Step 1: Nutrition checkup
You are What You Eat
Nutrition plays a significant role in day-to-day life, and as we age, the keys to health are to prioritize and to simplify.
“Every day our bodies are changing,” says Keri Carpenter RDN, LDN. Based on how bodies change, adjustments can prepare everyone for older years through healthy living, says Carpenter, a project manager for the Center for Population Health and Aging at Texas A&M University.
“Convenient food is convenient, and especially when we are going out to eat and getting packaged food in the stores, they are an easy solution,” says Carpenter. “We are fighting the ease and convenience, which [is] packed with salt, fat, and sugar that might not set us up for success.”
Seasonal weather changes also can affect what produce is available and that plays a role in nutritional balance. People may need to adjust Vitamin D intake from sources like the sun during the colder months, explains Carpenter, and folks might have to get creative with nutritional solutions this time of year.
“You can like food without being restricted,” adds Carpenter. “Take a look at somebody’s plate, look at their traditions, and modify it to have more nutrition,” explains Carpenter. The key to success starts on the plate by increasing the serving sizes of non-starchy vegetables and adding protein and healthy fat, while reducing — but not eliminating — portions of favorite starchy vegetables or other carbs.
Balance is especially important for those in the 70+ demographic, with hydration a sometimes-overlooked component of nutrition, Carpenter says. Lack of hydration can cause dizziness resulting in falls, which can lead to bigger problems, she notes. Another key is to take in adequate protein to prevent muscle loss.
For those ages 50 to 60, nutrition is centered around chronic disease prevention, diabetes prevention, and creating a healthy diet, explains Carpenter. For the 70+ years, the focus shifts to foods that are exciting, what individuals like and do not like, and creating good nutrition solutions as needed. To make foods easier to eat for anyone with difficulty chewing, options include blending, boiling, and shredding firm or tough foods like meat proteins to help keep older adults eating enough for good nutrition, adds Carpenter.
Good resources for easy-to-follow, accurate nutrition information include the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and myplate.org, says Carpenter.
Step 2: Vaccines for Life
You Heard it Flu the Grapevine
Everyone age 50 and older is part of the vulnerable population as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and influenza season begins. Experts from the Texas A&M Health Center for Population Health & Aging recommend everyone get a flu shot this year — and the sooner the better for prevention.
Fall and colder weather mean the dangerous co-existence of influenza and the novel coronavirus, both contagious respiratory illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is possible to contract flu and COVID-19 simultaneously, a looming double-threat that could harm your immune system in unprecedented ways, says Wendy Creighton, a registered nurse at the center.
“For vulnerable populations, we don’t know what having both the flu and COVID-19 will look like, because we haven’t been in this situation before,” says Creighton. “But you should get the flu vaccine this year with COVID-19. Especially if you are at risk by being older, having diabetes, or having heart or lung disease.”
The optimal timeline for getting a flu vaccination is the same this year as past years, and Creighton says she wants to underscore the timeline for folks above the age of 50. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age or older get a flu vaccine every season with some rare exceptions for allergies, she adds.
“Get your shot by the end of October because it takes a couple of weeks for those antibodies to develop in the body to provide protection against the flu,” Creighton says. “It’s beneficial to get it early — September or October — but even if you get it later, it’s better than not getting it all.”
The flu vaccine still is the best defense against getting influenza, even within the context of physically distanced and masked lifestyles, says Creighton.
“The flu is a completely different virus and the flu vaccine is relevant,” Creighton says. “When the holidays come, we’ll be living this lifestyle where we’re touching surfaces and going out. If you’re in the older age bracket, wanting to see grandkids under the age of two, quarantine yourself for a couple of weeks before coming together to decrease COVID-19 or flu risk.”
Prevent Pneumonia in Young and Old
Both the very young and the very old are susceptible to pneumonia, cautions Creighton. An infection of the lungs, pneumonia can cause mild to severe illness in people of all ages, though infants under the age of 2 and people 65+ are the most vulnerable age groups. Other groups at risk from pneumonia include anyone with a chronic health disease, explains Creighton. Diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, or kidney disease put people at risk and cigarettes and excessive alcohol affect the liver and the lungs, making smokers and heavy drinkers also more susceptible to contracting pneumonia, adds Creighton.
Two vaccines help prevent pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For children younger than 2 years of age, and those who are 2 years or older with certain medical conditions, the CDC recommends PCV13.
For adults 65 years or older, everyone ages 2 to 64 years old with certain medical conditions, and adults ages 19 to 64 years old who smoke cigarettes, the PPSV23 pneumonia vaccine is recommended by the CDC.
Creighton says people are more concerned with the health of their bodies than ever before, and this can lead to information that isn’t always correct.
“Research has, to my knowledge, shown that there is no risk for severe complications of these vaccines,” says Creighton. “It all comes down to the right source.
Look for science-based information at CDC.gov, NIH.gov, and local health departments and physicians, explains Creighton. She also recommends foregoing the sites focused on “he said/she said” forms of communication.
Other ways to prevent pneumonia, in addition to getting the vaccine, are washing hands often, quitting smoking, and keeping the immune system strong with regular physical activity and eating healthy, according to the National Institute of Health.
Step 3: Financial Health
Early Planning Keeps Finances Healthy
Just like staying vaccinated or eating right, taking care of personal finances plays an important role in healthy aging. Although there is no vaccine for the pocketbook, there are many ways people can ensure financial health as they age, says Marcia Ory, Ph.D., MPH, and founding director of the Texas A&M Health Center for Population Health and Aging. Measures such as budgeting, saving, and planning for long-term care are important steps for people ages 50 and up, advises Ory, who is also a Regents and Distinguished professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health.
Most Americans earn the most between the ages of 45 to 54 and can use this time to pay off debt, according to the AARP.
Reviewing the budget annually, Ory adds, is key to avoiding additional debt.
“It’s never too late to try to imagine what your budget is and to see how you might live within your means,” she adds.
In their 50s, people should save as much as they can for retirement, according to the AARP. At age 50, increase contributions to 401(k)s and other retirement accounts, according to a retirement toolkit published by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Between the ages of 62 and 67, people begin qualifying for Social Security benefits, but the monthly benefit will increase if benefits claims are delayed until closer to age 70, according to the toolkit.
People should not rely solely on Social Security to cover costs in retirement, Ory says. “That idea that Social Security is going to enable you to live to your same standard of living probably isn’t true,” she explains.
Planning should include long-term care, Ory adds, noting that nursing homes can cost more than $90,000 per year. Because long-term care insurance is less expensive the earlier it is purchased, people should proactively examine their future care needs in their 50s, she says.
As average life expectancy increases, many people experience health conditions that make it difficult for family members to provide care.
“One needs to be realistic about finances and what you’re going to need, both in terms of long-term care and who you can count on to help you,” Ory explains. “The reality is families bear the burden of long-term care.”
Like any other area of health, this long-term view is key to any financial checklist, Ory adds.
“Reevaluate what’s important to you, particularly about how you’re going to spend money,” she says. “Think about not just living tomorrow, but think about the long haul.”
Financial Health Includes Having A Will
Every decade of life adds more responsibilities to take care of for financial health, but at age 50, it turns into more of an evaluation of overall financial health.
People often think about physical or mental health when they talk about healthy aging, says Ory. Financial health is just as important in an older population.
Do you have a will? is one of the first questions to ask yourself for a financial checkup, according to the AARP.
“It is really important to have a will,” says Ory. It is especially important at age 50, but it is important regardless of age. There are many different ways to go about producing a will, says Ory, depending on a person’s financial situation. Oftentimes, a lawyer is consulted to set up a will, but prices can vary, Ory says. There are templates online to create a will, but Ory cautions to make sure to use a template for the correct state and pay close attention to the rules on how to sign the documents.
For those who are younger and are trying to assist parents or grandparents, Ory is emphatic to not tell someone age 50+ what they need to do.
“Just like a teen, or somebody in their twenties, they are going to shut down,” says Ory. “Imagine how you would want to be talked to — that is the secret of success.”
For financial tips for every age, visit the AARP website.
