Importance of elderly care

In the coming days, older adults will become more susceptible to diseases than their previous generations, says a recent research. The study published in The Journal of Gerontology claims that the incidence of illness among the elderly is increasing day by day. And it is estimated that this will increase by 50 per cent by 2050. The elderly people among us deserve to be treated with love and respect so that they can live the last days of their life peacefully. We should create a society which is dutiful to its senior citizens.

As people get older, it is more frequent that they have co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, renal insufficiency and arthritis. Many such conditions affect people to infections. Often when people grow old, their immune system does not function vigorously. The combination of increased co-morbid conditions and the decrease in activity of the immune system can make people more prone to diseases.

Senior citizens experience many changes as they age, and they may need to alter their lifestyles to remain healthy -- dietary changes, dental check-ups, medications, physicals -- the list goes on. It is beneficial to be aware of a senior's health requirements, especially those with chronic illnesses or other serious health issues. People who had good, healthy habits when they were younger tend to become healthy seniors, but it is never too late to start leading a healthy lifestyle. Good health habits make a difference even to seniors who are prone to illness or have not made their health a priority in the past.

Ashikujaman Syed,

Research Assistant,

Bioinformatics Research Lab,

Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com