THE future what does it mean for us oldies? No matter what age we are, especially after 50, we start
the gradual process of thinking about ageing.
Most only give it a fleeting thought. It’s a serious wake up call, the kids have left home to chart their own lives, maybe they get married or go overseas, maybe they go interstate or work takes them elsewhere in the world.
You’re on your own. So quiet around the house now. A new beginning and we haven’t been here before.
We then start to knuckle down and save for that retirement that’s still 15 years away, but by this time we are all aware that the old saying rings true, “tide and time” wait for no man.
Time marches on, grandchildren, birthdays, anniversaries come and go.
Suddenly one day you’re in your seventies, maybe streaking towards your eighties.
New techniques being developed will no doubt extend our life but we must do our part
We see in the world, hundreds of companies vying to be first to bring in a new treatment, or new drugs to counter the myriad afflictions that beset our lives, and the never-ending series of trials called for by governments for this disease or that ailment to be tested for their validity.
There is a medical revolution happening in the world today. A pilot study being run by Monash University will be offering free preventative genetic testing for 10,000 young adults, to determine if they carry genes that put them at risk of certain preventable cancers and heart disease.
“Apple” is working on new phone tools that will even help with fertility planning for those young adults, while there is a gel-based sensor that can identify infections before they become obvious to the naked eye, together with new impregnated bandages that can enhance the healing of wounds.
Small cameras are used routinely in a lot of investigative procedures done today, while a new blood test in the UK can detect over 51 different types of cancer.
So, what does all this mean for seniors today? It means that if we have lived a relative healthy life and dodged some of the worst diseases, we could live a lot longer than we think, especially with the advances in modern medicine that are evident even today.
New techniques being developed will no doubt extend our life span, but we must do our part in this process to secure longevity.
We can rue the fact of getting older or we can embrace the extra years, however many we may have, and stay as young and healthy as we can be.
