Longevity, Ninety-two Year Old Charlotte’s Secrets to a Long Life

A long life to enjoy our passions, grandchildren, and retirement is what we all strive for. Let me introduce my ninety-two year old Mom, Charlotte, who lives with us in Lake Stevens, Washington. Certainly looking at her habits in detail could give us important clues into the secrets of her long life. This article will give an introduction to Charlotte’s life style and following monthly articles will dissect each aspect of her life in detail.
Charlotte moved in with us about five years ago. Her health had been declining alarmingly at the assisted living facility she had chosen. The deciding point came when she collapsed and the paramedics could not get a blood pressure or pulse reading. After adjusting her medication, it was an easy decision to move her into our first floor master suite. It had a walk-in shower and lots of room for a comfortable studio set up. This gave her privacy with easy access to our family areas. In moving upstairs we also had our private loft area with TV and an office.
Many adjustments had to be made to accommodate her various medical conditions. We purchased a power recliner so no pressure would be exerted on her arthritic knees and she could watch her TV in comfort. Her diet had to be drastically adjusted which meant I had to develop a new menu. With her eyesight declining, she needed a talking clock to tell her the date and the time of day. Then we contacted the Braille Library which sent her a recorder which plays Talking Books they send out to her on a regular basis. In addition she takes her blood pressure every day on a talking blood pressure monitor which also has memory and prints a read out for her doctor. It took us a month or two in order for all the adjustments to be made so we were all comfortable with the new routines.
In monthly articles about Charlotte’s routines, I’ll describe in detail each area of her life. That will include diet, exercise, social life and networks, supplements, medical care, life style, and career. Some of her daily and weekly habits are:
*consistent healthy diet
*daily walk
*daily supplements
*blood pressure monitoring
*regular medication
*phone conversations with family and friends
*weekly senior ladies social group
*church Sunday mornings
*lunch and dinner with one of the family
*personal hygiene with hair and nails professionally done
*listening to books on tape or CD’s
*listening to favorite TV programs
*listening to her favorite music
In next month’s article I will cover in detail Charlotte’s daily diet including some of her delicious recipes. Certainly our daily diet is one of the most important contributions to a long healthy life. Follow Charlotte’s secrets to longevity and fulfill the passions and dreams for your life. Enjoy your retirement with the energy and health you deserve.