The moment one parent begins to lose their fitness is difficult for them and for you. Aging parents is a time when you have to deal with the inevitability of passing away with the thought that someday there will be no parents. How to help them keep their old age cheerful?

In all cultures, adults feel responsible and care for their agingparents . Some people do it too eagerly, forgetting that an older person needs more motivation to act independently than to do everything.

How can you help your parents and yourself? Above all, be with them! Not only when you need to do shopping or go to the doctor, but also when they need closeness and feel lonely. Caring for a parent should not be limited to emergency assistance in everyday activities. After all, the periodof old ageis associated with a sense of alienation, low mood, and often depression, and you have to deal with these emotions.

It is good to persuade parents to take actions that will slow down the aging process and improve the quality of life - systematic examinations, exercise, adherence to a proper diet, as well as maintaining good relationships with people. There are many places where seniors can fulfill themselves:universities of the third age , seniors clubs, initiatives of municipalities and non-governmental organizations. Scientists emphasize that the prerequisite for successful aging is physical fitness, maintaining cognitive abilities and engaging in various activities outside the home, including social life. So encourage your parents to be independent and active, do not underestimate their needs and … use their experience as long as there is time.

Memory exercises are important in old age

Neurons diminish with age, but the brain is still able to make new connections between them. By exercising your mind, you can inhibit or even reverse the effects of aging brains and keep your thinking clear. It was noted that older people who regularly played bridge scored better on memory and reasoning tests than those who did not play bridge. Encourage parents to make mental effort (bridge, chess, scrabble) and memory exercises. Write down the 10 things you need to buy. Learn them by heart using a trick. Imagineyourself that you place these items at various unusual points in the apartment. The more unlikely their placement, the better - for example, "I pour milk into a vase, I spread rice on the carpet." You can also create a fun story with these items. Then hide the card and try to shop without its help.

Seven steps to a happy old age

Make sure your parents:

  • They were regularly checked and treated.
  • They were moving. Half an hour of exercise 5 times a week will not only make them feel, but also look a few years younger.
  • They ate in moderation. A reasonable diet is the basis of well-being and a shapely figure. Being overweight can shorten your life by 9 years!
  • They drank at least 2 liters of fluid a day. Five glasses of water each day reduce cancer risk by 79%.
  • They stimulated the mind. The mind is like the muscles - they disappear when not used. Learning at any age improves memory.
  • They fell asleep. He althy sleep strengthens concentration and the immune system.
  • They kept calm. Constant stress causes mental and physical problems (increases the risk of a stroke by 72%).

Old age: encourage your parents to move

Ok. 20 percent people over 75 have mobility problems. The rest, i.e. the vast majority of elderly people, can lead an active lifestyle. Meanwhile, in our society there is still a myth of an infirm old man.

- My environment is doing its best to change this stereotype. Unfortunately, older people in our country are not noticed or not only noticed when they are already disabled. You have to do everything to improve the quality of life of seniors in every respect. We live longer and longer and this should not be a problem for us, but a challenge. That is why it is so important to educate the entire society to old age - argues prof. Ewa Kozdroń, head of the Department of Recreation Theory and Methodology of the AWF. - What can we do for a better old age? First of all, take care to maintain basic functional fitness. Then we will also be able to pursue the dreams that we often put off for retirement. We work all our lives for what our old age will be, so it is important with what kind of baggage we enter into it. If we are overworked, neurotic, and unaccustomed to exercise, we age faster. Often the elderly do not take up any form of physical activity, explaining that their he alth does not allow them to do so. This is another stereotype. There is no ill he alth, there is only a wrong move!

What forms of exercise are most suitable for the elderly? - It depends on individual possibilities and preferences. It's important todo what you like. You have to look for forms that are common and easily accessible, and it's best to start with what we know. Each of us can walk, so, for example, Nordic walking is excellent. I recommend classes with a trainer, preferably in a group. The group motivates to action, and at the same time gives the opportunity to establish social contacts, which is very important for older people, who often live alone. In my programs that activate the movement of elderly people, I start walking or walking with poles (Nordic walking), gymnastics in the gym or in the water.

Avoid bedsores

It is known that prevention is better than cure. In the case of bedsores, prophylaxis is of exceptional importance, because neglected pressure ulcers can even lead to death. To prevent wounds, rub and pat the patient's body (mainly the areas adjacent to the mattress) with alcohol several times a day. Avoid excess talcum powder, powders and powders. Change the position of the sick person as often as possible, and if they can move on their own to some extent, persuade them to do so. Use anti-bedsore equipment, such as a pillow, a rubber ring for the buttocks, or a special mattress.

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Psychology