Let’s face it, when it comes to senior citizens’ health, these embodiments of experience and knowledge can be stubborn. However, not all hope is lost if they’re given the right balance of tender, loving, and care to shift their attitude about a particular lifestyle.
The generation of baby “boomers” (born between 1945 and 1964, debatably) are known for their focus, discipline, and solid ethics. It’s safe to say that these legends of an era are known for these traits:
- Being Independent
- Competitive Nature
- Motivated by being Goal-Oriented
- Highly Resourceful
- Experienced
- Big on Self-Assurance
Hence, as this group gets close to the golden handshake – they have their own set of demons to battle. Moreover, the proceeding generation must understand this group’s nature to aid them when they need aid.
Yes, this independent group will struggle to ask for aid, but they’ll need it. Of course, they might not admit it, but that’s part of their nature. Before we press on, let’s understand where this generation stands medically in the US.
A report by the National Center for Health Statistics, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a statistical profile of the US aging population and says that nearly half, 46% of baby boomers are now 65 and older. Within this demographic, common diseases include arthritis, diabetes, and some types of cancer (i.e., mesothelioma).
Mesothelioma is a chronic disease caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. There are four types of mesotheliomas; pleural, peritoneal, pericardial, and testicular. Asbestos, also known as the ‘magic mirror’ though a fantastic material used for packing and insulation comes with caveats. Diseases include diffuse pleural thickening, pleural plaques, lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.
Going back to this generation of baby boomers – nine percent of them (aged 65 and above) are smokers, while 30% are dealing with obesity. Twenty-eight percent of this demographic is diagnosed with cognitive issues. So, it’s safe to say that boomers spend roughly 14% of their wealth on health.
As chronic as some of these diseases are, let’s take a step back and look at how patients (these not-so-senior citizens) can improve their quality of life as they battle chronic diseases like mesothelioma or other types of cancer, arthritis, and diabetes. Before taking a nose dive into this, let’s cover some primary fundamental grounds;
- Prevalent Health Risks in this Demographic – (already covered)
- Building awareness and staying up to date.
- How to stay strong when battling this condition, Mental and Physical.
So, the question is – how does a baby boomer take responsibility for their health?
Raising/Building Awareness
Like most of life’s curveballs – this, too, starts with building awareness and gaining knowledge of health risks. So, let’s look at some ways this generation can gain a better understanding of themselves.
Before unloading a plethora of questions on that search bar and eventually losing any sense of sanity, regular visits to a doctor are worth considering. Regular consultation with the doctor helps in early disease detection.
Focus Groups and Community Work
It’s important to understand that this generation’s decision-making and mental clockwork stems from independence. So, for example, they may reach a decision (which might not be ideal for a scenario) – but they’ll stick to that decision regardless – making them stubborn.
Suggesting them to join a group of like-minded individuals might be challenging, but eventually, they’ll warm up to the group if the tasks and goals align with their own. Of course, there’s always backlash and a strong chance of rejection, but there’s no real shortage of such community groups.
It won’t be a walk in the park, but so long as the group pushes members of this generation outside their comfort zone, they’ll eventually start committing.
Mental Destressing with Family Time
Amongst the top priorities of most boomers is family. Yes, Dominic ‘Dom Toretto’ (Vin Diesel from The Fast Franchise) was, unfortunately, right. Family motivates this lot – and when these individuals aren’t working, they want to connect with family and friends.
Hence, consider shifting the schedule to take time out for family and friends, host barbeques, plan stay-ins with family on vacations, and brace for arguments and drama. It’s one way to get the boomers to understand the importance of mental health and perhaps (if you’re adventurous enough) even to suggest a shift in lifestyle to cater to their new set of challenges.
This article might not be enough to cover the mental sphere of members of the Boomers group (perhaps that’s an idea for our next topic). Nevertheless, let’s consider some equally important aspects for these legends to stay healthy.
Physical Activities
When it comes to physical well-being, the boomers have indeed undergone a lot more grunt work than their proceeding generations. Hence, they tend to be rough around the edges, even though they are cautious of their self-abusive habits.
To ensure their physical well-being is intact, there are two facets to focus on. The first is the devil’s work (Nutrition), and the second is physical exercise. If the boomer already has an active lifestyle, that has half the work already completed. If not, perhaps this would be the right time to book an appointment with a professional.
Physical activities like regular walks and weekend activities like swimming, bowling, or tennis can pave the way to a healthy lifestyle. Of course, there might be lazy afternoons included here, but so long as this group of boomers gets enough activity, it’s a good start to maintaining and sustaining balance.
Nutrition vs. Indulgences
The second facet here is to focus on healthy nutrition, which might be more challenging than it sounds.
The daily drive for a boomer may vary, but often they’ll be motivated with short-term rewards such as food or building on hobbies. Some of these motivations might harm their health – such as social smoking, alcohol, indulging in junk food, sugary diets, etc.
Hence, a boomer might want to consider their choice of motivation and moderate (if not completely eradicate) the harmful indulgences.
An excellent start to this could be to build a healthy diet and leave one day of the weekend for their measured indulgences. This can be equally rewarding and a small step towards acknowledging a more nutritious life choice.
Picking a nutritionist with the doctor for regular checkups can significantly help, considering various allergies, health conditions, and lifestyle situations.
That’s a Wrap!
This brings us to the end of these eggshells of a topic. Legend has it; a boomer is almost always lurking around, waiting to provide their advice and experience – talking about how things were different when they were struggling.
Cherish these legends, spend time with them, and perhaps the proceeding generations might better understand preparing for life’s curveballs. Understand their mental space, physical needs, and motivators to bring them to a healthier life choice.
I hope you enjoyed this read, and if you have your two cents to add – feel free to add that in the comments section below.