2010 Volume 50 Issue 3 Pages 187-194
Age-related changes of life functions, in addition to types and severity of illness, adversely affect the psychosomatic health of elderly individuals. The changes are irreversible, even when advanced therapeutic techniques are applied. However, seniors can maintain a healthier condition by practicing wellness-constantly evaluating their own health and fine-tuning the mind and body, as well as the environment, to improve the quality of life. The present paper will first outline practical and concrete methods of wellness for senior citizens. As the International Classifications of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2001 indicate, an interrelationship among psychosomatic functions, daily activities, and social participation affects favorable life-functioning capacity. The idea, which implies that both environmental and individual factors influence our general health, could help medical personnel to create therapeutic modalities for keeping age-related alterations in life functions of the elderly as healthy as possible. From my clinical experience obtained in Geriatric Counseling at the Department of Geriatrics, Kyoto University Hospital, I have found counseling, rather than medical supervision, offers a more favorable way for the elderly to modify voluntarily their lifestyles. This paper further discusses the efficacy and practical applicability of specialized medical counseling for senior citizens.
