Covid and financial & health implications for senior citizens

In this edition we are reproducing a relevant article concerning senior citizens and their children published in The Economic Times on March 05, 2022.

Nearly 85 per cent of the elderly admitted to facing difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic, with financial woes topping the list of critical issues, a survey has found. The survey of 10,000 elderly persons by Agewell Foundation also revealed that 73.6 per cent (7,357) of the respondents said that a paralysed healthcare system affected their life adversely.

"Older persons must be given equal rights and opportunities in a non-discriminatory manner, so that their participation in the mainstream and contribution to sustainable development can be ensured," Himanshu Rath, founder chairman of Agewell Foundation, said.

The survey found that the COVID-19 phenomenon had changed the attitude of more than 82.6 per cent elderly, with 75.1 per cent saying they were not optimistic about the future, or were uncertain about the future.

Among the affected - 8,489 elderly - financial issues were termed as the most critical by 28.3 per cent (2,389), while 25.4 per cent (2,158) said that they found social issues more critical.

The survey found that 45.7 per cent respondents termed sense of loneliness or isolation as the most prominent psychological issue followed by restlessness (27.8 per cent).

According to 31.8 per cent elderly, disease and poor health were the most prominent reason for psychosocial impact, while 19.2 per cent and 25.3 per cent elderly respectively considered financial issues and restricted social interaction as the most prominent reason for that.

The survey found financial impact on the elderly was mainly due to loss of family income (30.2 per cent), loss of business or professional income (25.1 per cent), heavy medical expenses (23.8 per cent) and rising inflation (14.1 per cent). Every fifth elderly respondent (19.5 per cent) observed that their quality of life has been compromised due to rising inflation, it found.

The survey found 20.5 per cent elderly also claimed that they had to compromise with unhealthy or unhygienic conditions due to rising prices.

It found that 18.8 per cent elderly claimed that they had lost their savings or investments due to inflation during Covid.

(Adapted from Pandemic hits finances & health of senior citizens, Covid made elderly pessimistic about the future)

Read more at:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/pandemic-hits-finances-health-of-senior-citizens-covid-made-elderly-pessimistic-about-the-future/articleshow/90012515.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Dementia-Habits linked to cognitive decline

A recent research study suggests that personality traits are associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, and mortality risk. The study done on a total of 1954 people, comprising 74% women participants, is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology – “Personality Processes and Individual Differences”.

The research led by Tomiko Yoneda, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, focused on three personality traits- conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion and the role they play in cognitive functioning later in life.

Dementia is a syndrome in which the cognitive functioning of an individual deteriorates. As per global health data, currently more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

This disease which mainly affects older people, is currently the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases and is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people. Though it commonly occurs in older people but is not an age related issue.

Few common signs of dementia are forgetfulness, lack of concentration, confusion even while at home with known people, difficulty in communication, unable to do personal chores, behaviour change, difficulty in walking, and difficulty in recognising friends and family.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

As per the research paper, participants without a formal diagnosis of dementia were recruited from retirement communities, church groups, and subsidized senior housing facilities. Data collection began in 1997, with ongoing recruitment in North Eastern Illinois.

The NEO Five Factor Inventory was used to assess conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion. Participants completed up to 23 annual assessments. The NEO Five Factor Inventory or the NEO-FFI gives a measurement of the five big domains of personality (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness).

Conscientiousness was assessed with 12 items, such as “I am a productive person who always gets the job done.”

Neuroticism was assessed with 12 items, such as “I often feel tense and jittery.”

Extraversion was assessed with six items, such as “I like to have a lot of people around me.”

“The accumulation of lifelong experiences may then contribute to susceptibility of particular diseases or disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment, or contribute to individual differences in the ability to withstand age-related neurological changes," Yoneda adds.

The study found that people who were high in conscientiousness lived two years longer without any mild cognitive impairment in comparison to those individuals who were low in conscientiousness.

Along with shedding light on conscientiousness, the study also revealed that people who score high in extraversion maintained healthy cognition for atleast a year longer in comparison to others.

In contrast, high neuroticism was associated with at least one less year of healthy cognitive functioning, highlighting the harms associated with the long-term experience of perceived stress and emotional instability, Yoneda has said in her statement.

(Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-

stress/dementia-study-finds-daily-habits-are-linked-to-cognitive-decline-

later/photostory/90849765.cms)

Five risks when senior citizens stay alone

Physical and mental risks senior face when living alone in India

In India, it is quite common for seniors to live alone. In fact, in 2014, there were nearly 15 million elderly living alone in India and a more recent survey with a sample size of 10,000 elders reported around 23.44% living alone. All this data indicate that there is good amount of our senior citizen population staying by themselves, and this can be challenging in myriad ways. To know why, read about the common risks seniors face when living alone.

Malnutrition

Eating well and eating right is an important part of healthy living, but this can be quite a challenge for anyone living alone. With an elderly living alone, problems like malnutrition are only worsened because maintaining a healthy diet requires effort. For senior citizens, the quickest and easiest choice is usually the go-to and when it comes to nutrition, this is a recipe for trouble.

With age, the body’s reliance on proper nutrition increases, and an elder living alone may not be able to take care of themselves as well as they could when they were younger. Low-effort meals such as sandwiches or bottled juices aren’t healthy alternatives to fresh vegetables and fruit as a part of a balanced diet. Moreover, seniors also need to consume the right heart and mind friendly foods to stay in the pink of health. For an elderly living alone in India without house help, going to the market to procure these may also pose a problem.

Social isolation and loneliness

Living alone is one among the causes of social isolation in elderly and it has very serious health issues linked to it, be it depression, anxiety, cognitive decline or more. Elders need to stay socially connected in order to maintain their mental wellbeing. Studies have found that isolation is about as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and social isolated people have a 26% increased chance of an early death. However, social isolation is very different from loneliness, even though they are related.

Socially isolated elders are those that never visit anyone, have no telephone, don’t maintain contact with neighbours, have no close relatives and never leave the home. On the other hand, lonely elders are those that don’t meet enough people, want more friends, don’t see enough of their relatives of friends, and have no real confidant. Loneliness has dangerous side effects on mental health as a study suggest that lonely elders have a 64% higher chance of developing dementia.

Injuries

A particularly common risk elders face when living alone is that they’re more prone to injury. As the body ages, issues like muscle weakness, declining eyesight and loss of balance are quite common and these increase the chances of getting injured. While there are simple ways that seniors can prevent falls, an injury when they’re alone can be particularly challenging because there’s no one to offer assistance at once in case of emergencies.

Unhygienic living conditions

It is common knowledge that elders have reduced mobility and this continues to decrease with age. A side effect of reduced mobility is that everyday tasks become a lot more difficult to perform an elderly living alone in India may just stop doing them altogether. For instance, cleaning the house as a whole, or the kitchen and bathroom in specific, becomes a lot tougher. Without proper cleaning, harmful bacteria and dust start to settle and these cause more health problems. Further, a cluttered and unclean house is a pool of potential trip hazards, which can be a cause of bodily injury. Besides these, an unhygienic household also affects mental wellbeing. Unclean homes can be harder to relax in and can be a source of unhappiness.

Improper medical care

Elders living alone in India often overlook important symptoms of disease or disorders and dismiss them as ‘just another sign of old age’. This is very harmful and may leads to improper medical care. The is particularly relevant for elders at risk of developing some form of dementia as the early signs can be very easily overlooked or forgotten. Regular check-ups with medical professionals can be a lifesaver in this case.

All of these risks are very real and relevant even in a modern household with or without part-time help. Thankfully, families can avail the services of a senior citizen caretaker or a specialised attendant for elderly persons living alone. However, sometimes the expense of 24/7 care or lack of supervision by a family members comes in the way of proper care.

(Adapted from www. https://heritagehealthcareindia.com/blog/post/physical-and-mental-risks-senior-face-when-living-alone-india)