Healthy aging, as defined by the World Health Organization, is “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” Primary aging, otherwise referred to as normal aging, is a set of defined changes with varying rates of progression among individuals. These changes, however, are universal, innate and progressive in nature. Secondary or impaired aging is usually a result of a disease process (Whitbourne & Whitbourne, 2014). In light of our aging population, a study on the “Status of Healthy Aging in Beverly” is of paramount importance.
As at 2018, the city of Beverly in Massachusetts had about 6,544 individuals aged 60 years and above. Senior residents of Beverly, considering the state’s averages, demonstrated a mixed pattern in many of the healthy aging parameters. Some of the indicators of healthy aging that were considered in this study include Wellness and Prevention, Nutrition and Diet, Behavioral Health, Chronic Disease, Living with Disability, Access to Care, Service Utilization, Safety and Transportation, Economic and Housing Variables as well as the Cost of Living (Tufts Health Plan Foundation, 2018). Research on the physiology of healthy aging has identified several actions which can be taken to keep one’s health under check as they continue to grow older.
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Wellness and Prevention
Preventive Health refers to the steps and actions that the senior population can take to protect and ensure maintenance of their general wellbeing (Friedman et al., 2018). In Beverly, Massachusetts, a large percentage of individuals aged 60 years or more participated in physical activities as a way of ensuring that they aged healthily. As at the time of the study, 82.1% of the elders reported to have engaged in physical activities within the previous month. This was significantly higher than the estimated percentage of the state, which stood at 73.3% of the elderly population. More than half of this population had met the CDC requirements for engaging in aerobic physical exercises as well as sleeping for the minimum recommended hours. On the contrary, less than a half per cent of the population met the CDC guidelines for activities that strengthen the muscles. It should be noted that only 25.4% of the elderly population participated in both muscle-strengthening exercises and aerobic physical exercises as appropriately as was required by the CDC. This is a very worrying trend that was also noted across the state, pointing to unhealthy aging practice (Tufts Health Plan Foundation, 2018). A good proportion of the population was also noted to have had a medical check-up within the previous year. Other elderly citizens had been vaccinated against pneumonia and shingles and had also been screened for colorectal carcinoma. It was impressive to observe that only 6.8% of the population smoked, a figure that was slightly lower than that observed in the entire state of 8.5%. In an effort to boost wellness and disease prevention, the elderly population should be advised to enroll in wellness and healthy aging centers around the city.
Nutrition and Diet
Another indicator of healthy aging is the kind of food that the elderly population indulges in. A balanced diet, as advised by nutritionists and gerontologists, offers all the essential nutrients for good health and is necessary when one intends to maintain a healthy lifestyle (Friedman et al., 2018). In Beverly, an unhealthy trend was noted whereby only about a quarter of individuals aged 60 years and above had at least five fruit or vegetable servings in any one day. This was a slightly higher percentage as compared to that of the state, which was 21.5%. Approximately three quarters of this population had high cholesterol and 21.2% had been clinically diagnosed with obesity. Moreover, a small number of the population had drinking problems (Tufts Health Plan Foundation, 2018.) These are indicators of unhealthy aging which should be discouraged by family and professionals.
Other health parameters that were studied indicated that the city’s rates, in comparison to those of the state, were lower for loss of teeth, Ischemic heart disease, anemia and high blood sugar. Higher rates were observed in depression, Alzheimer’s disease, substance use disorder, anxiety disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and disorders of tobacco use (Tufts Health Plan Foundation, 2018.). In an aim to encourage healthy aging, resources set up in the city include the Recreation Department, Council on Aging and the Walking Club.
All these portray a mixed pattern of healthy and unhealthy aging in Beverly City. Family, friends and care givers of the elderly persons are encouraged to ensure that seniors follow the guidelines that have been set aside by the CDC, the WHO and the National Institute of Health.
References
Friedman, S., Mulhausen, P., Cleveland, M., Coll, P., Daniel, K., & Hayward, A. et al. (2018). Healthy Aging: American Geriatrics Society White Paper Executive Summary. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , 67 (1), 17-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15644
Tufts Health Plan Foundation. (2018). Community Profiles | Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative . Mahealthyagingcollaborative.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020, from http://mahealthyagingcollaborative.org/data-report/explore-the-profiles/community-profiles/ .
Whitbourne, S., & Whitbourne, S. (2014). Adult Development & Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives (5th Ed.). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
