize “I’m not safe to drive anymore.” ? Or do we wait until someone takes it away from us because we have a bad accident, or almost do?
Coordination/flexibility/dexterity/physical activity. I’m not nearly as nimble with my fingers as I used to be- handling shirt buttons, tying shoes, handling plates and glasses are all negatively affected. The natural coordination isn’t what it used to be. This forces me to be much more deliberate with the basic functions. Can you still “swivel” your head left/right/up/down as well as you used to? Still able to put on pants while standing up? And then there’s reaction time….
Loss of muscle mass and strength after age 55 are contributors. Here’s a related article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4156923/
I do still run. Much slower, and much more carefully for all the reasons in the above paragraphs. The stride is shorter. But the knees are holding out and I wear shoes with the most cushion possible. Am very thankful I can still run, but know the running days are numbered and appreciate each run that much more.
Diminished hearing or eyesight? My doctor said recently he could see the start of cataracts in the eyes, and my last hearing test documented hearing loss in on both ends of our hearing frequency spectrum.
I’m going to bail out on diet and digestive systems (along with Erectile Dysfunction). Those subjects deserve their own posts, although diet is addressed under Post #38, as is mental health. If you’re up for a little research on these subjects, check out the below link:
https://www.forksoverknives.com/
So we adjust. Our parents did. We have medical advances that impact each one of these, and more. Unfortunately, today, most of the advances come by taking another pill which too often masks the real problem(s). In the next twenty years, think about what else is going to come out of the medical world (see Post 64). In the meantime, we can see what’s ahead of us, and there are things we can do now to put off “old age” impacts.
(August 2024 update. My parents moved into assisted living eight months ago due to further deterioration of physical and cognitive skills which brings a whole new set of challenges. See post #92.)