What is Old? Nothing stays the same. Seasons come and go. We get sick, and we heal. We gain and we lose—money, weight, friends, jobs. And we age.
As many different people as I’ve seen in my life, I’m always amazed at how differently folks age. Some are old at 40, other vibrant and fully alive well into their 90s.
But for most people, the concerns around aging center on a desire to be able to lead a life that’s active and engaged and free from major disability. Our ability to be independent and functional means more than just the years—quality and not just quantity.
There was an interesting article that looked at the issue of “frailty” and explored how five simple questions can determine if, in fact, we are “frail”. We can pose these questions to ourselves or encourage health care providers to use them as a quick screening tool for patients of a certain age who might be risk—regardless of their outward appearance, or absence of major complaints.
“Frailty is extraordinarily common, affecting between 5 and 10 percent of those who are older than 70. Women are more likely to be frail than men,” said John Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University and lead author of the article that appears in the June, 2013 issue of Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.
Being frail doesn’t necessarily equate with disability. But frailty can become a disability in the face of something as common as a fall or a case of the flu. Those who are truly frail are living at the limits of their internal resources, and it may only take one more demand to upset the balance between wellness and catastrophe.
Here are the questions based on the word F.R.A.I.L.:
Fatigue: Are you tired?
Resistance: Do you have difficulty walking up a flight of stairs?
Aerobic: Are you unable to walk at least one block?
Illness: Do you have more than five illnesses?
Loss of Weight: Have you lost more than 5% of your weight in the past six months?
Answer “YES” to three of more of those questions, and it’s time to seek the help of a healthcare provider to investigate further and hopefully identify the root cause. And, finding that cause is the key to treatment, which can help reverse the negative effects.
Here are some possible interventions:
- Exercise—Good for what ails you in so many ways. Certainly strength and endurance will improve with regular exercise, but it can also help lessen the incidence of and fear of falling, and lift depression as well.
- Nutritional Intervention and Supplements—Perhaps extra protein to build strength and muscle mass. Consider calorie-dense supplements to offset the weight loss that comes with poor appetite, and extra Vitamin D to build bones and improve muscle function
- Reducing Inappropriate Medications—Polypharmacy (taking five or more medications) can create problems with drug interactions, and excessive side effects. Often “less is more” when it comes to medications. It’s helpful to have a qualified medical provider look at ALL medications someone is taking from time to time.
So there you have it—five simple questions that can mean the difference between thriving and just surviving. Wishing you all a long, and healthy life and plenty of opportunities to have some fun in the process!