Eldercare In An Age of Scarcity:Who Will Care? Who Will Pay ...

As people age, you would think their biggest concern would be their general health care but studies around the world, including in the United States, Canada, and Britain all show the same trend?the elderly are more concerned about losing their independence. Some research shows that they are more worried about independence than they are about dying.

A similar survey in Belgium shows that 64 per cent of elderly people would rather stay in their homes and receive help than move out and into a home for the aged.

Forty-three per-cent said despite their fear, they predict that they will end up in a home at some point.

A survey in the United States mimicked the results in Belgium. It showed that 64 per cent feared having to leave their homes, but only 7 per cent were afraid to die.

Roughly half of the relatives surveyed said they would take in the senior, but 25 per cent of those seniors said they wouldn?t accept the offer because they ?don?t want to be a burden on their family.?

Doctors say it is not uncommon for seniors to want to maintain independence. In most cases to maintain independence means to be able to make meals, get dressed,

and perform other simple, daily tasks without requiring assistance. While aging is a natural process and most seniors understand this, there are some that are eager to maintain youth and are easily conned by massive scams such as the "anti-aging" movement which sells billions of dollars of useless vitamins, food supplement and crackpot diet and excercise programs that have never been proven to even slightly reverse the aging process.

Instead of wasting money and creating the false hope that you can reverse the aging process by giving your money to the "anti-aging" snake oil peddlers? studies show that simple physical exercise and mental stimulation is helpful in maintaing your independence. The physical exercise doesn?t have to be rigorous; it can be movement in a gentle manner such as taking a leisurely walk. As for exercising the mind; it can be in the form of simply reading, listening to a recording or socializing with friends.

Our world is aging fast. According to the United Nations by the year 2025 the global population will be 25 per cent elderly people. This greying of the world will put a huge strain on aging facilities so many governments are studying the issue and trying to come up with ways to help seniors maintain independence and stay in their homes longer. No matter what the infomercials or the quacks that are given legitimacy by appearing on popular TV shows tell you, there are no "anti-aging" gimmicks that will change this. Save your money and follow a simple common sense routine of mild excercise, eating modest amounts of food, including meat, fish fruits and vegetables. This simple lifestyle is not going to extend your life span by decades, but it will allow you to enjoy your remaining years and let you live those years with more independence.

Bob O'Toole is President of Informed Eldercare Decisions, LLC with more than 25 years of experience advising elders and family caregivers. He can be reached at bob@elderlifeplanning.com

Source: http://elderplanner.blogspot.com/2013/02/losing-independence-scares-older-people.html

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