Better yet, consider regular maintenance and repair of your garage floor and doors. Reason: frailty.
The Prevalence of Frailty
What is frailty? It is a syndrome or cluster of conditions that impact the vulnerability or susceptibility of the older population to respond to common stressors or events. Frailty is part of ageing, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t carry risks. Older people are prone to cognitive decline, chronic diseases such as cancer or heart disease, and weak muscle strength and agility.
In a 2018 study in the Australasian Journal on Ageing, the researchers studied over 8,000 adults, 65 years old and above. They used the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) to assess the participants. This approach evaluates five factors:
- Exhaustion
- Weight loss
- Muscle strength
- Walking speed
- Physical activity
The results suggested that more than 20% of them were already frail. It means that they presented three or more problems. Nearly 50% of the individuals were pre-fail or possessed up two health issues.
Strength and Frailty
Frail older people tend to have problems with their muscle mass, strength, and function. One of the reasons is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by the significant loss of muscle mass and strength. It can be due to many factors such as:
- Changes in the hormones
- Decline in the mitochondrial function (mitochondria are the energy generators of the cells)
- Poor communication between the brain and the muscle
- Inability of the body to break down and use proteins properly
Two of the common explanations are a lack of physical activity and bad nutrition.
A 2012 research revealed that at least 25% of older adults nearing retirement were already obese. Obesity, however, is a complex problem. For seniors, the lack of physical activity can go beyond being couch potatoes. Many of them may already have joint problems, which limit their mobility. The fear of falling is also real among the population, especially since they may already have weaker lower leg muscles. This prevents them from walking outdoors.
When it comes to poor nutrition, taste buds can change with age. Older adults can smell and taste less, so they don’t enjoy eating as much as before. Their limited mobility can also affect their access to high-quality food such as fruits and vegetables.
What Does Frailty Have to Do with a Garage?
More Australians are ageing in place. Instead of moving into retirement homes or assisted-living facilities in Utah, they remain in their state or community. They don’t even change homes, even choosing to live with you.
Ageing in place, however, doesn’t make them any less vulnerable to frailty than the rest of the older population. A home that isn’t ready to accommodate their changing needs poses a serious problem to these seniors. One of these is the garage. Make sure that your garage floor is non-slip by using garage epoxy.
Manual garage doors can already be difficult or impossible to lift. Poorly working automatic doors can even be more troublesome. Depending on their level of frailty, even a routine problem like this can be a source of injury or even disability to them.