Senior Survival Guide

HILLARY
Jack, I know that two of your close friends, who are in their 70s and 80s, are both dealing with major injuries that put them in the hospital, and are seemingly going to permanently alter their existence. Is this a part of the reality of getting older? Are all of us going to be faced with some type of debilitating decline?

JACK
One of the greatest expressions I have ever heard was from Dr. Carl Simonton who said, "We must live healthy and die healthy." Bette Davis in her last years said, "Getting old ain't for sissies." The reality is that no matter how fit you are, eventually our physical beings are destined to go into decline. There is also the fact that, as an octogenarian, at least 75% of my good, old friends are no longer with us. However, we can do something positive to ensure that our golden years will indeed be golden. There two categories of incapacity. One is seemingly out our control — major illness — but I have observed that the bulk of immediate discomforts have been self-inflicted. One of my friends at 75 decided that he was not hitting the golf ball far enough. He went to see a young pro, who showed him that he had to take a big back swing and really rotate his back. This was ok for the pro, but my friend no longer had the back that could survive this kind of trauma. When he took it to the golf course, he injured himself so badly that he had to have an operation. He now had great pain, and the fear that he might not walk again. My other friend, who is in her 80s, had frequent dizzy spells due to neuropathy. It was only a matter of time before she would fall, and she did on her way to the bathroom, breaking her shoulder, causing great pain, and resulting in wondering whether she would ever recover.

HILLARY
So, how would you suggest combating these types of bodily damage?

JACK
In both of these cases, the damage was definitely self-inflicted. We must understand our physical limitations, and respond to them. My friend the golfer, needed to conclude that he could never again hit the ball as far as he used to. And, instead of treating that as a challenge, he just had to set the bar a little bit lower. Particularly, in a game like golf, where no body asks how or with what club you hit the ball, but how many strokes did it take to put it in the hole? As we get older, we must get rid of this vanity and get in touch with reality. It is like walking a tight rope, because at the other end of Nadel's Rules for Survival is that you must push yourself within your capabilities. The trick is to find out what those capabilities really are. My friend in her 80s simply needed a walker to go to the bathroom, but even in the still of night her vanity said she could make it. The real problem with people going into their 70s, and 80s and 90s is that when they physically fall they usually really hurt themselves. In our 40s, when we fall, it is no disaster. Many books have been written about diet, health foods, and various tonics to keep your energy level up, but I have not seen anything on the great amount of simple, stupid mistakes, which are totally preventable. There are a few habits that are worth getting into. At 83 I do not run out of the bathroom to take a phone call. The simple act of stepping into and out of the shower is done with great care. My gag line is that I can do anything I used to do, it just takes a little longer — and I need a nap.

HILLARY
I just want to add that I think this advice is good for everyone. I know that when I have accidents — I cut my finger, or twist my ankle — I'm lucky to be young and recover, but they all stem out of carelessness. It only takes a moment to put down a kitchen knife before picking up a ringing phone. It only takes a moment longer to look both ways before driving into an intersection. The motivation may be different, but the reality is the same. Think before you act. Be careful with you body. It's the only one you have.

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