Ageing: A letter from a former geriatric hospital director to an old friend…

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A letter from a former geriatric hospital director to an old friend…

   I don't advocate the determination of bone density anymore, because the elderly will definitely have osteoporosis, and with the increase of age, the degree of osteoporosis will definitely become more and more serious, and the risk of fracture is bound to get bigger.

   There is a formula: -----

 Risk of fracture = external damage force / bone density.

   The elderly are prone to fractures because the denominator value (bone density) is getting smaller and smaller, so the risk of fractures will definitely increase. Therefore, the most important measure for the elderly to prevent fractures is to do everything possible to prevent accidental injuries.

   How to reduce accidental damage?

   There are the seven characters of the so-called secret that I summed up, which is: --   “Be careful, Be careful, Be careful again"!

   Specific measures include:

1. *Never* *stand* on a chair or stool to get something, even a low stool.

2. Try not to go out on rainy days.

3. Take special care when bathing or using the toilet to prevent slipping.

4. Be sure to clean up the floor in the house before going to bed.

5. When getting up in the middle of the night, be sure to turn on the *light* *first* , and then get up.

6. Must sit and wear pants.

7. In the event of a fall, you must stretch out your hands to support the ground. It is better to fracture the forearm and wrist than to fracture the femoral neck at the hip joint.

 Regarding increasing bone mass, I also advocate *Dietary* *supplements* (dairy products, soy products and seafood, especially small shrimp skins, which are high in calcium) rather than medicinal supplements.

 The other is to do outdoor activities properly, because *sun* *exposure* (under UV light) converts the cholesterol in the skin into vitamin D.

  It is beneficial to promote intestinal absorption of calcium and osteoblast activity as its effects the delaying of osteoporosis.

2. Elderly health care

 (1) Summary After investigating more than 300 centenarians, I found astonishing data. Almost all *centenarians* who have fallen die within three months.

 (2) A fall may not necessarily lead to a fracture, but the vibration and impact force of the fall will make the whole body function of the elderly in a state of disintegration, the meridians and collaterals are blocked and they cannot become an organic whole to achieve self-balancing regulation, resulting in rapid failure of the functions of the viscera, and thus rapid death.

(3) Pay special attention to the non-slip of the bathroom. When going up the stairs, pay attention to the handrails and don't fall.

 Everyone, take care.

   Therefore, the elderly must pay attention to anti-skid and anti-fall. 

 One fall will cost ten years of life. Because all the bones and muscles are destroyed. Surgery is useless, and *conservative* *treatment* is also a drag. So, be careful. 

   The message may look long but it’s worth reading it especially for the seniors, and those taking care of seniors.