Feb 10 2009
WE ARE MORE THAN THE SUM OF OUR OLD PARTS
There are so many “parts” of us that “wear out” as we get older: our backs, our feet, our hearing and vision, balance and sense of smell.
And this “wearing out” process seems to accelerate. I think my biggest task or challenge is to SLOW down the aging process. I do this partly by paying more attention to details and thus avoiding those accidents that put might put me flat on my back in the hospital.
I do have a couple of suggestions:
- Be careful when we lift or carry something, when we step up or step down, when we twist or turn.
- Remember to ask for help sometimes. Especially for the heavy lifting.
- Don’t try to do everything around the house in one day. I’m retired now. I can wait and do some tomorrow.
How many of us have seen our older friends or parents take a fall or otherwise have an accident that puts them into a hospital bed? That is the WORST place to be if you are trying to slow down the aging process. Many older people express great fear of going into the hospital because they are afraid they will never get out. Certainly that is a risk. In the hospital patients have no control any more. And a long term patient just wastes away. No sunlight, no exercise, little contact with relatives and friends. The lack of normal activities and routine is disruptive to any person’s life, but is especially so for older folks.
The solution, at least in part, is to avoid the accidents and the diseases that put us in the hospital. 
Keep active, physically and mentally. Be aware of our surroundings and watch for things that are out of place. Don’t try to go up and down stairs without a handrail and without turning on the light. Watch out for those pets that can be underfoot. Always know exactly where that little kitty or puppy or grandchild is before you step or turn.
Yup. Getting old is no easy task. It is a challenge, just like the other challenges we have faced during our lives.
This one is the most important of all.
