A representative from Interim HealthCare will present a talk titled “Men’s Health” at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.
The seminar is part of the ongoing monthly series called, “Here’s To Your Health.” Participants will learn about the importance of men’s health including ways to maintain it.
While Americans are living longer these days than ever before, men are still not living as long as women. Researchers are not sure why this is, but it has been suggested that this “longevity gap” is caused in part because men do not take care of themselves as well as women do.
Compared to women, men are more likely to smoke and drink, put off doctor checkups and medical care, and make more unhealthy or risky choices. In addition, certain health conditions only affect men, such as prostate cancer and low testosterone.
It is important for men, especially as they age, to get regular screenings for conditions such as:
• an abdominal aortic aneurysm
• colorectal cancer
• depression
• diabetes (especially if blood pressure is higher than 135/80)
• high blood pressure
• hearing and vision loss
• low bone density
• dental health
• high cholesterol
In addition to regular checkups, men over 60 should get the shingles vaccine, those over 65 should get the pneumonia shot, and everyone should consider the yearly flu shot and shots for tetanus and whooping cough.
Other ways men can aid in healthy aging include taking aspirin to prevent heart disease, being physically active, and eating a diet rich in calcium, Vitamin D, fiber, potassium and healthy fats. Exercise and spending time with friends and family socializing, as well as staying tobacco-free and drinking in moderation (one drink a day for men over 65), are also important factors in healthy aging.
Oak Park Arms Senior Living is a rental retirement community which provides senior housing in the form of independent living. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information call 708-386-4040.
