How to Markedly Reduce Your Risk of Going to a Nursing Home (Part II)
October 24, 2024 | Uncategorized
Functional age and nursing home risk are directly connected — and the difference can be dramatic. Consider Steve and Stanley, identical twins who are both 76 years old. Steve just returned from a trip to Iceland with his grandchildren. Meanwhile, Stanley has lived in a nursing home for the past seven months. Both brothers share the same medical history. Yet their lives couldn’t be more different. The reason comes down to one thing: functional age.
What Is Functional Age and Why Does It Matter?
Functional age measures how well your body performs daily tasks compared to others your age. Ideally, your functional age should be at or below your chronological age. If it is higher, your risk of losing independence rises sharply.
Steve’s functional age is 70. Stanley’s functional age is 84. As a result, Steve will likely never enter a nursing home. Stanley, however, will spend the rest of his life in one. Therefore, understanding and improving functional age is one of the most important health steps older adults can take.
The 70s: A Decade of Rapid Functional Decline
The 70s are the decade of accelerated disability. According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, the sharpest rise in disability occurs between ages 70 and 80. Specifically:
- Mobility disabilities such as walking and climbing stairs increase by 33%
- By age 80, one in three people has a self-care disability in dressing, bathing, or toileting
- Seven out of 10 people need help with meals, shopping, or driving
Furthermore, a research meta-analysis by Dr. Robert L. Kane found that having three or more impairments in basic daily activities increases the odds of nursing home placement by 325%.
Sarcopenia: The Hidden Driver of Functional Age Decline
The primary cause of functional decline is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength that comes with aging. The word comes from Greek and means “poverty of the flesh.”
Starting at age 30, you begin losing muscle mass. By age 80, many people have lost over 50% of their muscle mass and strength. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 45% of older Americans are affected by sarcopenia.
However, there is good news. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, sarcopenia has a known cause and a clear treatment. Regular physical activity can limit and even reverse its effects. In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle is the single biggest risk factor for muscle loss.
Functional Age Nursing Home Risk Is Within Your Control
Reducing your functional age nursing home risk does not require extreme effort. In fact, studies show that walking for just 30 minutes a day can prevent and reduce functional disability by years. Additionally, swimming, strength training, and staying active all help lower functional age significantly.
The World Health Organization defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age.” In other words, staying functional is staying healthy.
How to Measure and Lower Your Functional Age
Unfortunately, less than 20% of internists and family medicine physicians are familiar with sarcopenia, according to a 2022 article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Therefore, older adults cannot rely on routine checkups alone.
Instead, you can take the free Resilient 80s Functional Age Test online. The assessment is secure and private. You can repeat it over time to track changes. It also reports your healthy life expectancy.
Start today. Lower your functional age and reduce your risk of ever needing a nursing home.