I concur with Bette Davis’ sentiment that ‘old age ain’t no place for sissies.’
I’ve had conversations with men and women who live with disabilities, ranging from polio to arthritis to MS to cerebral palsy. Mobility disorders will always be challenging as they impact where we can and cannot live, where we can and cannot work, where we can and cannot get an education, wine and dine, and so on. Architectural accessibility will always pose challenges, particularly in older parts of the country where there was little or no thought to the notion that persons with conditions that impacted walking, stepping and standing would need or want to go out and about in their community. In A Christmas Carol, Tiny Tim rested on his father’s shoulder for excursions through their village; he was often viewed as an object of pity, inspiring people to be sad for his lot in life.
In today’s world, the Tiny Tim image has been replaced with the likes of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, Rick Hansen and Christopher Reeve among others. Their marks on history are indelible.
As I age with CP, they and I share a common feature of the process of growing old with wonky mobility. Because we use our good muscles to compensate for deficits, we wear them out more quickly than the able-bodied. With the passage of time, those of us who do walk, layer a few other disabling conditions over the existing one; in my case, my shoulders, elbows and wrists are impacted by the greatest wear and tear as a result of alternating use of crutches and wheelchair and the constant extending of my arm to use my hand to touch ‘the spot’ as I walk about. I have frequent sessions with my TENS unit, with complimentary care including a visiting physiotherapist to keep my legs tuned into my brain with patterned movement so that I may continue to walk as I walk. I also use a lovely microwaveable heat bag. I’m more inclined to use that than reach for pain medication like Tylenol #3. It’s amazing how effective heat can be to a strained, aching muscle.
Ultimately, I must be doing something right, given I’m still uprightly mobile and independently living as I enter my 70th year.
Key to healthy aging, that impacts the entire body, from head to toe is hydration. Not just with juice, coffee or cola, but good old H2O. Juice, flavoured water, or enriched milk products are also good choices. Be mindful that alcohol tends to dehydrate, so pay attention to intake.
Persons with mobility disorder who rely on others to assist them through the day often don’t drink enough water because they don’t want to ‘bother’ a spouse, a sibling, a son or daughter to assist them in toileting. It’s critical that families have conversations about the importance of the person with disability doing whatever he needs to do to stay healthy and out of hospital for issues that could have been prevented with sufficient hydration.
Across the country, communities have been grabbed by heat waves. Community-mindedness is key to ensuring that those we don’t see out and about are having their needs met; again, I tout the value of ‘friendly visiting’, within your community just to ‘check in’ with those who would benefit from your care and attention.
Water, water must be everywhere; available especially to children and older adults who may not remember to drink up! Frequent fill-ups are vital to those populations to ensure that they don’t suffer from heat-related collapse.
In the nursing home setting particularly, care staff must be diligent about making the rounds with pitchers of ice water, encouraging water drinking and helping those who are challenged accommodating the need. Necessary as well is assisting with bathroom needs, since they’re going to be increased.
Sufficient water intake contributes to a greater level of alertness and concurrent lessening of combativeness which is found in some patients with early, or even fully involved dementia. Sufficient hydration really does improve mood and that makes life more pleasant for everyone. After all, our bodies are approximately 60% water so filling up after a bathroom visit is a good way to get into the habit of keeping the ‘fuel tank’ full.
Symptoms of dehydration in the elderly may sometimes be subtle, but not drinking enough water and fluids can have impact on aging bodies such as mine. Severe dehydration can lead to confusion, weakness, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bedsores in bedridden patients, and other serious conditions. Though I do walk, I limit moving about, particularly in really hot weather, opting to ‘sit it out’ with a binge watch of a favorite TV series. Give me winter!
During these extended periods of dangerously hot weather, we must look after ourselves and drink water. From the medical/physical perspective, severe dehydration is a potentially life-threatening emergency and can cause serious damage to kidneys, heart, and brain; to avoid severe hydration, respond to signs of dehydration by drinking fluids that rehydrate. Consuming hydrating foods is another way to take care of yourself; watermelon, strawberries, oranges, peaches and cantaloupe, to name a few, are ideal hydrating foods. Friends on fixed incomes might look to sharing cost of an assortment of ‘good eats’. There are lots of creative ways to stay hydrated and healthy during hot weather. What are your tips to stay cool?
Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, the boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell
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