Physical, Psychological, And Social Changes By The Age Of 70
I once heard someone say that when you are young you have time and energy, but no money. As an adult, you have money and energy, but no time. Finally, when you are old and you have money and time, you have no energy. This pessimistic statement is not always true and varies from person to person. However, for the most part, it summarizes the societal and biological aspects of aging. As I grow older and learn more about the effects of aging on a person, I become more aware of the importance of taking measures now to preserve my well-being in the future. However, no matter what I do to be in good health, when I reach the age of seventy there are many physical, psychological, and social changes that are inescapable.
To begin with, by the age of seventy my body will have experienced a lot of wear and tear that is not fixed as easily as it used to be, because of the aging and weakening of the body systems. With a physically weaker body, it will take more time and care to perform daily tasks. One example of this could be a limited ability to cook my own food. First of all, it could be hard for me to stand for the length of time that it takes to prepare a meal. Also, diminished visual acuity could make it frustrating to read recipes and food labels and could lead to incorrect measuring. A decreased sense of hearing could prevent me from hearing the oven timer and increase the risk of burning the food that I had taken a lot of effort to make. Furthermore, after the food is prepared, a reduced sense of smell and taste could cause a lessened appetite that could lead to malnutrition. Overall, seemingly simple daily activities could become much more frustrating and tough to accomplish with age, depending on the severity of the loss of certain senses and bodily functions.
To continue, at the age of seventy my psychological functioning may may not be as sharp as it was before. At this age, I would be at an increased risk for certain conditions such as dementia, depression, and delirium that could cause severe cognitive impairment. However, I could do my best at preventing the loss of brain function by staying healthy and mentally active. If I remain mentally healthy, for the most part I would probably have mild short-term memory loss. This change in cognition could cause me to have notes, schedules, and calendars to keep up with events and prevent forgetfulness from interfering with what needs to be done. Even though this acute memory loss could occur at the age of seventy, if there would be little to no negative factors that affect my brain then my intelligence might continue to increase.
Last but not least, by the age of seventy there would be many social changes in my life. First of all, I would already be retired and this means that my usual daily pattern would change. Accompanying this adjustment in my everyday life would be the alteration of my social role. Since I would not be working in my career anymore, I would probably develop new hobbies such as sewing and reading and increase my involvement in my church to prevent social isolation. In addition to this, my living arrangements would most likely change as well. If my spouse would still be alive and we would be able to function safely and independently then I would live in my own home or apartment. However, if I would be left alone then I would prefer to live with one of my children.
In summary, there are many biological, mental, and social modifications that accompany aging and would be unavoidable for me at the age of seventy. First, my physical body would not function as well, impairing my ability to preform daily tasks. Next, a diminished memory would require me to find ways to remind myself of events. Lastly, I would have to adjust to the social changes in my life such as retirement, role change, and a different living arrangement. To conclude, in reality there are many unpredictable factors that fall into play in the aging process and can make a dramatic difference in a person’s quality of life.
