Is Aging Necessarily All About Decline and Pain?
By Nate Murray

MARSHFIELD - It seems to me that everyone is talking about how bad it is to get old. Is this true? Does aging necessarily mean decline and pain.

Despite what you hear, aging for most people isn’t a time of deterioration, mental confusion and disease. In fact, statistics show that normal aging for many is a period in life that can be fulfilling, rewarding and satisfying. Let’s look at a few myths about getting older.

Myth #1
Most older people become senile eventually.

False. Significant, progressive memory or thinking impairment effects less than 5% of the population age 65 to 74 and no more than 25% of people over 85.

Myth #2
Most older people are sick and need help with their daily activities.

False. Eighty percent of elderly adults are healthy and carry on with their normal lifestyles. About 15% have a chronic health condition that interferes with their daily lives and only 5% require long term institutionalized nursing care.

Myth #3
Older people are set in their ways and can’t change.

False. People tend to become more consistent in their beliefs as they age but elders are constantly adapting to new circumstances, social situations and significant life changes and losses. They tend to be resilient in ways younger people cannot even imagine.

Elders can and do remain healthy and vibrant through a number of effective strategies. Engaging in regular physical exercise, taking on new intellectual challenges and maintaining or creating active social contacts leads to healthier, happier people of all ages.

This is no less true for elders. And when older people find they can benefit from additional services and in-home assistant to maintain their independence, there is a network of professional services available to help them.

About The Author
Nate Murray, MSW, LICSW is the Managing Partner and Kim Griffin, LSW is the Director of The Visiting Angels, a division of MBC Senior Services, Inc. Send your questions to them at 475 School Street, Suite 9, Marshfield MA 02050. They can be reached at (781) 834-6355 or on the web at www.visitingangels.com.