Exploring the Challenges of Growing Older We are all constantly aging. Whether we like it or not, as the years pass, every one of us gets older. As our bodies age, they start to break down and not work as well as they used to. Certain parts of our body in particular tend to show the effects of aging.
Problems with Joints and Losing Abilities One of these body parts is our joints. In general, as we age, our joints start stiffening, which can makes it difficult to move. Our joints are what help our arms, legs, and other appendages move back and forth seamlessly. When our joints start stiffening, naturally movement becomes much more difficult. This can be extremely immobilizing and demoralizing for an older individual who is used to being very mobile. Another difficulty associated with aging is not being able to cope with the decrease in overall mobility and certain skills. For example, as people age, they start to lose the ability to do certain things one by one. They may lose their ability to walk because the legs in their joints are too stiff. Or perhaps they have arthritis in their hands, so they can no longer write a letter to their grandson. Sometimes older people even have trouble eating. This is sometimes because their body simply does not want the food, or it could be due to complications because of teeth or dentures. Older people often lose their sight as well. Many older people are half blind in one eye, or even totally blind in one eye. This means that they have their vision, but it is significantly diminished and limited. For some individuals, still having a little bit of vision is something to be treasured. But some people would rather have all of their vision taken away than have it be taken away little by little.
Hearing Loss and Knee Problems Older people often report having hearing loss. This can result from several different things. Individuals who lose their hearing earlier in life probably did not take very good care of their ears when they were younger. Perhaps these people listened to a lot of loud music, or attended many loud concerts. Hearing loss can be very frustrating for older people. These people want to be involved and included in the conversation when family and friends visit, but oftentimes they cannot hear the conversation, making it very difficult to participate in what is going on.
The people around them, usually their family and friends, will try to accommodate their needs by talking loudly and intentionally pronouncing everything they say. This can have either a positive or a negative result. Many older people with hearing loss appreciate the efforts that those around them go to make sure that they are included in the conversation. But other older people with hearing loss feel that they are being mocked, or that they are putting other people out of their way. They refuse to be treated any differently than anyone else in the room, and they just sit quietly, unable to hear what is going on in the conversation. Many people who are older need a knee replacement doctor to help them get a new knee. A knee replacement doctor can come in very handy for an individual who is suffering severe pain because of their knee. There are many challenges associated with getting older, and they differ according to the individual. Photo credit: mnsc via photopin cc Photo credit: Pieter Musterd via photopin cc