Getting old is not always that bad, but there are things that no one realizes until they have reached their golden years. Many of the challenges will be physically related, but there is mental and emotional stress you need to prepare for. Here are some things no one talks about when it comes to getting older.
Your Body Will Shrink
It’s almost like becoming a baby again. Sounds scary, right? The truth is that your body can only sustain you for so long unless you are the healthiest person on the planet, and plan to live to 100. From around the age of 40, you will already start noticing signs of shrinkage. Your spine will be the main problem, as the fluid in your spinal discs starts to dissipate.
Once you reach your early 60s, you may start to notice that your back hunches as well, making you even shorter. There are ways to combat this with exercise and yoga, but it will happen one way or another. It’s just nature.
Your Cognitive Function May Decline
Alzheimer’s is a frightening condition, but it’s not the only thing that you could be in danger of. Dementia is a common problem for many elderly people and it can be even harder on their families. When they watch someone they love lose their mental capacity to function as a normal human being, the sick person doesn’t even know it’s happening.
You may be in a separate world entirely, even reverting to old memories where you think you are a teenager again. Think about memory care for aging parents before your loved ones watch you battle with Alzheimer’s or dementia. According to workers compensation lawyers in Alabama, this might even be paid for by the employer when the condition was caused by some sort of negligence, even if at a small percentage. It is just something worth investigating.
Some Good News
One great advantage is that as you age, people become easier on you. You may not be as grumpy as you were as a youngster and people generally treat the elderly much better. Being older does have its perks. As people age, they lose a lot of the stress and anger that plagued them when they were younger.
Science doesn’t know why this happens. Perhaps you just become tired of fighting for unimportant things or getting mad at the tiniest problem. Either way, there is something to look forward to.
You May Get More Injuries
This is completely natural because your bones, joints, and muscles aren’t what they used to be. Expect it because it’s going to happen. You can get away with fewer hip fractures and falls if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet, but you also need to be extra careful.
Just because you can continue to drive yourself around doesn’t mean picking up a heavy box the wrong way won’t result in injury.
As an older person, you have learned everything you need and you have worked a full life. You probably even started a family and have recently retired to live out the rest of your life. No one in the world wants the pain of getting older and the fear of losing bodily functions, but it also needs to be a more discussed topic.