Introduction

Based on ancient teachings from India, Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medicinal systems that assists people with reclaiming their health and wellness. It promotes a holistic or natural approach to creating balance in life through easy to adopt lifestyle patterns from diet to exercise, to sleep to achieve a good quality of life. This approach is adaptable to all stages of life and has proved to be beneficial for geriatric health care as well.

Ayurveda and ageing

When it comes to increasing age as well, ayurveda promotes maintaining good physical and mental health to counter the process of Ageing. Through an effective method of combining a nourishing diet, gentle movement, herbs and mind strengthening exercises, ayurveda teaches that the act of wearing out or ageing can be slowed down. The concept to delay ageing in ayurveda is known as rasayana, a combination of two words – ‘rasa’ meaning nutrient fluid and ‘ayana’ meaning a way. Basically it means a system to make the inner body powerful and improve mental and intellectual competence. We all age, but with an ayurvedic approach to geriatric care you can delay ageing health conditions by being your best self with healthy organs, glowing skin and increased lustre and vigour.

Common illnesses and ailments related to ageing

There are certain age related ailments that cause the signs of ageing to become more pronounced and hinder the quality of life. Some of these common ailments affect both physical and mental health.

Joint pains – With age people experience joint pains, which is a common ailment because the amount of lubricating fluid inside the joints decreases causing movements to become less flexible. Ligaments shorten and cartilage becomes thinner causing joints to feel stiff. This most often affects the hands, hips and knees, a condition referred to as osteoarthritis.

Memory loss – Part of the ageing process includes a certain level of memory loss which usually means taking a little longer to remember names or where things were kept, forget certain experience or incidents. This can be caused to a decreased level of blood flow to the brain which can affect the memory and cognitive skills.

Digestive issues – We use a serious of muscle contractions throughout our digestive system to digest our food. This process slows down as we age, meaning our system does not work as efficiently as it once did, causing more water from the food we consume to be absorbed into the body. This leads to issues such as constipation.

Skin conditions – As we age our skin becomes less elastic, less oily and thinner making it prone to issues such as skin infections, severe dry skin, itchy skin while cuts and scratches take much longer to heal.

Insomnia or sleep disorders – Ageing causes our bodies to produce lower levels of growth hormones which causes a decrease in deep sleep which in turn causes a lower production of melatonin. The lower levels of melatonin results in more fragmented sleep and being unable to fall back to sleep.

High blood pressure – Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure is a common problem with older people as their blood vessels or vascular system changes. With age arteries get stiffer which results in higher blood pressure even if healthy.

Ayurvedic and geriatric care

True, these are all common ailments people suffer with as they get older and most often form a natural progression of ageing. Ayurveda though promotes a lifestyle change that delays or slows down this natural phenomenon while also providing a sustainable way to deal with age related illnesses and health concerns. Below are some of the key areas where ayurvedic advice and guidance helps older people regain control of their lives and the ageing process.

Nutrition and diet – Ayurveda stresses the importance of finding harmony between your food and how you ingest it because that completely changes the way the body feels. Eating a nutritional meal that your body can digest easily adds vitality and energy to your daily life while helping to slow the ageing process. Very elderly people benefit from soft well cooked meals backed by a lot of fresh fruits, milk, proteins and simple carbohydrates. A diet low in saturated fats and high in antioxidants can lower the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Exercise, yoga and meditation – All three of these play an important role according to ayurveda towards ageing more slowly. Yoga and exercise have the ability to reduce stress, relax clenching and ease away wrinkles naturally. It also helps the skin retain a natural glow and elasticity by reducing oxidative stress. Meditation even in small amounts helps retain memories, regulate emotions and control movements.

Herbal remedies – Ayurveda is all about adopting natural measures to create wellness and wellbeing and as such herbal remedies play an important role. It promotes the use of amla or Indian gooseberry for healthy skin and reduces signs of ageing, tulsi for smoother skin, ginseng which fights signs of ageing and protects the skin from sun damage to ashwagandha which is rich in antioxidants and protects the skin from free radicals while helping the skin glow with a youthful appearance. Herbs such as rosehip oil, rosemary, sandalwood extract and lavender also help with detoxing, hydrating and toning the skin.

Lifestyle changes – The ayurvedic concept of Rasayana promotes maintaining top physical and mental health when ageing through lifestyle changes that are focussed on wholesome activities, a nourishing easy to ingest diet, including gentle herbs and creating natural channels for the flow of matter and energy.

Conclusion

Growing older and ageing is a natural process of being human. While we appreciate growing older we can use the ayurvedic perspective on geriatric care to slow the process down and help use lead a quality retirement lifestyle that is healthy and vigorous. Adopting some of the steps mentioned here will help you age with grace staying mentally and physically strong and focused for a life that will continue to have purpose and enjoyment.

The post An ayurvedic perspective on geriatric care first appeared on Ayurveda Institute UK.

The post An ayurvedic perspective on geriatric care appeared first on Ayurveda Institute UK.