Thames Star WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1934. ENJOYING OLD AGE.

Thames Star, Volume LXV, Issue 19247, 31 October 1934, Page 2

Thames Star

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1934. ENJOYING OLD AGE.

"With mafia* tewamte nosa; with charity for all-; with firm®*®® in th* right, a* God give* u« to #@* th* right.” —Lincoln.

Dealing with the interest aroused by the recent special number of the British Journal of Physical Theraphy devoted to disorders of old age and their prevention, the London “Observer” says that it is clear from statistics that one effect of the increased average age of the population is an increased number of elderly people. It is essential, both socially and indivdiually, that old age be made as healthy and useful a time as possible. The word “comfortable” has been deliberately avoided because, as will be shown later, there has probably been too much effort in the past by younger relations in making their old folk comfortable, to the detriment of their physical and mental health. Much in the articles is well summed up in a contribution by the editor, Dr. R. King Brown, on the importance of exercises and mental recreation for old people. Dealing first with the physical side, he urges the importance of early training, pointing out that those who havo been trained as children to co-ordin-ate their muscles in games are much more easily able to take up even different games in later life. It is stressed that exercise begun in early life should never be given up. Youth is the time of violent sport, and in middle-age preparation should bo made for a later period by something less vigorous. Equally important with the physical side is the mental side. Dr. King Brown rightly insists that this is too often neglected. He tells the story of th clinics for “Grannies,” started in America, to emphasise how much may be done for promoting the recreations of old folk. Too often has it been found that over-kind relations have set* up such severe restrictions on the activities of the elderly that their lives become complete boredom. They are robbed o! all initiative and independence, and they lose all interest in life. To postpone such a catastrophe tho clinic for old people was started, where not only is a complete physical examination made to'correct obvious defects in the “machine,” but mental examination is also conducted to ascertain the cause for tho discontent so frequently found. On the facts so gathered, suitable mental recreation is prescribed, with some times amazing results. It is, of course, with the physical aspect, easier to persisting mental agility if this has been fostered in early life, but investigations have shown that even advancing years do not necessarily mean an inability to tako up new ideas and studies. Modem youth would do well to ponder over the results of teaching a new language to people of different ages. The oldest group made twice as much progress as did those of eighteen. The really important thing is to get hold of the thing that an old person is really interested in and attempt to relight that which has often become dimmed with the years. Above' all, old people must not live in the past, 'but be taught to appreciate the present and the future, for therein lies their happiness.