Turning 70 is the perfect time to stop making excuses and give some stuff up, not for anyone’s benefit, but for yours and yours alone.
That little bottle can wait
A sleep aid from last winter, an allergy pill you grabbed at the drugstore, they’ve probably been in your medicine cabinet for a while. You might think they’re harmless. They may have been, at least while you were young, but it’s a different situation when you turn 70.
Things like diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine can cause confusion and dry mouth in older adults. That’s not all, since constipation, blurred vision, and difficulty peeing are also way too common. How fun. Always check with a doctor when taking pills, even stuff you’ve had before.
One trip isn’t worth it
It’s so satisfying. Carrying six shopping bags at once makes you feel like you’ve achieved something, and like you’ve proved to the world that you’re not old. It’s just not worth it after 70, though. Around a quarter of adults 65 and older fall each year.
Having one fall doubles the chance of another one. Heavy bags don’t make it easier because you’ve got to keep your balance without any free hands. Take two trips, use a cart, but overall, don’t let your pride get ahead of you.
Use it while it’s still yours
You’ve probably got a good towel or good bottle of something that you’re saving for a special time. You might as well just use it when you’re 70. Not to be morbid, but you don’t know how many years you have left in you, it’s probably a lot, but you just don’t know.
There’s no point in saving the good things for later. Wear the nicer jacket to lunch and eat off those plates, otherwise, you’ve got no good reason to hold onto them. Later is now. Treat it that way.
Easy counts too
People look down on convenience so much, especially when they’re used to handling every job themselves like they’ve done for decades. Turning 70 is the perfect time to stop seeing easy as being the same as helpless, because really, it’s not.
No, getting a grab bar doesn’t make you lazy, and no, grocery delivery isn’t a sign of moral failure. They’re ways to make your life more convenient, and the truth is, after 70, you deserve to have that.
Thirty years is a lot
When you’re 30, buying the thing that lasts forever, even though it’s more expensive, makes sense. Not so much when you’re 70. You have no idea how much longer you have left, and ‘forever’ could end up being a lot shorter than you expect.
Perhaps you don’t need to get that giant heavy table, and perhaps the lighter one is a better idea. Buy the things that are within reach and feel comfortable. Buy the things you’re sure you’ll use this decade, not the ones that’ll last you until the next one.
A visit isn’t a debt
Notice the difference. When you’re 70, you’ve got to figure out whether your adult children are scheduling with love or with guilt instead. Caregiving involves setting boundaries and healthy communication, not guilt. Definitely not guilt.
Your kids shouldn’t make you feel like you’ve got to earn a visit. They might not say it directly, but they might imply it through sighs and hints, or through comments like ‘after everything I do.’ Stop letting them do that and be honest with them.
Paperwork isn’t the whole life
Nobody’s saying you should ignore your will or medical wishes, obviously that’s important, you need to sort it out. But you can’t keep living like your house is already someone else’s weekend project. You can’t keep doing things now that’ll make life easier for someone else later.
You’ve got to live for yourself, whether that involves buying the things that make no sense or doing the things other people wouldn’t choose. The truth is, emptying your life early just to save someone a few boxes is only going to hurt you. You really want that?
Move the meet-up
It’s easy to make food your whole social plan, and it happens a lot when you’re older. Lunch, dinner, coffee, cake, another lunch, all of it around food, all of it around sitting. You can’t keep letting that happen when you’re 70, however, because that’s when movement matters most.
That’s not to say you have to train like an athlete, that’s not realistic. But try socializing with a slow walk counts or a gentle class. Try wandering around a garden center, and then, yes, get coffee together afterward, you deserve it.
You can update the file
People decide who you are when you’re young. You know, you become ‘the organized one’ or ‘the one who hosts,’ maybe ‘the one who never complains.’ You can’t keep letting that happen when you’re older.
You’re completely capable of learning new skills and making new memories when you’re older. You’re absolutely not stuck. So stop acting like you’ve got to stay the same person everyone remembers. You really don’t.
The room still belongs to you
Everyone knows that doctor visits are more common when you’re older, but there’s a slight change nobody talks about. You’re the patient one minute, then your adult child’s answering questions for you the next. Why allow that to happen?
You have the right to understand and take part in any choices about your medical care. That’s not to say you can’t bring someone, you absolutely can, they might remember things better. But you shouldn’t let them control the appointment and talk over you. Your body, your voice, simple.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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