Although you can’t stop the hands of time, you can choose how you’ll approach getting older. With this healthy aging guide, you can learn what benefits and challenges to expect when aging, how to adjust lifestyles for senior health concerns, and ways to implement sustainable strategies that can help you age comfortably in place and live your best life.
Common Aging Myths
There are many misconceptions about our golden years, some of which you may have even believed yourself. Below, we dispel some of these common myths about aging.
Myth #1: New Technology Doesn’t Appeal to Seniors
Nearly 66% of Americans age 50 and older say that technology enriches their lives by making daily life and aging easier. In fact, adults 50+ own an average of seven tech devices that they use daily, including smartphones (91%), smart TVs (78%), laptops (72%), and tablets (62%). Not to mention, older adults are increasingly using digital tools and services to manage finances, maintain social circles, and keep track of health and wellness.
Myth #2: Older Adults Can’t (or Won’t) Learn New Things
While some seniors may not be interested in experiencing new things later in life, that’s not true for all older adults. Not only are seniors still capable of learning, but many actively seek opportunities to change and grow with age through hobbies like gardening, learning new languages, or even returning to school to develop new skills.
Myth #3: Meaningful Work Isn’t a Priority for Seniors
The senior workforce has nearly quadrupled since the mid-1980s, with nearly 11 million people age 65 and older currently holding a job. While many seniors are continuing to work full-time or part-time due to financial need, others maintain jobs or seek employment post-retirement for human connection and personal fulfillment.
Myth #4: Older Adults Need More Sleep
The National Institute on Aging (NIH) states that seniors need about the same amount of sleep as other adults— that is, roughly seven to nine hours per night. Keep in mind that this can vary based on sleep habits, medical conditions, daily schedule, and other factors.
Myth #5: Exercise Isn’t Safe for Seniors
Staying active is an essential part of aging well. Even though older adults may not be able to do all the same activities they enjoyed in their younger days, daily exercise can improve bone health, strengthen muscles, improve balance, contribute to a healthy weight, and boost overall mood.
Myth #6: Older Adults Don't Have Reliable Memories
Mental and physical deterioration are part of life, but seniors don’t suddenly lose the ability to remember things. For most older adults, short-term memory declines slowly. In fact, there are plenty of ways to slow cognitive decline and keep the mind sharp, including good nutrition, exercise, playing brain games, and maintaining strong social connections.
Myth #7: Seniors Are Built-In Babysitters
While some seniors may be interested in spending more time with and helping to raise their grandchildren, others may wish to spend their golden years traveling, picking up new hobbies, or even working. Every family dynamic is unique.
Myth #8: Caring for Pets Is Too Hard for Older Adults
Having a pet is often a great way for seniors to find meaningful companionship later in life. Many communities have pets-for-seniors programs that match older adults with cats, dogs, or other animals. Some rescue groups even offer a “permanent foster” option, meaning that you provide the love, and they cover the costs of food and vet care.
Myth #9: Seniors Don’t Need Close Relationships
Though we may have fewer connections as we get older, humans are social creatures, and seniors can benefit greatly from close relationships with family and friends. Fortunately, with social media and other digital tools, it’s easier for older adults to stay connected with family and friends—especially those who no longer live close by.
Myth #10: Older Adults Can’t Contribute to Society
Seniors have decades of personal and professional experiences that they can share and pass down to younger generations through volunteer work, mentoring opportunities, and championing causes. In fact, seniors often feel happier and more fulfilled when they engage with and stay connected to their communities.
What to Expect with Aging
Aging has unique benefits and challenges. For instance, you might not have the energy of a young adult anymore, but you likely have more confidence and wisdom in your older years. To age with grace, it’s important to understand all the upsides and downsides of aging.
Benefits of Aging
It’s easy to focus on the negative aspects of growing older, but there are so many wonderful benefits of aging for us to embrace.
Stronger Sense of Self
As we age, we become more comfortable in our own skin. We have learned to love ourselves and accept our strengths and weaknesses, giving us less need for external validation.
More Grounded Perspectives
By the time we reach our older years, we have accumulated an extensive amount of life experience. Not only does this wisdom help us better handle difficult situations, but we’ve also learned the importance of not fretting about the little things.
New Passion Projects
When we’re in the midst of our careers or raising our families, we often set aside our hobbies, goals, and interests. In our golden years, we can take the time to learn a different skill, revisit a favorite activity, or immerse ourselves in a new hobby.
Opportunities to Travel and Explore
Whether we enjoy relaxing on the beach, golfing on well-groomed courses, or trying new restaurants in our cities, travel and exploration can be a great way to reduce stress, boost our mental health, and gain more life experiences.
Giving Back to Others
Being retired—or being in a stable position in our careers—can give us more time and resources to volunteer with organizations and causes that touch our hearts.
Challenges of Aging
While aging can make us feel more stable in who we are and what we value, there are some less-than-exciting changes we encounter as we grow older.
Loss of Mobility
In our elderly years, getting around—whether walking or driving—becomes more difficult because we lose the physical abilities we had in our youth. We’re not as flexible as we once were, and we may struggle with balance and visibility.
Employment Concerns
Whether we choose to go back to work for personal fulfillment or financial needs, finding work can be a challenge due to age bias. Around 35% of employers felt there was a specific age where applicants were “too old” for the job. Some said 58 was too old, while others said 62. Nevertheless, this can make it difficult for us to find work in our later years.
Chronic Health Conditions
Certain medical conditions become more common as we age, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), diabetes, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, and autoimmune diseases. This often means we need to be more mindful about how we approach our nutrition, exercise routines, stress levels, and medications.
Living Away from Loved Ones
As we become less mobile later in life, it can be harder to get together with family and friends, whether they live just across town or across the country. Even if it’s a short distance, this can reduce the amount of time we spend with our loved ones.
Understanding Medicare
One of the trickiest parts of getting older is working through the transition from employer-provided health insurance to Medicare or Medicare Advantage plans. While these plans can make accessing healthcare easier for seniors, they can also be quite confusing.
How to Age Well
As you grow older, certain lifestyle adjustments can make a difference in how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. Eating the right foods, staying active, and reducing stress are three of the most important changes you can make to stay happy and healthy as you age.
Nutrition
Eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lean proteins can provide the nutrition you need to stay healthy while aging. In some cases, supplements may be needed to address additional nutritional needs as you age.
Finding the Right Diet
Compared to younger adults, seniors tend to have lower caloric needs but greater nutrient requirements. Changes in appetite, metabolism, bone and muscle mass, gut health, and physical activity levels can affect what our bodies need. Chronic conditions, diseases, and certain medications can alter nutritional demands, too.
In general, healthy eating guidelines for older adults suggest:
- Opting for a heart-healthy diet or following the MIND diet
- Avoiding processed or "junk” foods
- Eliminating or reducing sugar and alcohol intake
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about nutritional recommendations and diets that align with your unique health needs. For example, you may be told to follow a low-sodium diet if you have high blood pressure, kidney disease, or other cardiovascular conditions.
Looking Into Supplements
It’s always best to try to meet your dietary needs by making healthy food choices first, but if your body needs additional support, supplements can fill this gap.
Here are some of the common vitamins recommended for seniors:
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Zinc
It’s possible to take too many supplements, the wrong dose, or a combination that negatively interacts with other medications, so always check with your healthcare provider before taking supplements.
Exercise
One of the keys to healthy aging is staying active. Even if your exercise routine is a little less intensive than it was before, you can slow mobility loss, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions later in life through regular exercise.
Benefits of Exercise for Aging
There are several benefits of staying active as you grow older, including (but not limited to):
- Increased flexibility and mobility
- Better balance
- Stronger muscles and joints
- Reduced risk of falls
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Enhanced mental health
- Reduced risk of chronic disease
- Improved sleep quality
Fitness Options for Seniors
Staying fit and healthy doesn’t require an expensive health club or a private trainer. Many activities can be performed around your home, at a local park or community center, while socializing with friends, or through AARP online sessions.
Seniors are typically recommended 20 to 30 minutes of cardio activities a few days a week to promote healthy aging. Cardio exercises can include:
- Walking
- Hiking
- Biking
- Dancing
- Stretching
- Swimming or water aerobics
- Yoga
It’s good to talk with a healthcare provider before beginning a new fitness regimen, especially if you have a history of heart conditions. Talking with your doctor about exercising can also help you prevent injuries or serious health complications.
Fall Prevention
As you experience vision changes, mobility loss, and other changes with aging, you may be at a higher risk of falling. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25% of adults age 65 and older fall each year. Injuries sustained from a fall can range from minor cuts and bruises to more serious issues like broken bones, blood loss, head trauma, and even death. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce your fall risk.
Schedule a Fall Risk Assessment
It’s recommended that adults 65 and older get a fall risk screening every year to help prevent falls and fall-related injuries. These screenings include questions about your overall health and any issues you may have had with walking, standing, or balance—including experiences with previous falls.
Your healthcare provider may also ask you to perform a set of tasks known as fall assessment tools that test your gait (i.e., how you walk), balance, and strength.
Monitor Medical Conditions
Schedule and attend all recommended health screenings and appointments with healthcare providers, including regular vision assessments, to ensure you don’t have underlying health conditions that could increase your fall risk.
Regular check-ins with your doctor can also help you be mindful of potential side effects of any medications you’re taking that could contribute to falls, such as dizziness, blurred vision, unsteadiness, confusion, or drowsiness.
Reduce Hazards at Home
Most falls occur at home, so it’s important to reduce clutter and remove any potential tripping hazards in your home. Some ways you can make your home safer include:
- Use good lighting, especially around stairs
- Install handrails, grab bars, and non-slip mats in bathrooms
- Clean up any spills immediately
- Store commonly used items within reach
- Remove loose, decorative rugs
- Keep pathways inside and outside of the home clear
Mental Health
As our brains change in our older years, mental tasks like information recall, multi-tasking, and focusing become more difficult. While this is part of normal aging, it’s important to keep an eye on these changes and continue to flex your brain muscles to help stave off more severe memory loss or dementia.
Normal Aging vs. Signs of Dementia
Things like occasionally misplacing your keys or struggling to remember a name or a word are considered normal signs of aging. But when misplacing your keys becomes forgetting how to use them or not remembering someone’s name becomes forgetting who they are and how you know them, there may be more serious issues with memory loss.
More significant declines in cognitive abilities with age can be early signs of dementia. These signs may include (but are not limited to):
- Severe confusion or forgetfulness
- Struggling with language and meanings of words
- Not recognizing family members and friends
- Getting lost more frequently
- Inability to follow step-by-step directions
- Frequent balance issues or falls
- Increased agitation, anxiety, and/or paranoia
- Social withdrawal
- Difficulty with activities of daily living (ADLs)
If you’re experiencing severe memory loss or other significant mental or behavioral changes, consult your healthcare provider. Whether it’s an existing health condition or medication causing these symptoms, or an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, your doctor will be able to provide you with the support and guidance you need.
Benefits of Brain Games and Active Learning
Though you can’t entirely stop cognitive decline with age, medical experts suggest that there’s a link between brain games and slowing or preventing memory loss in seniors.
If you’re looking for ways to stay sharp and promote healthy aging, try incorporating these mentally stimulating games and activities into your routine:
- Chess and checkers
- Scrabble and word puzzles
- Card and dice games
- Trivia games
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Video games
Social Connections
After you retire, your weekly routine changes. You may find yourself interacting with fewer people and spending more time alone at home, which can lead to boredom, loneliness, or depression. This is why it’s good to stay in touch with loved ones and maintain a regular social life as you age. Not only does social connection help you feel a sense of purpose, but it can even boost your physical and mental health.
Staying Connected with Family and Friends
Whether it’s the result of retirement, friends moving to different cities, the death of a spouse or partner, grown children who are busy with their own careers and families, or even something as simple as lack of transportation, you may feel isolated from family and friends as you age. Fortunately, with today’s technology, there are plenty of ways to stay in touch.
Here are some ways you can stay connected with your loved ones:
- Schedule a weekly phone call or video chat
- Send regular check-in text messages or emails
- Follow each other on social media, where you can chat and share life updates
Where to Meet New People
Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you’re unable to make new friends. By finding meaningful activities that you enjoy, you can meet people who have the same interests and values as you, which can help you widen your social circles in your golden years.
Some places where you can interact with others and make new friends include:
- Places of worship
- Community centers
- Local parks
- Recreational sports leagues
- Library activities and events
- Birdwatching groups
- Neighborhood associations
- Fitness classes
- 55+ residential communities
- Gardening, knitting, or book clubs
Aging in Place
A survey from the AARP found that 77% of people age 50 and older want to remain in their homes as they grow older. This is known as “aging in place,” and many older adults are planning ahead for their future needs so that they can age comfortably at home.
Some of the top reasons why seniors prefer aging at home instead of living in a retirement community or assisted living facility include:
- Familiar surroundings
- Connection to neighbors and friends
- Autonomy and sense of self
- Reduced infection exposure
- Cost savings
- Reduced stress and confusion
- Family traditions and memories
Even if your health needs change over time or you require more daily assistance, you can find in-home caregiving and skilled nursing services that allow you to get the help and treatment you need without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
BrightStar Care Can Help You Age in Place
Aging at home is a great way to ensure you’re comfortable and happy in your elder years, but you may still need help as your lifestyle changes over time. Even if you have family members that live nearby or friendly neighbors, professional caregiving and skilled nursing services may be needed to accommodate all of your at-home needs. That’s where having an in-home care agency that knows care—from medication management and assistance with ADLs to specialized Alzheimer’s and dementia care—can help.
With nurse-led care from BrightStar Care®, you can age comfortably at home and trust that you’re in good hands. If you're looking for in-home care services for you or a loved one, our experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online, or call (866) 618-7827 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.