ANTICIPATING AGING

Some time in her eighties, my mother lost the ability to walk easily. She shuffled along, bent over and staring at her feet. When we suggested getting a cane or walker, she replied indignantly that it would “make her look old”! She was driving us crazy. Finally we insisted that she get a walker, and overnight everything changed. She stood up straighter, picked up her feet, and looked ahead. She even started walking around the block alone. I don’t remember if she ever admitted how silly she had been, but it taught me a good lesson. Nothing makes you look old like refusing to admit you are aging and need help.

Today, having osteoarthritis, I am having my own problems with walking. For a while I walked much less, which is clearly a bad idea. My cholesterol level rose, and so did my level of irritation. Finally I gave in and ordered a cane from CVS.com. Like my mother, I am a bit vain, so I found an attractive cane in blue. It has a gel handle with a loop for my wrist, and it folds for travel. The color even matches my luggage. I feel quite stylish when carrying it, and probably look younger than I would without it. When we are on the road, I sometimes use my hiking stick instead, because even paved paths tend to have rough spots and steps.

A cane is only one example of the simple aids that can make life easier as we age. Years ago, psychologist B.F. Skinner wrote a helpful book (Enjoy Old Age: A Practical Guide) based on his own experiences. As one would expect from Skinner, it was a sort of environmental engineering approach to aging. The general idea was to think about strategies to make life easier, and to acquire the right tools.

A few  years ago I sold my home and bought another one. It was emotionally wrenching for many reasons, and the house itself was a nice old Craftsman (my favorite architectural style) in the San Francisco Bay area. It was obvious, though, that I could not live there for more than a few years. There were many too many stairs to climb, too much housework and gardening to do, too little money to hire help. Finally I accepted reality. I sold the heavy, dust-catching furniture and a thousand books that I will probably never read again, sold my late husband’s collections of magic apparatus and majolica tobacco jars.

Luckily, I’ve recently found a home that is more suitable for the old lady I’m becoming. It is very small, despite the fact that it has everything I need. (Including space for the many books that are magically appearing.) I can do the housework easily and quickly, and I’ve found local handymen who make any repairs at reasonable prices. My new home in the Sierra Nevada mountains cost less than anything comparable in the Bay Area would cost, so this move also gave me some needed income. It even has a separate driveway and space for the RV.

As RVers age, many of us must give up the RV life. That can be postponed for as long as possible, though. RVs themselves are wonderful for us—there is always a bathroom available! A little planning can lead to modifications or arrangements for the elderly. For instance, using some RV pantries can be hard for an elderly person, because it’s hard to reach to the back of each shelf. We had wire baskets (ordered from Winnebago by our dealer) installed in the pantry. These can be pulled out for easy access. We also have a strong folding stepstool that I use for reaching ceiling vents and as a footstool or coffee table.

Tools in the RV should be easy to use and multipurpose. The OXO Good Grips tools are great for anyone, but essential for people with arthritis.

Safety is another especially important concern for elderly RVers. Just as we do at home, we take every possible precaution with smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. In the event of an emergency, escaping from an RV is much harder for older people than younger ones. 

Perhaps the most important preparation for aging (whether in an RV or not) is maintaining our health. Nutrition, exercise, and sleep can accomplish much to keep us healthy enough to continue our activities. Most of us are a bit overweight. Climbing the few steps into an RV or a cabover bed is easier for someone at a normal weight. Losing even a few pounds can make us surprisingly more comfortable, which also leads to exercising more.

Over the past ten or twenty years, the obesity epidemic has been blamed on fast-food restaurants, overreliance on cars rather than public transportation, suburban lifestyles, and other things. They all contribute to the problem. It’s important to take the responsibility for our own weight, though. My workbook Take Charge was written for middle-school students, but the suggestions in it (which I have used successfully for many years) can be useful at any age.

My favorite exercise is walking, but now I cannot walk far enough for aerobic benefit. At home, I have a Schwinn exercise bike that helps with cardiac fitness and weight control. I much prefer exercising in private to going to a gym! Another favorite exercise that can help in preparing for aging is tai chi chih. This mild, meditative form of tai chi helps tone muscles, increases balance and flexibility, and brings down my blood pressure. When I began it in 2003, my rheumatologist said I could continue it for the rest of my life, which is more than you can say for most exercise. On the road, I usually do it outdoors and combine it with meditation.

Most of the elderly become less tolerant of cold than when they were young. I am already chilly much of the time, and will surely need to dress very warmly as I get older. This is somewhat of a problem in an RV when we are traveling and I must limit my wardrobe. I’ve found that dressing lightly, but adding Cuddl Duds or other long underwear as needed, helps greatly.

Forgetfulness has always dogged me, and of course it will increase in time. I am trying now to be obsessive about making checklists, putting up reminder notes, and doing anything else to compensate for my forgetfulness. Along the same lines, I am basically messy and disorganized. This already is a handicap, but will be a great problem or even a danger in a few years. So, I tell myself often to “have a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Helpful as decluttering and simplifying  are now, they may save my life some day.

Reading is an important part of my life. At home I use a bright light for reading, but that can be difficult in an RV. My Nook’s variable light for reading e-books is amazingly useful.

We all worry about mental deterioration with age. In recent years it has become trendy to play “brain games” to sharpen our mental skills, but according to a few studies, the effects are not long-lasting or transferrable to other tasks. It seems more important to continue reading and writing as we age, especially when the topics are new and stimulating.

Social contact in middle age is important in itself, and helps to avoid isolation later.

These suggestions can go on and on. You get the idea, though—think ahead about possible problems you will have in the years ahead, and work on them before you need to. Establishing good habits early can make old age easier.