Seniors: quit smoking and watch you alcohol intake
- 25 percent of Florida seniors don't exercise enough.
- 10 percent of our seniors live in poverty, ranking us 36th among the states.
A picture in Monday's The News-Press showed June Johnson, 100, admiring hibiscus blooms at the annual Hibiscus Show and Plant Sale.
That centenarians are routinely out and about at public events is testimony to the vibrancy of the elder population in Florida and, specifically, Fort Myers.
Congratulations June Johnson! May you have many more flower shows to enjoy!
About one-fourth of the residents of Southwest Florida are seniors, according to a study just published by the United Health Foundation. The foundation predicts that the number of seniors in Florida will grow by nearly 88 percent in the next 15 years.
The foundation report also identified some health care needs of Florida's elderly population.
Some of the numbers are almost too big to believe. Many are too scary to want to believe.
Consider:
• About 840,000 Floridians 65 and older are obese. That puts Florida ninth among the 50 states.
• About 5 percent of Florida seniors report chronic drinking, defined as 60 drinks/month for men and 30/month for women. That places Florida 43rd among the states.
• 8.1 percent of older Floridians smoke; Florida is 14th among the states.
• 25 percent of Florida seniors don't exercise enough. That's bad, but not too bad. The lowest percentage of seniors who demonstrate enough physical activity is 21.1 percent, so Florida isn't far behind.
Those numbers can be diminished if all of our seniors decide, individually, to do what is good for them. Eat less, exercise more, quit smoking, watch your alcohol intake and have regular health checkups are among the best steps.
The foundation identified other needs in its study that could be met by community-wide efforts.
Consider:
• 10 percent of our seniors live in poverty, ranking us 36th among the states.
• Florida is last, 50th, among the states in the percentage of seniors with multiple chronic conditions.
• Flu vaccinations are decreasing rather than increasing among Florida seniors.
• We have far too few home health care workers, putting Florida last in the nation.
Our overall senior health rating among the states is a mid-level 28th, indicating that despite our problems Florida is doing very well in some areas.
We are just seventh in the nation in preventable falls, 11th in nursing home quality, first in diabetes management, third in hospice care and seventh in the amount of money spent on community support of the elderly.
We have legions of health, welfare and character-building agencies and institutions, all of them made up of dedicated professionals.
This study is a snapshot of where the community's efforts need to be focused in coming years.
Some ways you can help:
• Volunteer at some of these agencies. Southwest Florida, and you, will be the better for it. Indeed, psychological studies show universally that helpers benefit as much as those they help.
• If you are young, consider a geriatric health care career. If you are a parent, steer your youngsters in that direction.
• Give money. Alternatively, support the spending of public monies for elder health care.
• Be aware of the needs of your elderly family members, friends and neighbors. Loneliness is chronic among the elderly.
Consider how many in the young or middle-aged populations are headed for old age. Oh, yeah, all of us.
Let's start living a healthy lifestyle now.