Aging Misconceptions: Myth or Fact?
Seniors and Boomers test your knowledge about Aging and Aging Misconceptions. Read these statements and decide which are true and which are false.
*Most Elderly Americans live in Nursing Homes (5% or less)
*My family don’t call me, they must not love me” (Email & Texts are used)
*A Will covers everything you need in terms of legal documents (POA, AMD)
*Hospice care is only for people who are near death. (Not anymore)
*I’ll return to Medicare anytime. (Open Enrollment- Oct. 15th- Dec. 7th 2016)
*Older adults aren’t particularly interested in the opposite sex. (Welcome to Viagra. Older adults are sexually active as long as they wish to be)
*Older Adults are at a high risk for HIV/Aids and STDs (it is more than birth control)
*Old people either have dementia or are depressed and lonely. (Dementia is a disease, not part of normal aging; no more than other age groups, depression is treatable)
*Moving into a Senior Living Community means giving up privacy and Independence. (Maybe in the past. Now you have own apt. and can have your car).
*I won’t fall is I stay home. (Most falls occur in the home)
*Once you are old, you’ll stop learning and evolving. (Neuroplasticity is accepted- our brains react to new stimulation, we continue to learn.)
*Seniors have the highest suicide rate of all age groups. (National suicide rate is roughly12 per 100,000 people, while it is 1.3 for ages 65 to 74 and 23 per 100,000 for folks 85 plus.)
*Our five senses decrease with age. (This is very individualizes, on average our 5 senses (vision, hearing, smell, touch & taste) do decrease as we age.
*Older adults are increasingly targets for fraud and scams. (Folks 65 and older are about 12% of the population but are 30% of scam targets.)
*Retirement is detrimental to health. (A decline in health is related more to age or other health problems than to Retirement, which by reducing stress may help improve health)
*It is estimated that by 2030 adults over 65 will compose 20 percent of the population. (Thank you Baby Boomers)
*Most 80 year old drivers are able to drive safely. (Though some seniors with visual or other impairments can be more at risk on the road.)
*Majority of seniors describe themselves as being in “good health”. (Older adults compare their current health to other seniors of their same age and older who may be even worse.)
* Our personality changes as we get old. (Personality remains pretty much constant. Certain traits actually may become more pronounced later in life.)
*The elderly tend to become more religious as they age. (Studies show no increase in usual religious interest, satisfaction or participation among aging adults. However, research found that religion seems to become more important as we grow older and seniors do rely on their faith and religion to cope with changes and loss.)
Aging affects the body but is more in the mind when we limit ourselves. Some Aging Misconceptions are that dementia is normal in the elderly or that older adults cannot learn new things. There are also many misconceptions about home care for seniors. It is worthwhile to consult a Geriatric professional when planning for yourself or an elderly loved one.
It is not the years in your life but the life in your years! –Abraham Lincoln
