Older Population Stereotypes

One of the most common stereotypes I come into on during my days at work is the older people cannot perform physical activity. Although, we know that some limitations are inevitable, do older people just sit around and play bingo and sew?

Every day I work with the elderly and see that this is not true. I sit and talk with many of my patients that are just as active, if not more so, than they have ever been. Because of this, they seem to get better faster from many aliments. Getting sick is one thing that plagues us all from time to time, but the elderly suffer from this much more often. However, the patients that force themselves to participate in physical activities seem to live longer and do better in almost every setting.

More and more each day on the TV, news, or sports we see the older population doing things that at one time seemed unreachable. Things like quarterback an NFL team, climb mountains or win Olympic medals at or above the age of forty are just a few of the instances you may see.

I come into contact with people each day during my work where two patients in the same room, of the same age, differ so much. Almost each time, it’s the patient that is active in something, whether it be swimming, running, walking or just running around with the grandchildren are the people that live longer healthier lives with less complications. Their mental function is improved, their bodies respond better to medicines and healing. Simply having a conversation about a sports team or the weather outside makes a difference with the patient that is more physical.

All of this has got me to thinking about my age and my disease. I have had diabetes since the age of six. I have had to make many lifestyle changes and learn to deal with my disease. I have a new found understanding of how my body responds to increased physical activity. Also, as I become older, I am now seeing the importance of exercise, how much more sensitive I am to insulin and how much better my blood glucose can be. I do all of this so that I may have a better chance of living a longer and more productive life.