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what
does healthy aging mean for HIv+ people
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In
a recent episode of the HBO comedy "Sex and the City", Sarah Jessica
Parker's character Carrie Bradshaw is playing roulette in Atlantic City
while contemplating her progression into her late thirties. Carrie is
36, which is, coincidentally, the highest number on the roulette wheel.
She asks the casino dealer, "What comes after 36?" He replies, "I guess
you fall off the table." Do you also find yourself wondering what's
next? |
When you're in your twenties, aging seems far away. It's something that
happens to your parents. In your thirties, and even more so after 35,
it's starting to loom on the horizon as friends and family celebrate
birthday after birthday. It's safe to say that for many of us, the
aging process seems frightening, like uncharted territory.
So how can we age healthily? How
can we prepare for it? What can we do physically, mentally, socially to
ease into it so we barely even notice that it's happening?
In search of answers to these
questions, I went to the Internet. The National Institute on Aging
(part of the National Institutes of Health) has health information on
its website (www.nia.nih.gov).
Here
are their 10 tips for healthy aging:
1. Eat a balanced diet,
including five helpings of fruits and vegetables per
day.
2. Exercise regularly. (Check with a doctor before starting an exercise
program.)
3. Get regular health checkups.
4. Don't smoke. (It's never too late to quit.)
5. Practice safety habits at home to prevent falls and fractures.
Always wear
your seatbelt in a car.
6. Stay in contact with family and
friends. Stay active through work, play, and community.
7. Avoid
overexposure to the sun and the cold.
8. If you drink, moderation is the key. When you drink, let someone
else drive.
9. Keep personal and financial records in order to simplify budgeting
and investing.
Plan long-term housing and money needs.
10. Keep a
positive attitude toward life. Do things that make you happy. |
Notice that numbers 6 and 10 are
in bold. Keep in mind that I'm a social worker, so these two areas are
my specialty. I want to discuss these items for the remainder of this
article, recognizing that all of these areas can be more difficult and
pose special challenges for people living with HIV.
Stay in contact with family
and friends.
" Relationships that foster a sense of belonging and intimacy seem to
play a vital role in maintaining health or surviving serious
illnesses," writes Sophia Glezos in her summary of research studies
conducted by Lisa F. Berkman, Ph.D. of the Harvard School of Public
Health (http://obssr.od.nih.gov/Publications/social.htm).
She adds that "Those individuals who were the most socially isolated
and disconnected were clearly at increased risk of developing illnesses
that led to death."
It's important to have connections with others. Maintain family
relationships if you can.
Rekindle old friendships and
start new ones. Relationships with others give us a sense that we're
not alone in our struggles. They help us maintain perspective with
respect to our worries and fears. Friendships can take work, but the
payoff is worth it. You will have someone with whom to talk, share your
feelings, and lean on during tough times. You may be called upon to
provide the same support in return.
Stay active through work,
play, and community.
Another important element in healthy aging is
to stay as active as possible. This could mean school, part- or
full-time employment, volunteer work, exercise. In any of these areas
you will meet people, make friends, and reinforce your feeling of
having a purpose and a goal. If you're disabled, consider a part-time
job if you can. Both SSI and SSDI offer work incentives and allow you
earn some income. For more information on this, check out the Social
Security website (ssa.gov) or talk to a case manager.
If you've always wanted to learn
to speak Spanish or play tennis, take a class. Most community colleges
offer financial assistance for disabled people. Again, talk to a case
manager or go to the Disabled Students office at the college.
Typically, all they will require is a diagnosis form and proof of
income.
Keep a positive attitude
toward life.
This can be a very challenging area—especially if you're experiencing
financial or medical hardship. But remember that the support is out
there and available to you.
Often, people living with
HIV/AIDS experience clinical depression. The good news is that
depression is treatable—even more now than in past years. Counseling
and therapy is available through the C.A.R.E. Program and Clinic. Talk
to your social worker, doctor, or nurse and ask about therapy options.
They might also suggest an evaluation by a psychiatrist. Don't be
afraid of this. It doesn't mean you're crazy. It's just their
specialty; depression falls under the realm of psychiatry, just like
HIV falls under internal medicine.
Do things that make you happy.
Finally, treat yourself to things you enjoy. This gives you something
to look forward to and reward yourself with. Take a bubble bath. Go to
the movies. Paint your apartment. Walk barefoot on the beach. Ride a
bike. Meet friends at a coffee house.
The bottom line is that we'll
never know what comes next, but by making some small changes, we can
ensure a healthier and happier aging process. So when we encounter
bumps in the road, we won't fly out of the car. Instead we'll be better
able to hold on tight and get through it.
This article was published in
the client newsletter for the CARE Program and Clinic at St. Mary
Medical Center, Long Beach, California.
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