Why do some older Canadians relapse after periods of poor health?
Ken Martens, 79, applies chalk all over his hands and gets ready for his workout. He deadlifts 230 pounds and squats about 120 pounds.
Looking at him today you wouldn’t guess that he was about to die.d last year.
After a series of blackouts and falls, he wIn February 2024, he was taken to the hospital, where it was discovered that his heart was failing. Martens now has a pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to his heart 24/7. And after months of working out and socializing at Winnipeg’s One Family Fitness Centre, he feels like a new man.
“I feel like I’m in better or as good health as I was before,” he said.
According to researchers, their story is not as rare as you might think. Suggests that many older people can and do recover from periods of poor health – about a quarter Recent Canadian study published In the peer-reviewed megajournal PLOS One.
“A lot of people say, for older adults, it’s an inevitable decline until you get to the point of disability, and then death,” said Esme Fuller-Thomson, one of the study’s co-authors.
“Our finding here was not that many people who were struggling were able to achieve optimal well-being,” Fuller-Thomson said.he is also a professor and Director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto.
The study followed more than 8,300 older Canadians suffering from various health problems, such as psychological problems, physical illnesses or chronic pain, for three years. They found that people who were physically active, socially connected and psychologically well were more likely to jumpI have returned from a period of ill health or illness.
“We find this very encouraging and inspiring,” said Mabel Ho, a research associate at the Harvard Medical School. Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and one of the study’s co-authors.
She says studies show that people can take action at any age to improve their health and quality of life.
“Keeping yourself physically active, not being obese, not smoking, getting good sleep — these are things we can all do,” Ho said.
And the people around the person who is recovering also have a role to play.
Colon cancer survivors say exercise helped them get better. Research shows that it also reduces the risk of death and cancer recurrence.
The ‘epidemic’ of loneliness
Researchers say another factor linked to how effectively older people recover from injury or illness is their psychological and social well-being.
“Having someone to talk to, someone who loves you, someone who can confide in you — that social connection is very important, too,” Ho said.
Study participants who did not have strong friendships or relationships fared worse, with less than one in 10 recovering.
“Loneliness is an epidemic among older adults,” Fuller-Thomson said.
She’s particularly concerned about two groups: those who have recently retired, and those who have been widowed.
“The workplace, sometimes that’s the main place for your social interactions. And widows and widowers have to struggle,” Fuller-Thomson said. “Because they not only lost their best friend, sometimes they lost their social coordinator.”
63 year old Greg Karman is currently going through that grief. After recent retirement, he lost his wife of 36 years in September. But less than a week after his death, they found themselves back in the gym where they lifted weights together.
“I can shut out the rest of the emotions and work through it for a few hours – it’s a part of the (grief) process,” he said.
Exercise helps, says Karman, but so do people.
Everyone at the gym knew his wife, Manny Martins-Karman. Now, he’s making more effort to get to know his friends at the gym and hold on to that social network.
“Everyone here is very, very supportive.”
Fuller-Thomson says having access to psychological support can also help people get through difficult times.
Some studies suggest that psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy may be effective for older adults struggling with depression, anxiety Or even insomnia,
Susan Walsh, an advocate for seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador, released a new report Thursday called An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure. Walsh says planning before a person’s health declines is important in determining their future.
checking on loved ones
Dr. Samir Sinha, a geriatrician at Sinai Health in Toronto, says he sometimes hears pessimism from his patients when they realize how quickly they can lose function as they age.
“People say, ‘Well, I’ve gotten older, so I don’t know if I can really get back what I’ve lost.’ It’s incredibly frustrating when people see how quickly they can lose function,” said Sameer, who was not involved in the study.
Sinha says this study reminds people that they can be resilient in some ways, no matter their age.
“It’s amazing when you can help change people’s perspective and remind them that they can do many things,” he said. “You can give people hope.”
Sinha says Thanksgiving is a great time to check in on loved ones, offer support and remind older relatives that they are not alone.
“I think Thanksgiving is a great time where we get together, see how we’re doing individually, and then really provide encouragement and support to our loved ones.”
