Several changes occur in a person's body system as one grows older. The transformation of the body occurs because there are changes in individual cells and the organs as a whole. They result in the changes in one's appearance and function. For instance, as the body cells age, their functionality reduces. Eventually, the older cells must die as the regular part of the body's function. These older cells are dying because they were generally programmed to do so. They are programmed to divide for a limited number of times. Besides, the dying of the body cells results in several physical changes in the body. These functions affect individual psychologically and socially. This paper discusses how these changes may affect someone physically and psychologically. Besides, it identifies the body changes due to ageing that may be challenging to deal with and giving recommendations on dealing with such challenging changes.
Psychologically, the natural body transformation that are linked to ageing may heighten an individual's risk of experiencing depression. Studies have suggested that having a low concentration of folate within an individual's nervous system and blood may lead to depression, dementia, and mental impairment (Araújo et al., 2015; Esnafoglu & Ozturan, 2020). There is a connection between the beginning of late-life depression and Alzheimer's disease (De Winter et al., 2017). Depression may result in an alarming effect on the physical wellbeing of an older individual. Besides, the mortality rate for older adults suffering from depression and loneliness is very high. Therefore, the psychological effect of the natural changes that occur within an individual's body as a result of ageing is the increase in the risk of getting depression.
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Socially, changes in someone's body system due to age may make the person less and less independent since the person will not be able to their regular daily chores on their own. That means they will require more care as they grow older by day. Besides, the body changes as a result of age results in memory loss. The changes in the body system occur in all parts of the busy, including the brain. As a result, older individuals find it challenging to learn new ideas and find it difficult to remember information or something that took place previously. Furthermore, changes in their brains also lead to losing items frequently. Generally, the changes in an individual's body due to age affects all the aspects of society, including family life, labour market, socio-cultural activities, education, and social security.
The most challenging old age body changes that are most difficult to deal with are their mental health that takes place due to the changes in their brain cell. According to WHO (2017), more than 15% of adults above 60 have a mental disorder. The most common condition that s affecting older individuals is depression. It is, however, unfortunate that depression is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. More than 18% of suicidal deaths in the US are from older individuals (American Association for Family and Marriage Therapy, 2021). Therefore, depression is the most challenging old age body change effect to deal with.
The individuals who are undergoing body system changes due to ageing may increase their chance of ageing well by doing a moderate amount of daily exercises to help them stay active, independent, and maintain a festive mood. They also need to keep o maintaining a healthy lifestyle and adjust to any changes that are taking place in their body functions, such as changes in their body strength, flexibility, vision, and hearing. These recommendations will help them cope with the adverse changes in their bodies as a result of age.
References
American Association for Family and Marriage Therapy. (2021). Suicide in the Elderly . Aamft.org. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Consumer_Updates/Suicide_in_the_Elderly.aspx#:~:text=Older%20adults%20make%20up%2012,a%20major%20public%20health%20priority.
Araújo, J., Martel, F., Borges, N., Araújo, J., & Keating, E. (2015). Folates and aging: Role in mild cognitive impairment, dementia and depression. Ageing Research Reviews , 22 , 9-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2015.04.005
De Winter, F., Emsell, L., Bouckaert, F., Claes, L., Jain, S., & Farrar, G. et al. (2017). No Association of Lower Hippocampal Volume With Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology in Late-Life Depression. American Journal Of Psychiatry , 174 (3), 237-245. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16030319
Esnafoglu, E., & Ozturan, D. (2020). The relationship of severity of depression with homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D levels in children and adolescents. Child And Adolescent Mental Health , 25 (4), 249-255. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12387
WHO. (2017). Mental health of older adults . Who.int. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-of-older-adults .
