Functional Decline Overview and Prevention

Functional decline is the loss of our physical and mental abilities. If functional decline is a result of aging or age-related problems (as it most often is), then it's referred to as "age-related functional decline."

There are many types of common age-related functional decline. These include:

• Vision problems
• Hearing problems
• Balance problems
• Memory and brain problems
• Weakness in bones

This is just a short list of all the things that might change in a person's body due to aging that could lead to functional decline. You can give yourself your best chance of the least amount of functional decline through focusing on a healthy lifestyle.

How Functional Decline Progresses

Age-related functional decline can be subtle — you might need reading glasses for the first time, for example, or be diagnosed with osteopenia. However, it also can speed up suddenly and leave an older person unable to drive, live alone, or take care of the basics of daily life (like bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom and eating).

Family Caregiver Alliance reports that the "lifetime probability of becoming disabled in at least two activities of daily living or of being cognitively impaired is 68% for people age 65 and older." According to the National Institute on Aging, when a loved one becomes older than 65, even more assistance is needed to perform daily activities and life tasks, including money management.

Chronic illness can lead to gradual functional decline, but functional decline can occur swiftly when elderly people are hospitalized. In fact, a 2015 study of revealed up to 21.5% of older patients admitted to the hospital for an acute illness left the hospital with no improvement their daily living activities.

Preventing Functional Decline

It's possible to prevent functional decline, but it likely will take some work, and it may not succeed in every case. One study proves that keeping active is key in preventing functional decline, specifically with the Lifestyle-integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) program. By integrating balancing and strength exercises into their daily life, seniors can prevent premature "age-related" functional decline.

Along with physical exercise, Harvard Health reports on further ways to protect against functional and cognitive decline. The main factors that contribute to cognitive health in seniors includes getting the right amount of sleep, eating a Mediterranean diet, mental stimulation, consuming one alcoholic beverage daily, and socialization.

Bottom Line

What can you do to prevent functional decline? This advice likely will sound familiar: eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, manage any chronic diseases you might have, and stay active generally.