Older adults carry a wealth of life experience, having navigated many obstacles that helped shape who they are today. Here’s a look at some of the common challenges that most older adults face at some point in their lives.
Loss of Independence
Older adults are likely to have experienced some form of loss of independence. Whether that means they can no longer drive or they require help from others doing simple tasks, this can be a struggle to mentally accept. The important thing to remember is that you’re receiving the help you require to maintain your lifestyle.
Social Isolation
According to the National Institute on Aging, “Older adults are at higher risk for social isolation and loneliness due to changes in health and social connections that can come with growing older, hearing, vision, and memory loss.” It’s important to interact with people as often as possible for your mental well-being, such as by including yourself in community activities.
Housing and Living Arrangements
Often, older people have to adapt their homes or even move homes to meet their requirements. They may need a stairlift installed or grab bars to help them with their balance. Some may even need to move into properties with assisted living to help them cope.
Chronic Health Conditions
The CDC reports, “Aging increases the risk of chronic diseases such as dementias, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. These are the nation’s leading drivers of illness, disability, death, and health care costs.” Adapting your lifestyle to deal with certain conditions can still mean you can enjoy the things you do in life.
Mental Health Issues
After spending so many years alive, it’s likely most older adults have experienced some kind of mental health challenge at some stage in their lives. Mental health issues can be triggered for a variety of reasons, from stress to loneliness. It’s important to keep on top of your mental health where you can and seek help when you need it.
Financial Insecurity
At some stage in life, most people will go through a phase where they may struggle financially, and if they don’t, then they’re one of the lucky ones. Financial insecurity can be a very stressful period in life. It’s always best to budget and put money aside where possible to prevent periods of financial struggle.
End-of-Life Planning
This is a challenge we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. It can be hard to accept and even discuss. However, it’s very important to have things such as wills and any end-of-life wishes in place, as it can make an already difficult situation for your loved ones a bit easier.
Technology Challenges
Most older adults have faced the challenge of keeping up with the latest technology, probably on more than one occasion. It can be an important challenge to keep on top of, as technology can be a great source to help older people stay connected with others.
Transportation Issues
Some older adults have to give up driving because their vision or reactions aren’t what they used to be. This can take some getting used to, as they have to find other alternatives to get around. Using buses during busy times can be overwhelming for the older generation so they have to adapt to their new norm.
Healthcare Navigation
The older you get, the more important it becomes to have the correct insurance and medical policies in place for your healthcare. This can be very overwhelming, trying to understand the terminology and dealing with the different healthcare providers, but it’s important to stay on top of it.
Vision and Hearing Loss
The Conversation reports, “Changes to our eyes and ears occur as a result of disease, genetic factors, ‘wear and tear,’ and environmental factors.” This can make it harder to communicate and people who suffer can start to feel frustrated. It’s important to get your hearing and vision tested regularly so any issues can be spotted early on.
Physical Safety
The older generation tends to have more falls than any other. When people get older, their balance can become worse, meaning they fall over more, and due to being more frail than in their younger days, they can suffer injuries. It’s important to make your house as fall-proof as possible to avoid serious injuries.
Managing Medications
There comes a time in life when older people tend to take medication to help with illnesses. Managing your different medications can be overwhelming. It’s important to stay on top of this and ensure you take them on time. Setting alarms can help with this and prevent you from forgetting.
Loss of Peers and Loved Ones
Unfortunately, losing peers or loved ones is a way of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Most older adults will have experienced this at some point in their lives, and it can be truly heartbreaking. It can be tough mentally to deal with, so it’s important to be there and support people going through this tragedy.
Mobility and Physical Limitations
As you grow older, your muscle mass can decrease, making you weaker, along with a decline in joint function. This can put limitations on older people’s movements. Day-to-day tasks like walking up a staircase can become a struggle. Older adults may have to make adaptations, such as using a walking stick.
Cognitive Decline
Cognitive function can slow down as you get older. The Mayo Clinic gives us symptoms to look out for if this starts to happen, which include forgetting things, missing appointments, losing your train of thought, or having trouble keeping up a conversation. This can be very frustrating to accept and have a big impact on daily life.
Dealing with Age Discrimination
One thing many older adults have dealt with at some point in their lives is age discrimination. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon, and older adults get told they shouldn’t do something because of their age. This can be tough to hear, but you shouldn’t accept it. Nobody has a right in life to tell you what you can and can’t do.
Becoming a Grandparent
This may not seem to be a challenge as you’re already a parent; however, as an older adult, you may not have the energy you used to when you had your own children crawling around. It can be tiring but so rewarding, and it can provide some people with a new purpose in life.
