Mark Twain once said, “Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.” The reason Twain said this was to encourage people to see old age in a positive way. Being positive is the best way to cope with the challenges aging throws at us.

Experts at Ashton House, one of the best nursing homes in Crawley West Sussex, say that being positive and strong also means accepting when you need help with activities of daily living and not hesitating to seek this help. And, this is exactly the type of care that care homes in Crawly and West Sussex offer, while preserving the independence, dignity and quality of life for the elderly.

Here are four challenges people face with age.

Weight Gain

When we age, we become less active and don’t use up calories as fast as we used to do when we were younger. Moreover, our body tends to lose muscle mass, since the rate at which they deteriorate is not the same as the rate at which they repair themselves. When the body doesn’t have sufficient muscle mass, the unused calories end up as fat and make us overweight. Obesity increases the risk of serious health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Vision Loss

With age, a part of the retina, called the macula, might get damaged, leading to age related macular degeneration. In ARMD, the sharp and central vision we need for “straight-ahead” activities is blurred and the elderly face difficulties in reading and sewing. Senior citizens tend to gradually face blurring or loss of central vision, if the condition is left untreated. Shadowy areas in the central vision or unusually fuzzy or distorted vision are the early signs of vision loss from ARMD, which needs to be addressed as soon as they are noticed.

Failing Health

Disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia are common in old age. In fact, age is the biggest risk factor for such ailments. According to data published by the NCBI, 7.1% of all people over the age of 65 years have dementia. The symptoms of this condition leads to people being unable to take care of their day to day activities. What further worsens the situation for them is the fact that such conditions often go undetected for long, and therefore untreated. When looking for a care home in Crawley or West Sussex, make sure they provide dementia care.

Weak Bones

Did you know that worldwide, osteoporosis causes more than 8.9 million fractures annually, which results in an osteoporotic fracture every 3 seconds? This was revealed in the data published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation. With age, balance is affected and we become less steady on our feet. This is why there are frequent cases of the elderly falling and injuring themselves. Osteoporosis leads to the loss of bone density, which means that even a slight mishap can lead to breaks and fractures.

Loneliness is one of the biggest consequences of old age. The best course of action is to opt for residential care facilities with well-trained staff and personalised care.