Keeping the body resilient in old age

By Djoeweriah Poorwo S.

JAKARTA (JP): It's alarming how frequently elderly women slip and fall. A bruised leg, shoulder or hip is unfortunate, but a broken hip could be disastrous. The hip would have to be operated on, and chances are in Indonesia the woman would be disabled afterwards, relegated to a wheelchair. She would need continual help, something most people hate the thought of.

Everyone falls occasionally, but who, where and how makes all the difference when it come to injuries. Youngsters can trip and bounce straight back without injury. Just watch how soccer players gracefully take dives, roll about on the grass and then get up effortlessly. Young people can take the pounding because their muscles are still elastic and their bones still strong.

As the years pass it stands to reason that a great deal of precious elasticity is lost. Our bones tend to dry out, too, due to a continual loss of calcium. That's why bones get more fragile and break more easily as we age, just like the difference between a young, fresh branch of a tree and an old, dry one.

As women grow older, osteoporosis, a decrease in bone mass and density, is a common problem. Recognized by Hippocrates; osteoporosis is part of normal physical deterioration after the age of 30, and accelerated in women at and after the onset of menopause.

Prevention is better than cure. So what is the best way to fight the reduction of bone density due to continual loss of calcium?

Examining your diet is the best place to start. The quality of your current body is greatly determined by the quality and quantity of food intake, as well as other determiners like heredity and the environment. A well-balanced diet is not only essential in old age, but throughout life, and especially childhood.

Other countries have introduced nutritional slogans like "The 5 Basic Food Groups" and even the "Basic 6". Indonesians hold on to "4 sehat, 5 sempurna" (4 is healthy, 5 is perfect). The slogan is meant to indicate, in a simple, visual fashion, how to compose an affordable, healthy meal. Even Indonesia's numerous illiterates can easily grasp the "4 sehat, 5 sempurna" poster, if well explained.

The fifth item -- the item which makes the meal perfect -- is milk. The elderly should drink lots of milk because it contains the easily absorbed calcium needed to stem osteoporosis. The elderly should also consume more fruit and green vegetables than before to fulfill their need for more minerals and vitamins.

Keeping trim is also important in old age. According to Prof. Chehab Rukmi Hilmi, an orthopedic surgeon in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Indonesia, overweight older women tend to suffer from knee degeneration (Osteoarthritis genu). In this case the knees have to bear more body weight than they can take, which can lead to bowleggedness, or Deformitus farus. It not only looks bad, but can lead to injurious falls.

There isn't much older people can do to protect themselves from falling. Being constantly alert is the only defense. Some advice would be:

When your grandson jumps down the stairs two at a time, you'd better get hold of the handrail and walk down cautiously. Avoid stairs, if you can help it.

In a strange house, pay special attention to the floor and steps. You could easily stumble and fall. Walking on Jakarta's pavements is disastrous at the best of times. You can accidentally trip on a loose stone or tile or get a foot stranded in a hole. If you feel a cane is necessary, don't hesitate to use one. It might prove helpful.

The bathroom is where frequently accidents occur, some fatal. Bathroom floors in Indonesia are usually left wet and slippery by the last bather. So be sure to keep the floor of your bathroom clean and dry. Keep the door unlocked while inside, just in case.

Exercising regularly certainly helps loosen stiff muscles, and might prevent a fall. Enrolling in an aerobics class, although a good idea, isn't necessary. Just doing some simple exercises at home, on your bed or on the floor, can make a difference. Sway your arms, do some pedaling with your legs on the bed or walk on your toes. Ask your family doctor what light exercises you should do.

Make it a rule to take a good, deep breath regularly to keep your lungs healthy. Go for a swim or a walk. Whatever you choose, do it regularly. Sports is not the monopoly of youngsters. Older people need to exercise to stay fit and keep muscles and bones healthy.