The 4 Biggest Challenges of Aging — And How to Overcome Them!
Growing older comes with a lot of joys: watching your kids grow up and start families of their own, having more time for hobbies and loved ones in retirement, a new sense of confidence in your own skin. However, aging comes with a lot of challenges too. These are the four biggest challenges most seniors face as they grow older and the best strategies for overcoming them.
Not Being Able to Do Everything You Used To
Sarcopenia, osteopenia, arthritis — these are just a few of the ways that your body may change with age. Add vision or hearing problems to the mix, and many seniors find it hard to keep up with their younger counterparts.
The worst thing you can do for age-related physical changes is to ignore them. Failing to adapt your home or use assistive devices when you need them only exacerbates mobility problems. It also increases the risk that you fall and hurt yourself further; instead, embrace physical fitness to fight back against age-related decline. Exercise promotes muscle mass, bone density, and flexibility, making it the best thing you can do for mobility and fall prevention.
Unfortunately, exercise can’t solve driving challenges. When seniors start experiencing changes to vision, hearing, and reaction times, many come to the difficult realization that they have to give up their drivers license. However, not driving doesn’t have to mean losing your independence when you live somewhere with public transit and other senior transportation options. If that’s not the case where you live now, consider moving while you’re still mobile.
Losing Family and Friends
Living a long, healthy life often means saying goodbye to friends, siblings, and spouses along the way. Over time, loneliness can set in if you don’t make new connections.
Forming new friendships can be challenging as you grow older, but socially active seniors will be the first to tell you it’s worth the effort. Multigenerational centers, fitness and hobby groups, and faith communities are all great places to form new connections. A move to senior living can also put seniors in close proximity to a community of peers.
Admitting You Need Help
Speaking of senior living: There’s no shame in needing help at home, as most of us will need an extra hand eventually. While some seniors get by with in-home services, many discover that keeping up with a big house is more trouble than it’s worth. You could downsize to a smaller home, but first, ask yourself if independent or assisted living is a better fit.
It’s normal to be skeptical of senior living, but living in a community designed specifically for seniors has its perks. Whether it’s social activities to keep isolation at bay or household help that takes chores off your to-do list, senior living is designed to make older adults’ lives healthier and more convenient. If you’re still unsure, tour some communities to get a feel for the options. You may discover you like senior living more than you thought.
Making Your Money Last
Senior living does have one downside: It’s costly. Prices around the country typically range from $1,500 to $10,000 monthly. While some seniors assume Medicare will cover the costs of assisted living, that’s not the case. However, that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of options. If you have insurance under Medicaid, you may qualify for long-term care at participating communities. Otherwise, look into long-term care insurance or tapping into personal assets by selling a home or applying for a reverse mortgage. To get an approximate value on how much your home is worth, you can find a home-value estimate online.
Paying for long-term care is a major financial challenge, but it’s not the only one seniors will face. Living on a fixed income requires a different budgeting strategy than when you were working. If you’re living on retirement assets, make sure you’re working with a financial planner to determine the best strategy for stretching your retirement savings.
Don’t let the hard parts of growing older define your experience. While there’s no denying that aging comes with challenges, there’s a lot you can do to make sure you age in the best physical, emotional, and financial health possible.
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