To err is to human and likewise, we humans are easily influenced by bad examples and that leads to misconceptions. When you think or see senior citizens, what comes to our mind is, why are they so slow and weak? Do old people always look sad and depressed? Why are old people so absent-minded? And the list goes on. It’s a well-known fact that many of us are afraid to get old, scared to be a victim of stereotyping.
Truth be told, we live in a society where stereotyping elderly people happens almost on a daily basis. With these in our minds, we tend to think that getting old will be an unpleasant experience as it’ll be impossible to avoid these stereotypes. However, one should know that these kinds of stereotypes and misconceptions are not entirely true. If you focus more on the positive side, getting old can actually be a lot of fun.
To sum it up, here are 5 misconceptions about senior citizens:
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Dementia is Inevitable
Elderly people are likely to suffer from dementia. This condition will affect their memory power resulting in having short-term or long-term memory loss. During old age, it is important to exercise your mental faculties to fight off such conditions. Exercises and communicating frequently will help keep the brain active and strong.
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Senior Citizens are gloomy and depressed
Ageing isn’t just associated with depression, loneliness, sadness and unhappiness. Recent studies revealed that senior citizens are the happiest when after retirement, they have plenty of time to focus on their hobbies and things that they are interested in with no obligations.
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Elderly people are frail and weak
It’s inevitable to have muscle loss when you get older. While it’s a misconception for all elderly people to have weaker bones and muscles. A physically inactive person is bound to get Sarcopenia when you get older. So it’s important to exercise your body and take an adequate amount of protein.
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Older people suffer from many health conditions
As long as you maintain a healthy lifestyle, multiple health conditions can be prevented. With old age, the body tires out easily but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost your independence if you pay a frequent visit to the hospital. Older people should start paying more attention to their bodies such as exercising, food habits. In general, maintaining a much healthier lifestyle.
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Old age hinders the ability to acquire new skills
If you compare the learning process in the younger days, the difference is huge. But it doesn’t mean that elderly people should resist or stay reluctant to learn new things. Besides, learning new things or trying out a new hobby will enable the mind to stay active. Age is irrelevant to acquire new skills.
In conclusion, getting older doesn’t mean having memory loss or losing your independence. There is so much more to focus on and give importance to but the main important point is, embracing old age and defining who you are and not the stereotype or the misconceptions defining you. Look on the bright side and focus on what makes you happy.
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