The golden years are a terrific time to relax and take it all in. Senior citizens are far wiser, less readily rattled by other people’s ideas, and more at ease with themselves. Evidence suggested that unhappy people are three times morelikely than joyful people to experience problems with their physical activities. In contrast to unhappy elderly who are twice as likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and strokes, it was shown that cheerful seniors have less difficulty getting up, dressed, or taking a shower. The quality of life and overall satisfaction are significant predictors of future mobility and impairment in seniors.
Long before their days come to an end, seniors nonetheless experience a decline in the quality of their existence. The adage, “It’s not how long you live, but how happy you have lived,” is particularly applicable to the elderly people in your neighbourhood. Providing for the elderly population’s medical requirements alone is insufficient because they require much more than simply medicine.
Age-related changes affect many aspects of life, including the physical, mental, social, emotional, and sexual. You might view some of these changes as favourable and others as negative. It might be difficult to balance proactive measures to protect your health with maximising the positive features of ageing.
If we look forward to make the lives of the elderly members of our community better, then we will need to look at the 3Hs; Happiness, Health, and Honor.
Apart from proper scheduled medications, limited alcohol consumption, and regular check-ups, there are other ways that will help in staying a happy, healthy and having fun lifestyle which includes all physical, mental and emotional well-being. Some of the ways might be:
1. Exercise daily
We should always encourage physical activity among the elderly. While it’s true that their bodies won’t allow for strenuous exercise, doing simple exercises like brisk walking or even clapping your hands to the beat of music might assist to reduce anxiety and despair and smooth out blood flow. We can also determine a pastime of theirs. By doing things this way, they look forward to doing it rather than needing to be reminded or prodded. This could be gardening, swimming, or strolling a pet.
Start out slowly and work up to a particularly strenuous activity rather than the opposite. On those sluggish days, go for a workout with a buddy or a family member to keep each other motivated.
2. Eat healthy and together
Physical activity and eating a healthy diet both contribute to good health. Mealtimes can still be enjoyable despite the changes the body is going through.
For company and to avoid feeling lonely, eat with friends or relatives. Additionally, make an effort to make sure the food is delicious and attractively presented to stimulate the senses and increase appetite.
The elderly should never be permitted to dine by themselves in their rooms. One of the greatest and oldest ways for families to stay in touch and create a solid bond is to have meals together. They’ll feel like they’re together because of this, and they’ll be able to maintain their happiness.
3. Keep them connected
The sensation of isolation and loneliness is one of the main causes of grief and depression in elderly people. No one likes being alone, therefore if we want to keep older citizens content, we must maintain their relationships with their family members. We may keep them linked by simply setting up family gatherings, senior citizen trips, or even just going on a family picnic.
4. Keep them engaged with mental exercise
5.Honor them
6. Connect with spirituality
7. Discuss family heritage, history and tradition
8. Be polite and take advice from them
We must never overlook an elderly member’s mental health in our haste to maintain their physical fitness. Some of the most popular techniques to keep senior folks’ mental health are simple crossword puzzles, routine reading, and writing. Even the body’s mental capacity begins to deteriorate with advancing years, therefore it must continue to function regularly to maintain health. We can also read newspapers to them to keep them updated. This will support keeping mental health in check.
One of the courtesies that need to be ingrained in everyone is respect for elders. Elders want to be respected and treated with honour. We shall be able to improve the elderly’ quality of life if we can respect them.
This is something which provides them with satisfaction and peace of mind. This makes them indifferent to the worldly things which will help them stay in peach and comfortable. We can help them by reciting some poetries or verses from some spiritual books and getting them practice meditation on a daily basis.
Family stories have an indisputable power, and by talking about the heritage, history, and traditions of the family with every member, we may properly honour the elderly. Family histories are significant because they contribute to stronger family ties.
The simplest thing we can do to protect the reputation of the elderly in your community is to continue to be polite and sympathetic. Elders are unquestionably the wisest members of society; thus we should constantly heed their counsel. We will be able to respect the wisdom, experience, and dignity of the elderly by listening to their advice.
