Read More at Sixty and Me [[{“value”:” The older we become, the harder it is for us to maintain and gain muscle. While some might just view this as not having the biceps or abdominals they used to possess, many do not realize that muscles deep in our bodies are also affected, specifically our pelvic muscles. After the age of 50, especially for women, muscles in the pelvis begin to deteriorate due to a shift in hormones and connective tissues becoming debilitated. These muscles can also decrease in strength as they are extremely thin, and as they weaken, so does our ability to support our bladder. These natural changes combined with long-time habits of holding in your bladder and a lack of exercise can cause incontinence to appear and increase in severity as we get older. How Exercise Impacts Our…
Why Are Older People Drinking More?
Read More at Sixty and Me [[{“value”:” Alcohol use among senior citizens is on the rise. Although historically older adults were less likely to drink than younger adults, recent studies show that older adults are now drinking more frequently and in larger quantities than in the past. The Data The size of the older adult population is increasing rapidly. Alcohol use among older adults is also increasing. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates that approximately 20 percent of adults aged 60-64 and around 10 percent over age 65 report current binge drinking. There is also a French study that monitored 10,000 people for five years before and after retirement which showed that drinking increased after retirement. So that’s the data – let’s look at the reasons behind this increase. These reasons are both social and psychological. 9 Reasons…
National Poll on Healthy Aging: More Than Half of All Older Adults Have Been Caregivers
Read More at Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative More than half of adults age 50–80 (54%) said they have helped an adult age 65 or older with health, personal, or other care tasks in the past two years, according to a study from the National Poll on Healthy Aging conducted by the University of Michigan. The most common care tasks included helping with health care encounters (e.g., making or attending appointments, communicating with providers) (33%), home maintenance or improvement (e.g., cleaning or yard work) (32%), meals (including shopping or meal preparation) (31%), and finances (e.g., paying bills or banking) (22%). Those who were married or partnered were more likely to provide care than those who were not (57% vs. 50%), as were those with a college degree compared to those without (61% vs. 50%). Among those who helped an older adult, direct…