It’s easy to look on aging with fear; there’s plenty at stake. Mom worries about falling in her home—maybe breaking a hip—and losing her independence. Of course you worry, too. Both of you know that growing frailty and loss of independence can be the beginning of a downward spiral. In fact, new research conducted for the Home Instead Senior Care® network confirmed that 90 percent of seniors put loss of independence at the top of their list of aging worries.* It’s a valid concern, acknowledged by family caregivers and by professionals who work with older adults every day.
The good news about aging
While staying physically active may be a challenge for seniors, getting Mom (and Dad) moving can help prevent and even reverse signs of frailty. That’s according to Stephanie Studenski, M.D., M.P.H., one of the nation’s foremost authorities and researchers of mobility, balance disorders, and falls in older adults. Dr. Studenski, who serves as director of clinical research for the University of Pittsburgh Institute on Aging, says, “Through activity, seniors build both physical and mental reserves that can help their bodies better tolerate problems that come with aging.”
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* The Boomer Project (www.boomerproject.com) completed online interviews with 523 seniors in the U.S. and 358 seniors in Canada, and 1,279 U.S. adult caregivers, ages 35-62, with a parent, stepparent or older relative for whom they or someone in their household provides care, and with 407 adult caregivers in Canada.
