With aging comes more experience and wisdom, but it’s also the prime time of our lives to nurture health and well-being in order to age gracefully.
Filipinos have a life expectancy of 71 years- an increase of 15 years in the average lifespan compared to the 1960s. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over by 2030. By 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double, while persons aged 80 years and older is expected to triple in number between 2020 and 2050.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has also projected a significant increase in the global population aged 60 years and above. By the year 2100, the aging society will be at 3.1 Billion, a billion more from the 2.1 Billion in 2050.
Geriatric syndromes
The World Health Organization describes aging as a natural occurrence that results from the impacts of the accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time, leading to a gradual decrease in physical and mental capacity. Beyond the biological factors, aging can also be associated with other significant life transitions and conditions.
Dr. Deana Santos-Ringor, Gerontologist from Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH), discussed the various aspects that influence health to older adults. This could be individual factors like a person’s behavior, age-related changes, genetics, and diseases, or environmental factors including their residence, transport, social facilities, and assistive technologies. The person’s personal characteristics combined with their environment have long-term effects on how they age. “As we age, we are more likely to develop different kinds of health problems, medically known as geriatric syndromes”, Ringor adds. The latter is a term used to capture clinical conditions which are common among older adults and have damaging effects on function and quality of life. Examples of these are sleep problems, immobility, cognitive impairment such as dementia, depression, and delirium, urinary incontinence, among others.
Aging also affects the body’s ability to heal wounds. Dr. Glenn Genuino, Clinical Chair of MDH Wound Care Center, confirms that wounds can take much longer time to heal as a person grows older. “As we age, a person’s physiological resilience is compromised, hence it takes much longer for wounds to heal for older persons. The collagen production is affected during aging, and this affects the strength and elasticity of tissues, which impacts the healing process of the wound”, Genuino explained.
Healthy aging
WHO defines healthy aging as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age. This means that the aging person is still capable of meeting their basic needs, being mobile, learning and making decisions, building and maintaining relationships, and contributing to society. Ringor emphasized the need of having a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activities, refraining from tobacco use, and generally maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout life to contribute to one’s healthy aging.
Medical experts also recommend taking preventive steps as a person reaches their 50s. On top of their annual physical exams, various health screenings are also needed. This may include cancer screenings, cholesterol profile, mammograms for females, vision tests, hepatitis screenings, and other relevant immunizations and vaccines.
For senior couple Gerardo and Amelia Dangca, they had their retirement years in mind when they were still at the peak of their careers. Now in their 70s, the former banking professionals spend their sunset years at the comfort of their home surrounded by their family. “It’s important to always be mindful of how you live your life during your younger days. Despite our busy schedules when we were working, we made sure to do our daily physical activities like brisk walking and zumba”, Gerardo said. Noting the demanding job they had before, Amelia reminded the young ones to always keep their morale high. “Don’t let stress get the best of you. Always smile and laugh often with family and friends. Happiness keeps you younger too”, she added.
Age is just a number. Gerardo and Amelia still enjoy their physical activities together. (Contributed photo)
Home Care for Older Adults
Dr. Karin Estepa-Garcia of MDH Family and Community Medicine recognized the challenge of taking care for older adults, especially those under palliative care. “Older adults and seniors over the age of 65 experiencing geriatric syndromes like heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, are often the prime candidates for palliative care. It gives the patient treatment options, even outside the hospital, that focus on improving their quality of life on a day-to-day basis”.
Palliative care is a clinical approach focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pains, and stress of a serious illness. It can be offered alongside curative treatments and is appropriate at any age and any stage of an illness. “Some older adult patients prefer the comfort of their home during palliative care, and we respond to that by providing them options for home care”, Garcia added.
The Age Well Packages under the Geriatric Wellness Program of Manila Doctors Hospital are designed to provide preventive care, comprehensive health assessments, and tailored wellness for elderly. To know more about this, contact Home Care Plus at 0919-0972906, 0919-9132546, or email hhcp@maniladoctors.com.ph.
