Navigating old age can be difficult and scary. There are all sorts of fresh problems to overcome, whilst feeling less and less like you have the energy to overcome them. This isn’t so pronounced as when it comes to health, which is at the front of every aging person’s mind.
Even if you have never been one for fussing too much about health, medicine and healthy behavior, old age has a way of ensuring that you pay attention to this side of your life, since ignoring it could be seriously damaging.
In order to better go about this arduous activity, it’s good to know which pitfalls can be avoided ahead of time, learning from the mistakes of others and making yourself as healthy as you can possibly be. So here are a few to look out for.
1. Getting Prescriptions Confused
This can be a really tough one as you age, since, in order just to stay healthy at a baseline level, you will likely be taking a whole load of medication, vitamins and other supplements. Add to this any medication for any illnesses you might currently be experiencing and there could be a problem.
What’s even more confusing and unhelpful about meds for the elderly is that the names are often very unfamiliar and have similarities between them, which can cause confusion. A great solution is using a pill case, or a pill-minder to order your daily medication.
2. Driving Inadvisably
Driving is a sticky issue when it comes to being elderly. On the one hand there isn’t a hard-stuck age at which your license is removed, you can, in theory, drive as long as you like. On the other hand, you might not be aware of it, but your ability is certainly going down, as your reaction speeds and senses are becoming blunted.
Furthermore, medication can make your life a lot harder, since much of what you ill be taking will affect your driving. It might be sad or frustrating, but the chance of injuring someone (or worse) whilst out on the roads isn’t worth taking.
3. Misunderstanding Doctors
Doctors can occasionally talk in a way which would go over the head of a well-informed 30 year-old with top notch hearing, let alone an older person trying to understand the copious and complex instructions being hurriedly explained.
“The stereotype about doctors having bad hand-writing may just be a joke but the consequence of an older person not understanding medical instructions is no joke. If you’re even the slightest bit confused you have to have the courage to ask and ask again and again until you get a firm grasp on your instructions”, says Charlie Malden, specialist in caregiving for seniors at UK Services Reviews.
4. Failing To Solidify Providers And Doctors
One of the most frustrating things about private healthcare is that, with all of the different medical outfits vying for your attention, you are far more likely to be treated by someone who doesn’t have a complete picture of your health and healthcare needs.
This is vital to keep a track of. Firstly, you might get given a prescription which clashes with one you’re already on or treatment which does the same. Secondly, thConcere might be problems that remain undiagnosed because none of your healthcare providers are able to get a full picture of your health. Make sure you do your best to keep all of your doctors informed, and have as few as you can!
5. Being Reluctant To Discuss Issues
There’s a degree of stoicism which is natural for most seniors. By the time you get older, you will have experienced your fair share of flus and injuries. So, when something you consider trivial, a stomach ache, a swollen gland, comes up, you’re less likely to feel compelled to take it to the doctor. Similarly, intimate issue relating to sexual health might be very uncomfortable to discuss, but it is vital that you do.
Conclusion
There’s lots to look out for to remain healthy as a senior citizen. Hopefully, by taking a look at this list, you know some of the things you need to avoid to be able to keep your health in check, your medication in order and your doctors well informed.
Rebecca Leigh is a health blogger at Assignment help.
