KAREN’S KORNER
We know that in our world today seniors are living much longer than ever before. People in America today can expect to live longer than ever before. Once you make it to 65, the data suggest that you can live another 19.3 years, on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For many, then, senior living includes carefully managing chronic conditions in order to stay healthy. According to Everyday Health, “making healthy lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking and losing weight, can help you avoid senior health risks, though “you also need to be physically active and eat a healthy diet,” explains Jeanne Wei, MD, PhD, executive director of the Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. Including a geriatrician, a doctor who specializes in the health concerns of aging, on your senior healthcare team can help you learn how to live better with any chronic diseases.” Then you too can be among the 41 percent of people over 65 who say their health is very good or excellent, according to the CDC. Everyday Health, lists the top five health concerns today for our seniors. They are as follows:
- “Arthritis is probably the number one condition that people 65 or older contend with,” says geriatrician Marie Bernard, MD, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland.
- As a chronic condition, heart disease affects 37 percent of men and 26 percent of women 65 and older, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. As people age, they’re increasingly living with risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol!
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death among people over age 65! The CDC also reports that 28 percent of men and 21 percent of women over age 65 are living with cancer. If caught early through screening many types of cancer are treatable.
- Respiratory Illnesses, such as COPD, are the third most common cause of death among 65 and over.
- Alzheimer’s Disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, states that one in nine age 65 and older, about 11%, have this debilitating disease. Cognitive impairment has a significant impact on senior health. The diagnosis is challenging and it’s hard to know exactly how many have Alzheimer’s!