The Golden Years - Live Your Best Life 65 and Up

It’s one of the few guarantees in life; we all age and grow old. There are certain things you can do to slow the aging process, but there’s absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it. At Ochsner, we’re reinventing the wheel and rolling out a new roadmap for older adults that improves health outcomes with Ochsner 65 Plus.

At Ochsner 65 Plus – Bocage, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; at Ochsner 65 Plus – Covington, in Covington, Louisiana; and at Ochsner 65 Plus - University in Pensacola, Florida, we offer a comprehensive program for older adults that offers primary care, nutrition services, fitness coaching and community events. Our experts work with you to determine your goals, and we adjust your care based on your priorities. We want to help you live a healthier life, and we also want you to have fun while doing just that.

Ochsner 65 Plus is a primary care model aiming to deliver a special care for older adults and the providers who care for them. It seeks to create collaborative trust in the relationships with our patients as we partner with them on their journey to achieve an optimal state of health.

The stages of life

Most people usually split life into two categories – childhood and adulthood. “Elderhood,” a New York Times bestseller, challenges the stigma that elderhood, or old age, isn’t fun.

Louise Aronson, the author of “Elderhood,” wrote “Old age is met with lots of prejudice and bias, but that’s not how it should be.” She continues by echoing that old age is what we make it, and it’s a more nuanced experience with benefits that most people don’t recognize.

When elderhood is reframed as a new phase of life, it allows us to look at it with a broader and more positive approach. At Ochsner 65 Plus, we are creating a society and community that connects you with one another.

We have community rooms here at our Ochsner 65 Plus locations. They allow for gatherings, arts and crafts activities, educational sessions, card games, yoga, cooking demonstrations and more. We have a gym on-site that is available to our members, and we provide a fitness instructor or health coach that can personalize your workout routine.

The process of aging

Aging into elderhood has impacts on both our physical and mental states. Injuries and illnesses affect us more as we age, and our bodies take longer to reacclimate after a setback than in our younger years.

Staying active

It’s important to maintain an active life as you become older. Those things include keeping a routine, setting goals and making key decisions about your life. Living with purpose goes a long way in keeping your mind and body active. The benefits of exercise as you enter the later stages of your life are aplenty. It gives you more energy, keeps you in shape and helps you rest well at the end of the day. Some common activities for the elderly include swimming, yoga or aerobics. And don’t ever underestimate the power of walking, whether on a treadmill, in the neighborhood or at the park.

Engaging the mind

According to Mental Health America, depression affects more than 19 million Americans each year. Depression is not a normal part of the aging process, but can accompany health challenges, physical and social changes that we experience as we age. Depression can be a complication of other illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. It can also be a complication of grief.

Mental Health America notes that more than 2 million of America’s 34 million people aged 65 and older will suffer from depression each year. Depression in older people usually comes along with other medical ailments, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, among others. Losing loved ones, whether that be a spouse or lifelong best friends, can have an impact

Common activities that engage the mind include card games, puzzles, painting, or writing. According to The Creativity and Aging Study that the National Endowment for the Arts conducted, when older people have a sense of control over their own lives, positive health outcomes are observed.

The National Council On Aging identifies that chronic health conditions, reduced mobility, chronic pain and lack of physical activity are some of the most common causes of depression among older adults. Their four pillars for protecting mental health in older adults are getting enough sleep, staying active, being social and eating right. The National Institute on Aging gives tips on best ideas for older adults that cater to their needs.

Physical concerns around the house

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 2.8 million elderly people are treated in emergency rooms for falls annually. If your loved one lives at home by themselves, prevent falls by:

Prepare their home environment to remove as many fall hazards as possible
Take notice of how they move around the home
Have a vision and hearing checkup
Talk to them about any concerns they have
Review current medications with a doctor

At Ochsner 65 Plus we are here to guide you into the later stage of your life. We aim to provide you with all the resources you need to live a spontaneous, healthy lifestyle as you move into your golden years. For more info on Ochsner 65 Plus - Bocage, please give us a call at 225-709-7587. For Ochsner 65 Plus – Covington, call 504-703-7587.