How to become an Age
Warrior (and the Occupational Therapist’s role in the process).
We all
fight different battles in life. Life is often referred to as a
battlefield. But as we fight our
different battles we also find meaning in life.
We start to appreciate the things we are fighting for. We fight for hope and happiness and
peace. We are on this quest to find
meaning in life, even though we don’t always understand why it sometimes must
be such a struggle.
While
everyone’s battles might be different, becoming older is a battle for most
people. There are so many changes and
some of them you can feel in your body and others you feel on a deeper
level. Suddenly the children are out of
the house and you don’t have the role as parent anymore (at least not in the
same way as for the first 18 – 20 years) and then you face retirement and loss
of identity when you suddenly don’t know who you are without your job. At a certain age, you start experiencing
losses in terms of loved ones who die and who you can never see again. Your physical abilities change, your memory
and ability to concentrate change. Your
ability to contribute to society change.
The way people view you change.
And yet,
this article is not to tell you about the battle of ageing, but rather to tell
you about the joys that comes with the added grey hairs. And to encourage you to
keep on fighting for hope and happiness and peace. To continue to find meaning in life. It is to prepare you for the battlefield of
ageing and guide you on how to become an Age Warrior and to celebrate this next
phase in your life. It is a beautiful
phase, despite the difficulties it may bring.
You are worth so much! You have
had years of refining and shaping this person that you are. You need to share it with the world.
What is
Active Ageing:
Active
ageing is a term that was adopted by the World Health Organization in the late
1900’s. It conveys a more inclusive
message than “healthy ageing” as it not only shows the variety of factors that
contribute to “healthy ageing”, but also the continuing participation of the
ageing individual in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic
affairs. Active ageing aims to extend
healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age, including
those who are frail, disabled and in need of care. [1]
Maintaining autonomy and independence as one grows older is a key goal and this
is where the role of an Occupational Therapist becomes very important.
What is
an Occupational Therapist:
–
Occupational Therapy involves helping people
live more independent and productive lives by the use of meaningful activities
to promote participation in everyday life. It is focused on improving
life skills which can lead to better quality of life. [2]
· “Occupational therapists facilitate optimal
occupational performance and community participation across the full spectrum
of ability, from healthy adults actively engaged in their communities to those
who are coping with serious physical and mental health conditions in more
supported environments like assisted living facilities and nursing homes” (Ad
Hoc Group on Aging, 2007, p. 1).
A
program will be run by an Occupational Therapist on Active Ageing that will be
presented in the form of groups. The aim
of this program is to guide you to become an Age Warrior. It will equip you to
promote and maintain your health, abilities and function. It will prevent and slow down loss of
independence. It will improve quality of life and help you to continue finding
meaning in your life. It is aim at empowerment through knowledge. Remember, knowledge is power!!! And yet knowledge
is only half the battle. You will only
become an Age Warrior if you do something about the knowledge you are given.
What is often a problem for senior citizens is the fact that
they need a lot of information whether medically, legally or about preventative
measures, but that there is not always a single health professional willing to
look at all the information and not just the symptoms and exploring an action
plan with and not for the individual. This program will aim to provide that
supportive environment, giving relevant information, individualized planning
sessions and intervention strategies.
The program will be divided in different themes, exploring
the different aspects that are important in the active ageing process. Here are a few tips taken from the program on
how to start the process of becoming an Age Warrior:
–
Change
your mindset.
We want the world to
change their mindsets about ageing and tear down the stereotypes and ideas that
are common to ageism. But have you
changed your own mindset? Do you believe
you are capable and still has a valuable contribution to make to society? The changes that comes with age, will only
limit you as much as you allow it to. Did
you know that there is growing literature pointing to the unique strengths of
older adults? Our knowledge continues to
grow as we get older and we have a better understanding of the world. Studies show that senior citizens have more
creative problem solving skills in everyday life and that emotional experience
and emotional balance improve with age. This
improved perspective of the world, is what gives elders wisdom, that cannot be
attained at younger ages. [3]
–
Be
informed.
We live in a world that is
full of information. You can self-diagnose from the internet these days and
every person can instantly become an expert on certain topics. It is however important that the information
you find is reliable. Make sure your
information comes from established institutions that have been around for a
while. Non-profit organizations that are specializing in the information you
are seeking is a good place to start. Reliable health websites of organizations
like WHO and National Institute on Aging can give valuable information or use MedlinePlus
to look up a specific condition. Keep
record of the information together with your action plans that you want to take
to apply the newly learned info. Discuss
these plans with trusted family members and friends to hear different opinions
on the matter.
–
Accept
and Adapt.
Even Age Warriors will
experience some functional losses as part of the ageing process. Warriors are
known for their wisdom. This includes
knowing how to fight the different battles.
Off-course the biggest technique to avoid functional loss will be
prevention and this is part of a life-course method. Avoiding health risk
behaviors like smoking and excessive drinking, being physically, socially and
spiritually active are all things that can decrease the amount of functional
loss as you become older. There is
however a circle of life process that we cannot deny. If you start to experience functional loss,
remember that early screenings and treatment has proven benefits of slowing
down the process. The next step is to
accept and adaptWe all need help and support from time to time. You might need help more often as you get
older – either using assistive devices, aids, or sometimes from a person. Allow yourself to find the balance between
accepting help and living as independently as possible. [4]
You are not putting yourself in a box by
accepting help. If you make the decision to seek help, you are taking control of your live and health.
–
Use your
Senses.
We receive sensory input every second and we are often not even aware
of this process as it is our bodies natural way of understanding our
environment. But why not purposefully
start stimulating your senses more and more?
Most older adults will experience some changes in their sensory capacity
(vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch sensation) as a normal part of
ageing. Why not counteract some of these
changes, by increasing your exposure to sensory stimulation. Sensory stimulation is a method of therapy
often used by health care professionals for people with dementia or cognitive
deficits as their opportunities for using their senses are limited. However, the times we are living in, often
restricts us from experiencing those very beneficial stimuli that we need. We almost never walk barefoot and therefore
don’t get much sensation under our feet.
This is something that is important as we have reflexology points under
our feet that benefit from stimulation.
We don’t have time to just take in the smells and sounds and beautiful
images we are surrounded with. Sensory stimulation is something that we all
need to seek out and enjoy every day. Think of creative ideas to stimulate your
senses everyday
–
Meditate.
There are many aspects of wellness that
is important to consider. Taking
wellness domains into consideration when thinking of our health and quality of
life means that we make use of a holistic life approach. Look for organizations that promotes wellness
and make sure that any health care professionals you see and their
prescriptions considers you holistically and aims to achieve wellness in the
different areas. Meditate! There are recent studies that show that
long-term meditation may slow brain ageing. [5] Meditation is also known for its effects on
reducing stress and anxiety levels which contributes to overall better health
and quality of life. [6]
Meditation does not only have to be seen in a traditional aspect, but can mean
any time set aside for relaxing, thinking and contemplating. Our minds need shutting down from time to
time and this can be achieved through active meditation. Find a quiet spot on your own, or put on some
calming music while meditating. Start
with a few minutes a day and try to increase this as you continue. Avoid distractions like mobile phones, or
thinking about to-do lists.
–
Make
memories:
When you reach a certain
age, you start worrying about your memory.
You get worried when you can’t remember people’s names or important
dates and even forgetting where you put your keys. What is important though is
to be able to determine what is part of normal ageing and what is not. A good question to ask yourself (or even a
trusted friend or family member) if you are worried about your memory is: Is this “memory loss” affecting my everyday
living in any way? (for instance, forgetting where you put your keys vs
forgetting what you use the keys for) Even if there are small ways in which it
does affect your daily functioning, then you still don’t need to immediately panic.
There are many ways of improving and maintaining memory and many memory aids to
use to help you remember important information.
If you do feel worried about your memory or your family/friends have
mentioned this to you a few times, you could get an early memory screening test
done and then be well-prepared for the future.
Another important thing to remember is to make new and special memories
every day. You don’t need perfect memory
in order to make memories.
–
Get
moving!
There are few things as
important as exercise, not only as we age, but throughout our lives. This does not only contribute make us feel
good and improve our quality of life, but is also one of the biggest factors of
preventing disease, functional loss and mental decline. Find an exercise program that works for you
and that is within your abilities and try to stick to it. Walking has many benefits and can be enjoyed
by most people without any equipment.
You could either walk for longer periods at a steady pace or try shorter
bursts of more intense walking, adding some stairs or hills etc. There are also many other exercises that can
be adjusted to suit your needs for instance yoga, tai chi and water gym. If you have some loss of mobility, then you
can still move your limbs and joints even when sitting or lying down to get
some stretching done and prevent the joints from becoming stiff. Start slow and then move forward.
–
Connect! “The
most important thing in life is the connection we make with others.” Tom Ford.
Our connections change throughout the course of our lives, and due to
circumstances or different life paths we lose connection with some people. The important thing is to keep on being
connected in some or other way. Social
isolation is a serious health risk and can increase the chances of mortality. [7] The three plagues that causes the bulk of
suffering in older people are loneliness, helplessness and boredom. [8] Age Warriors need to fight these plagues
through staying connected in various ways.
Think of different ways to stay connected by joining a class,
volunteering, or get connected on social media.
Stay spiritually connected. Find
ways to stay connected spiritually depending on your religion or different
beliefs. Having a rich spiritual life contributes to meaning to life.
–
Don’t
ignore signs of depression and/or anxiety.
Depression is not a normal part
of ageing. It is a medical and treatable
condition. The symptoms are often seen as typical problems of ageing. Be aware of the difference. Anxiety is known as they silent Geriatric Giant. It is twice as common as dementia and 4 – 8
times more common than major depressive disorder. Do not overlook and neglect symptoms of these
disorders. Rather seek help. Think about whether any of the symptoms you
experience from time to time affect your functioning and quality of life. Even though there are many different
activities that can improve mood and help you feel more relaxed, it is
important to know that there are also medical help that can make a big
difference.
–
Think
about the Future.
This does not mean
that you need to worry constantly about the future, but Age Warriors fight the
battle by being prepared for the future.
When thinking of the future it is important to be informed, to find
someone that you trust to be part of the process, to be realistic and to make
wise decision.
–
Remember
who you are.
Think about how you
want to be remembered. Write some of
your stories from the past down. Have
moments of reminiscing with friends or family, sharing old photos or keepsakes
with them. Write down things about your
personality, your likes and dislikes, taste in music, favourite food, music,
movies etc and this could form part of your care plan if needed in the future. Remind people that you are more than your
age, show them the person that you have always been. Be proud of that person!
–
Celebrating
the Third Age.
You have come so
far! This is just the next chapter in
your book. And it is not always about
the happy ending. It is about the story.
(Keep an
eye out for follow-up articles and helpful tips on the different aspects of
active ageing mentioned in the article.)
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