Healthy Aging Archive

Research has found that people with more positive attitudes about growing old tend to live longer than those with negative thoughts about aging. They also have a lower risk for diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease and better cognitive functioning. People can maintain a healthy mindset about aging by adopting certain lifestyle habits, such as reducing anxiety, finding purpose in life, seeking challenges, socializing more, and rejecting negative stereotypes about aging.

Older adults need to safely be able to sit and rise from the ground whether kneeling in the garden, looking for something under the bed, or playing on the floor with the grandkids. This movement is also helpful when getting up after a fall. Three exercises that can help older adults with daily up-and-down mobility are kneel-to-stand, crawling, and sit-to-stand.

Three group housing trends can help ward off loneliness and isolation in older age. One trend is specialized communities, which are private mini-neighborhoods that promote shared activities, involvement with neighbors, and sometimes shared goals (such as providing stable lives for foster children). The communities are run by the people who live there or by nonprofit organizations. Another trend is home sharing—taking on a boarder or sharing a home with friends. A third trend is residential care homes, which are small assisted living facilities in private homes licensed by the state.

Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition characterized by an inability to discard certain belongings to the point of unhealthy accumulation. While the types of hoarded items vary and might be useless to others—old clothes, boxes, papers, junk mail, or even spoiled food or garbage—the person hoarding the items is convinced they'll be needed one day. The mere idea of parting with them is extremely distressing. In time, stuff fills the home in mounds of disorganized clutter that jams rooms and hallways and threatens safety. Beyond clutter, signs of hoarding disorder include impaired behavior, such as social isolation, sleep loss, or indecision.

People are considered to have resistant hypertension if their blood pressure remains at or above 130/80 millimeters of mercury despite taking the highest dosage of at least three different blood pressure medications and following healthy habits. Many times, it helps to explore other factors that could cause blood pressure to rise. These include failure to take medication correctly, white-coat syndrome, sleep apnea, alcohol intake, and use of over-the-counter pain remedies.

A 2023 study noted a sharp rise in injuries (from 2001 to 2020) among people who walked dogs on leashes. Dog walkers most commonly suffered broken fingers, shoulder sprains, and traumatic brain injuries.

A 2023 study found that when the blood supply of an old mouse was connected to a young mouse, the organs of the young mouse aged dramatically. When they were disconnected, the aging reversed. Similar changes have been observed in humans with certain conditions.

Most older adults experience occasional "senior moments" when they forget names, misplace objects, or have difficulty following conversations. While these types of memory issues may come and go, it's when they become more frequent or severe or if new problems emerge that signals a potential issue. A doctor can help determine if underlying issues may be causing memory problems and whether further neuropsychological evaluation is needed.

Intergenerational friendships typically involve an older adult and someone who's 15, 20, or more years younger. Studies suggest people can benefit physically and psychologically from such friendships. Friends of diverse ages can expose people to different experiences, attitudes, and approaches. To create intergenerational friendships, people can use a shared workplace or activity as a springboard for deeper connection. They should show genuine interest in the other person's life and experiences.

A 2023 study suggests that women and older adults are more likely to sustain serious injuries, such as fractures and head trauma, than others while walking a leashed dog.