Tips for healthy ageing

A thumb rule for preparing for the silver years is centered on the concept that the quality of life in the latter half of our life should be based on how we have lived in the first half. For active ageing to be a reality there has to be a fair amount of giving and receiving between the older and younger generations. Yesterdays child is todays adult and tomorrows grandmother or grandfather.

Challenges to Active Ageing

Ageing Age is associated with health and related problems. It may be just a little pain in the knees that can affect the ability to do daily activities such as preparing food or picking up the morning newspaper. On a more debilitating note, it could be diabetes, a heart attack or a stroke that can affect not just the person concerned, but the entire family. Many of these health issues that come up at this stage in life may be chronic, and occur simultaneously, where each of them may require constant attention. Several related problems such as osteoporosis and injuries also carry the risk of disability and may lead to difficulties in doing activities independently. Some conditions related to age may require long term management of illness and even, nursing care. So although the good news is that old persons are living longer, there are precautions to be taken for a more fulfilled and productive life.

Things to watch out for:

• Growing number of health issues
• Need for security
• Difficulty in caring and support
• Less family support because of the shift from joint to nuclear families or children migrating away for work
• Negligence
• Economic dependency
• Lack of social interaction or connect with the rest of the community

Tips on Active Ageing

• Undergo regular health check-ups after the age of 40 years
• Interact with your family doctor who may prescribe appropriate tests, allay fears and suggest medication, if needed
• Stay involved in cultural, spiritual, financial and civil affairs
• Participate in family life, including childrens problems and spend time with them doing things that both can enjoy
• Secure yourself financially
• A caring companion can be there for you emotionally and in times of need
• Know that disasters and emergencies severely impact older people
• Watch out for elder abuse - it is more common than you think
• Challenge the body and mind by learning new things; doing word puzzles, crosswords and Sudoku
• Pursue your interests in order to broaden your agenda
• Enter post retirement work assignments - remember you can negotiate for a better salary and dont tell prospective employers, "money is not important"
• Do not give importance to gossip and surround yourself with positive, energetic people
• Make some friends who are younger - even if by a few decades

Health tips

• Follow a healthy eating plan that emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy foods.
• Take your recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin supplements daily.
• Participate in regular weight-bearing exercise.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol.
• Maintain hygiene and cleanliness
• Protect your eyes from direct sunrays and any kind of dangerous substances.

Some of the home remedies which acts as an anti-aging treatment are:

Source : GoMedii