Healthy Aging is not an Oxymoron
By Nancy Lassen, Health Care Leadership Forum

“Old age ain’t for sissies,” according to famous actress Bette Davis. It’s also not for the uninformed.

Understanding the changes that take place in the body over the course of a lifetime is important to staying healthy. To broaden the conversation about the medical and health implications of aging, the Health Care Leadership Forum recently hosted a well-known expert on aging and longevity, Dr. Harrison Bloom of the International Longevity Center-USA.

Dr. Bloom talked about the changing demographics of American society. For instance, he said the fastest growing segment of the population is over 65 years of age, with the next largest growing segment the group over 85. The average life expectancy of Americans has dramatically increased in the past few decades.

“At the age of 65, you should expect to live another 15-20 years,” said Dr. Bloom, Senior Associate and Director, International Clinical Education and Consultation Service for ILC-USA, an organization dedicated to furthering research, policy and education of longevity issues in the United States. “If you are 85, you should expect to live another 5-7 years.”

He said being a woman greatly increases your chances for longevity in our society. For instance, for every 100 women who reach the age of 100, there will only be 30 men.

Keeping an older person active and moving is essential. He said the goal for the aging population is to keep daily function and quality of life issues at the forefront. Being able to dress, shop, make meals and keep the house clean are important for the aging adult. If they can accomplish these tasks, according to Dr. Bloom, they will likely be able to stay independent and remain at home.
If unable to care for themselves, many older adults will need to move to some sort of assisted care facility. He described the typical nursing home resident as being a widowed, Caucasian female over the age of 85.

Dr. Bloom also touched on the differences between gerontology, the study of aging, and geriatrics, the part of gerontology that deals with medical issues. He identified the goals of care within the medical specialty of geriatrics.

He said that many aging adults have a variety of chronic illnesses, so care of the patient is the highest priority, rather than cure. He said prevention is also key to a healthy older adult.

“We really have to create a safe home environment, so they don’t fall and break a hip,” he said. “We need to stress that activity and exercise are vitally important.” He provided some helpful tips for caregivers, including:

• maintain medical records for the older adult
• learn about the disease or illness affecting the person
• ask how to best communicate with the healthcare team involved in caring for the family member
• and consider taking a class on caregiver training.

He said that it is extremely important for caregivers to take time for themselves.

“You’re no good to anyone if you aren’t first good to yourself,” he said.

Dr. Bloom spoke at the October 14 dinner meeting of the HCLF, an organization comprised of physicians, administrators and board members of health organizations from throughout the county, as well as at a lunchtime meeting of senior service providers, healthcare professionals and the community at-large at Burnham Brook Community Center.