Live in Caregiver Elder-Care-Made-Easy | Page 9

Things You Always Thought Are the Part of Growing Older - Are Actually Not • Memory loss – Most of the elder people experience a certain change in their memory with the age. They seem to work a bit harder to remember a person’s name or recall a word. Such changes are normal because with age the part of our brain has stored so much information that it takes a little longer to access it. It is also important to know that some of the memory problems arise from curable conditions. Some common reasons for memory loss are vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders, sleep deprivation, alcohol abuse and urinary tract infections. • Vision problems – With the old age, a few changes in the vision are the most common, for instance finding it hard to focus when close to the eye. Most of the elder people develop conditions that impair eyesight such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration. Particular forms of vision impairments can be prevented with regular eye exams. As of today, cataract surgery is restoring the vision of a number of elder people. • Tooth loss – Poor nutrition has been the leading cause of poor oral health. Modern dentistry is assisting a number of elder individuals to preserve their natural teeth for a longer time period. Routine dental care can cure dry mouth, gum disease and regular wear and tear, which helps elder people to avoid loss of tooth. • Depression – Elder people are at high risk of depression. Changes in life circumstances, the death of spouse, health challenges and loss of independence can be a major cause of depression due to which home health care services have immense importance. Taking different medication due to certain health conditions may cause depression.