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Issues Affecting the Aged

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Issues Affecting the Aged
There are so many issues that affect the aged such as dealing with physical changes, the loss of friends and the inevitable thought that death is around the corner. Learning to eat properly and recognizing the need to learn coping skills in order to deal with the loss of independence as well as the loss of friends and loved ones.
When talking to adults who are in the late stages of adulthood about what they would do differently in order to feel better and prolong their life, they say that they would definitely change their eating habits to eat healthier and get some more physical exercise and make sure that it is enough to promote cardiovascular health. Physical exercise and diet can be the key to holding off the onset of diabetes and heart disease. Not to mention that good physical health can slow down the aging process and prolong the deterioration of muscles and strength. Eating the right foods can also promote good skin and slow the aging process that breaks down skin tissue and elasticity.
Adults in the late stages of adulthood start to lose their memory. They may not be able to remember what they had for breakfast or what they did yesterday but they can remember their life stories and the wisdom they gained from their experiences. If they have suffered some medical issues they may have problems articulating their words and processing language, but they can still explain to you how things worked in their time and discuss what life was like when they were growing up. A common theme among the adults interviewed was to make sure that they reminded people to slow down, take their time and spend more time with family and friends.
Everyone copes with dying differently, when a person is told that they are dying, psychologically they can go into denial or instantly become depressed. Others may physically break down because they let the stress of the news get to them and stress can make the disease progress. Some become angry at the world because this is a defense mechanism. Many different cultures have many different views on dying and some have spiritual beliefs that are so strong the person copes with the thought of dying by putting their faith in this spiritual belief.
Individual and circumstantial factors that surround the events of one’s death can determine how well or not well a person deals with or copes with the loss of a loved one. Perhaps the death was sudden and unexpected such as a murder or a car accident, the person may become numb and have a hard time believing that the event has occurred and that their loved one is gone which means that they do not move out of the shock and denial stage of grieving. On the flip side a person who’s loved one is terminally ill and they have had time to prepare for it may be able to start the grieving process right away and will be ready to experience all of the stages of grieving. There are seven stages of grieving and it is very important that the person grieving experience all seven stages otherwise they will never fully learn to cope with the death. The seven stages of grieving are: shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, depression, reflection, loneliness, the upward turn, reconstruction and working through, acceptance and hope.
In the late stages of adulthood learning to cope with the loss of loved ones is a prominent part of everyday life. As one adult in the late stages of life said “We used to go to weddings and baby showers and now we attend funerals.” This emotional factor of life can take a toll on a person’s physical and emotional well being. Learning to move and try to stay fit is very important and it is never too late to start, however the sooner the better. To sum it up if you ask a person in the late stages of adulthood what the key factors are to aging gracefully they would tell you to stay active, eat a healthy diet and stay away from fatty fried foods. Spend more time with family and friends and keep an active social life as well.

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