Why older adults need to keep warm, drink more water — Expert

A dietician, Mr Tunde Ajobo, has said older adults, much more than before due to the climatic changes, particularly need to keep warm and increase their water intake to ensure free bowel movement and increase movement to stay healthy.

Ajobo stated that simple preventive steps like increased intake of water and vegetables, as well as keeping warm, will help them avoid constipation and chest infections like pneumonia.

He spoke at the second anniversary and thanksgiving ceremony of the Peaceful Steams Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation, put together by Pastor Oluyinka Adeyemi of the Stone Church to cater for older persons over 65 years old in Bodija and its environs.

According to him, to keep warm, they should also drink warm things and start their day with foods in fluid form because they have a lesser ability to chew.

Mr Ajobo cautioned against excessive intake of spices like ginger, turmeric, and garlic, as well as honey, saying intake of these spices in large amounts can cause internal bleeding, and honey is sugar, although it contains some other nutrients.

On teas, he said that they could take herbal teas made with lemongrass because of its relaxing effect and its benefit to ensuring sleep, as well as tea made from guava and soursup leaves because of their richness in antioxidants.

The expert noted that older people need to be active daily and exercise by walking around the house in the morning and evenings, taking no less than 10 steps each time.

Professor Temitope Alonge, one of the board members of the Peaceful Steams Foundation, stated that, due to the recent explosion in the bodija area of Ibadan, elderly persons who are experiencing feeling unwell, depressed, inability to sleep, poor appetite, or feeling agitated should seek medical care, as these could also be suggestive of post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to him, “anyone with any strange symptoms that you never felt before, including a blood pressure that was never high before, should please check it.”

Professor Alonge, however, urged the government at all levels to set up senior citizen centres across the country so that elderly people can have a place where they can freely talk about some basic issues that affect them and have basic health checks.

Earlier, Pastor Adeyemi said the foundation’s 200 members were celebrating God’s protection from the recent explosion in Bodija and stressed the need for Nigeria and Nigerians to appreciate older people more because of their past contribution to national development.