Keys to Aging Gracefully

1.    Plan Early for the golden years

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Planning for retirement and aging is crucial. It is also the responsibility of all mature adults in order not to add financial strain to their children who will eventually need to give care to elderly parents when needs arise. 

Hence, it’s never too early to plan for retirement and golden years. The planning can begin as soon as one start working. We must have enough saving, insurance policies, investment, other passive income in order to live through golden years and at the same time cope with elevated cost of living and healthcare. Bear in mind that human are living longer. If you intend to tour around the world after retirement, all the more that you should start saving early. 

a)   Saving takes time to accumulate. Don’t forget as you grow older and have a family of you own, you will have more commitments, such as buying a house, raising your children and looking after elderly parents etc. All these need money too. Hence, saving should start as early as possible.

b)   Taking up insurance whether it is life insurance, endowment plan, investment plan, so on, can help us to secure a sum of money when we retired. Health insurances are also important in order ensure that medical or surgery bill can be paid during onset of age related illness or other diseases.

c)     Passive income can be a form of money you earn from share, stock or investment, online marketing.

2.    Live a healthy lifestyle

All of us know that we can have a better quality of life if we are healthy. Similarly, if we are healthy, we will be able to age in grace and dignity in our home. The concept of healthy lifestyle is so familiar to everyone. It is all over the magazines, radio and television. But how many of us are actually living by it.

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a)   Eat Healthy

• Reduce intake of saturated fats and carbohydrate
• Reduce intake of salt and sugars
• Increase fibre intake
• More vegetables
• More fruits

Seniors are more vulnerable to illness. By maintaining a healthy diet, seniors can prevent aliment caused by unbalanced diet. Furthermore, unhealthy diet also give rise to overweight problem which leads to higher risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and so on. In addition, well-balanced, nutritious and healthy diet does help to slow down the effect of aging process.

b)   Exercising

The most effective way to maintain or improve your health is by exercising. 15 to 20 minutes of exercise everyday helps to keep the muscle and joint flexible and agile thus lower the risk and effect of arthritis. Exercise also helps to improve blood circulation and boost our immune system. Brisk walking is an example of good exercise for elderly.

Depending on one’s physical ability and mobility, one can choose an exercise that is manageable and suitable as well. Arrange to do exercise with friends or neighbours so that one will persist to do so regularly.

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c)   Refrain from smoking

Smoking causes lung cancer, pneumonia, heart disease just to mention few. Smoking is also related to many other health problems. For senior who smoke, the best thing to do is to quit smoking. Those who have difficulty quitting should at least reduce in number. By just cutting back on the number, a smoker can actually save a lot of money.

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d)   Refrain from alcohol

Drinking can be healthy in moderate but one must never cross the line. Senior with drinking habit should be limit to minimum amount or totally refrain from drinking for optimal health reason. Alcoholism can lead to liver cancer and other disease.

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3.  Staying mobile and engaged

If a senior is healthy, taking up a part time or full time job after retirement should be encouraged. Working helps them in staying mobile and make senior feel that they are independent and in control of their life. Furthermore, earning an income make them feel financially stable.

Senior can consider looking after grandchildren after retirement. These are most common in extended family. The senior may or may not be the sole caregiver for the grandchildrens. Some of them assist to oversee the domestic maid in managing the children and housekeeping. Engage them in day to day activities like this gives them a sense of dignity. But beware that, other than care giving, senior must have time for own entertainment, such as chit chatting or playing chess with old friends, take part in senior activities at the community centre and so on.

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4.  Stay positive and optimistic

Senior need to overcome the emotional fear of losing one’s spouse or best friend. When this happens, senior will be in denial at first. They are too overwhelmed to face the reality. Then frustration, anger and grief will invade into their emotion. Finally, acceptance will come. But this can be very long for some people.

How to help senior to overcome this fear:

• Let them cry themselves out if need arises. But do remember to lend them your shoulder and let them know that they are not alone.
• Let them know that grieving is just a process to let you get to the other episode of your life.
• Let them know that the deceased is watching over them and want them to happy.

Please ensure that the senior does not illustrate any symptom of depression as prolonged grief can lead to depression. Depression is not by-product of aging as it can be treated.

Learning to relax and embrace the present but let go of what is gone is the key to happiness.

5.  Find new purpose in life

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a)    Engage in activities that one is interested and good in, for example: meditation, yoga, cooking, etc.

b)    Keep on learning new things like how to use internet, how to use smart phone etc. This is to keep up to the pace of the society so that one will not be left behind.

c)     Pursuit a new hobbies. For example: flower arrangement, gardening, jewellery making, photography and etc.

d)    Participate in volunteer work such as care giving to needy seniors.

e)    Get to know new friends by joining senior activities in the community centre.

All these help senior to open up a new chapter of life thus finding enthusiasm in living a life of longevity.

6.  Stay active and mobile

The senior should go out door at least 3-4 times a week to mingle around in the neighbourhood. This is to prevent the senior especially the disabled one from drifting into isolation. A sound mind is definitely critical for aging gracefully.

Staying active and mobile is also one way to slow down the rate of deterioration of our bodies. Just as the car engine will not start if it is left unused for a long time, our body part also resist to function properly when it is not fully utilized.

With the advance in technology, even senior who is physically immobile can travel to any place they want with the help of mobility aids like power wheelchair, mobility scooter, walkers and etc.

7.  Live with no regrets.

If there are things that one wishes to accomplish while they were younger, but never have a chance to do so, why not go for it now if you think you are still able to do so. There are people who started learning ballet after the age of 60. It’s never too late to try. Don’t leave the world with regrets.