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Show Keys To Healthy Aging Aging is a gift of the 20th Century. Many of our parent's generation died in childbirth or in the early years of their life from diseases such us polio or pneumonia. "Actually, aging is a privilege for those who can learn to manage it lor what it can be," says Dr. James E. Birren in an article entitled "Weathering the Years." ONE WAY of looking at events that happen as you grow up and grow old is to think of them as developmental tasks. As characteristic times in our lives, typical events happen. Adolescents have identity crises. Young adults have uncertainty over what marriage partners and careers to choose. Adults have children to raise, mortgage payments to make and older parents to look after. Older adults have retirement retire-ment to face, grief to overcome, illness and death to accept. Developmental tasks are the "life crises" or the stressful life experiences that ask us to change and grow in wisdom and maturity. Change and stress both seem to pile up together in later life. Not only do you slow down, but losses in health, body energy and vigor generally occur with age. ONE OF the important strategies of growing older is to conserve energy. "When I was young, there was nothing I felt I couldn't do. Now 1 save myself for the big things" is the way one man put it. To have at least one close friend to share the details of your life also helps a person to endure the stresses of aging better. There will be an emotional cushioning if you have someone you can lean on in time ofcrisis or stress. Even the death of one's spouse is weathered better and the horrendous gap following death is more rapidly closed if you have a confidant. ALSO, A sense of self-confidence and competence com-petence seems to be an important aspect of the aging strategy. By having an "I know I can handle it" attitude and by having a self-reliant posture, the more likely you are to cope successfully suc-cessfully with stressful situations. If you expect ex-pect to be able to cope with stress, you are a long way toward being able to. Hope or optimism may also help you to mobilize mo-bilize your energies and increase your effectiveness effec-tiveness in reacting to stress. In one hospital study those patients who were given hope in contrast to those who were not, reported less anxiety and depression and a greater relief of their symptoms. IF YOU can anticipate future crises and stress, the harshness of their impact on your life can be reduced. Whether you are anticipating anticipat-ing a new occupation or retirement, marriage or divorce, open-heart surgery or a face lift, or moving in to live with your children, plan for it. Make up your mind to handle it. Maybe you can find out about these changes from friends or others who have had experiences with the stressful situation you are soon to face. Finally, healthy aging is making the most of one's resources, whether personal, family, or community. Many resources are available in our community to help individuals and families weather the crises of the years. Why net take advantage of them? These services, open to everyone no matter what their age, can be located lo-cated through a look at the local telephone directory or a call to an information and referral refer-ral service. A KEYS TO Healthy Aging program, dealing with the life concerns of elderly persons and personal and community resources to deal with these concerns, is available by request to any interested group in Davis County. The program has been designed to reinforce those areas of personal strength that help keep balance ba-lance and health in the aging years. Developed by seniors for seniors, this program prog-ram provides a way for seniors to look at some personal concerns about the changes experienced experi-enced in the aging process and to focus on positive ways of dealing with those changes. It also provides a process for seniors to become involved with ot er seniors. For more information informa-tion about the Keys toHealthy Aging program, please call Joanne at Davis County Mental Health Center at 298-3446. |
