When entering old age, people have both physical and psychological changes that are difficult to recognize. It is necessary to understand the psychology of the elderly to have the most effective health care.
Physical and psychological characteristics of the elderly
Increasing age can cause changes in human personality due to many factors such as: Weak body, memory loss, forgetfulness, lack of attention, eating less, susceptible to Alzheimer’s syndrome. Along with physical manifestations, the elderly often have a lonely, nostalgic, or pessimistic mentality. After a long period of working and interacting with many people, when health is weak, less social activities easily lead to boredom. In particular, the elderly are very worried about their health, always have a fear of being slow and feeling dependent on others, so they become anxious and afraid of being abandoned. From these psychological factors, they are often self-conscious, irritable, have difficulty controlling their emotions, easily feel hurt when their needs are not fully met, feel distant from the way of life and thinking because of the age gap with young people.
Ways to take care of the health of the elderly
- Regular health check-ups to take care of the health of the elderly.
Entering old age, health decline is inevitable. You will easily notice that the digestive system, cardiovascular system, skeletal system … show bad signs when the body ages, affecting the daily life of the elderly. The elderly are very susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, blood pressure, osteoporosis, respiratory diseases …
Diseases of the elderly are often diseases that develop silently, chronically and when detected, they are already in a severe state. Through regular check-ups (every 6 months) with the advice of medical experts, the elderly will promptly detect early aging diseases in the germinal stage, thereby controlling and having an appropriate treatment plan. Building a habit of regular health check-ups for the elderly will bring very practical benefits. Reducing the time for care, treatment as well as the cost of treatment.
- Diet of the elderly
The digestive system of the elderly often has many problems, making it difficult to absorb nutrients, we need a suitable, scientific diet to improve the health of the elderly.
- Divide meals into small portions, do not eat too much, eat slowly, chew food thoroughly.
- Eat less carbohydrates.
- Should eat more plant foods such as: sesame, peanuts, beans, green vegetables, tubers, fruits, etc.
- Should eat fish, shrimp, crab, etc.
- Limit eating fatty meat, animal organs, pickled foods, etc.
- Eat steamed and boiled dishes instead of fried and grilled dishes
- Prepare soft, small, well-cooked dishes
- Drink enough water according to your needs.
Living regimen and taking care of mental health for the elderly
Old people often have difficulty sleeping, urinate many times at night, wake up easily and have difficulty falling back asleep. Sleep disorders significantly reduce health and quality of life, leading to physical and mental weakness. Therefore, they should be trained to get into the habit of going to bed and waking up at a certain time, should not use high pillows when sleeping, keep the sleeping space quiet, airy, and have little light.
Encourage the elderly to exercise regularly, do yoga, walk, etc., and participate in social activities to create dynamism and health. Currently, there are many activities and groups suitable for all ages, health levels, and qualifications, so that the elderly can easily participate. These activities help the elderly improve their mental health.
In addition, we should spend time visiting, chatting, and taking care of the elderly’s health in our free time. Visiting can take place in many ways such as: calling to visit, bringing children and grandchildren to visit grandparents regularly, taking grandparents on family trips, etc. That is the best medicine to help them be happier and more optimistic.
Caring for the elderly requires you to be patient and attentive to help your loved ones improve their health and prolong their life. However, understanding the causes of changes in the elderly will help us understand and sympathize, thereby having the best health care measures for our loved ones./.