Title: Health Challenges Faced by Grandparents Raising Children in Their Twilight Years
Introduction
A growing number of grandparents are taking on the responsibility of raising their grandchildren instead of working couples. However, this twilight phase of their lives is characterized by potential health concerns, including degenerative joint disease and depression. It is therefore essential for both couples who trust their children to their grandparents and the grandparents themselves to actively manage their health and seek appropriate support.
Degenerative Joint Disease: A Silent Health Threat
During the period of raising children, grandparents often find themselves performing physically demanding tasks, such as kneeling, lifting heavy objects, and carrying or holding their grandchildren. These activities can put a strain on their joints, causing the knee cartilage to tear even in the absence of severe arthritis. When the knee cartilage tears, it can lead to swelling, pain, difficulty in movement, and sleep disturbances due to edema. Neglecting the root tear of the cartilage plate can accelerate the progression of arthritis, necessitating immediate treatment.
According to Dr. Noh Doo-hyun, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul National University Hospital, surgery may be required in cases of acute rupture, severe pain, or mobility issues. While it is impossible to prevent osteoarthritis entirely, maintaining regular exercise, building muscle strength, and managing weight can help alleviate the impact of degenerative arthritis, enabling grandparents to maintain a reasonable level of daily life functioning.
Dr. Noh advises incorporating a brief 5-minute stretching routine in the morning to reduce knee fatigue and pain caused by parenting. Additionally, taking a 5-minute light walk and engaging in 10 minutes of strength training can further support joint health. However, it is important to be cautious when doing activities that involve going downstairs, as this can worsen knee health. It is also recommended to reduce exercise intensity if knee pain arises and to visit an orthopedic surgeon annually or biannually for an arthritis progress check-up, even in the absence of significant issues.
Mental Health Challenges and Coping Strategies
Several studies have highlighted the impact of twilight parenting on the mental health of grandparents. While some studies suggest a negative effect, others indicate a potential reduction in depression. Experts explain that these findings need to be understood within a socio-cultural context. For instance, countries with strong individualistic values, such as Northern Europe, tend to experience higher rates of depression among grandparents caring for grandchildren. In contrast, familial values in countries like China and Southern Europe contribute to relatively lower rates of negative emotions.
In South Korea, where individualistic values are increasingly prevalent, twilight parenting can heighten the risk of experiencing negative emotions, including depression. This is attributed to feelings of isolation, fatigue, and physical discomfort associated with childcare duties during this phase of life. To mitigate these risks, proactive communication between grandparents and their children is essential. Discussing the scope of care, the preferred amount of involvement, and maintaining open lines of communication about childrearing can help manage stress and prevent potential burnout.
Dr. Shin Cheol-min from Korea University’s Ansan Hospital Department of Mental Health emphasizes the importance of sharing parental burdens and securing breaks to relieve stress. Grandparents should openly communicate the difficulties they face in child-rearing with their children and ensure they have dedicated time for themselves. Alongside physical support, maintaining personal well-being through exercise, sufficient sleep, and avoiding smartphone use before bedtime can greatly contribute to overall mental health.
Conclusion
The twilight years of grandparents dedicating themselves to raising their grandchildren can be both rewarding and physically and mentally challenging. By actively managing their health, seeking support, and engaging in open communication with their children, grandparents can navigate this phase of life with greater ease and enjoy the precious moments with their grandchildren.
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Grandparents who raise children at dusk may have red flags on their health due to degenerative joint disease and depression. Couples who trust their children, as well as grandparents themselves, should make efforts to manage their health (Photo = Clip Art Korea).
As the number of grandparents looking after their grandchildren is in the twilight (grandparents looking after their grandchildren instead of working couples), a red light has been put on health in their old age. As it is a time when various degenerative changes appear in the musculoskeletal system, many studies have indicated that knee arthritis can develop rapidly and affect mental health such as depression.
■ Regular exercise, weight control is important… Regular medical examinations are also necessary
When raising children, there are many times when you kneel and lift heavy things, as well as carry or hold your child. therefore Even without severe arthritis, the knee cartilage can tear suddenly. When the cartilage plate of the knee tears, the knee becomes hot and painful, and the fluid fills up. In addition, it becomes difficult to bend the knee, and when sleeping, edema can make it difficult to sleep. In particular, if the root tear of the cartilage plate is neglected, arthritis can progress quickly. It is best to seek treatment immediately.
Noh Doo-hyun, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul National University Hospital, said, “Surgery is necessary in cases of acute rupture and severe pain or with legs. You need to be treated,” he said.
Osteoarthritis occurs naturally with age, and it is impossible to completely prevent it. but usually regularly If you develop muscle strength through exercise and maintain an appropriate weight, you can maintain some degree of daily life even if degenerative arthritis occurs. Therefore, it is good to maintain a healthy lifestyle while raising children.
Professor Noh Doo-hyun said, “Even if you wake up in the morning and stretch for just 5 minutes, you can greatly reduce knee fatigue and pain caused by parenting.“After stretching, it’s good to walk lightly for about 5 minutes and do strength training for 10 minutes,” he said. He continued, “But Practicing going down stairs actually worsens knee health.He adds, “If your knee hurts during exercise, reduce the intensity and visit an orthopedic surgeon once or twice a year to check the progress of arthritis even if there is no major problem.”
■ Enough discussion with children on how to bring them up… Relieve stress from time to time
There are several opinions on the effect of raising children in the twilight on the mental health of grandparents. Although some studies have shown that it has a negative effect, some studies have indicated that it is somewhat effective in reducing depression.
Regarding this, experts explain that it needs to be understood in a socio-cultural context. In other words, in Northern Europe, where individualism is strong, the rate of experiencing depression when caring for grandchildren was high, while in China and Southern European countries, which value family, the rate of feeling low is relatively low.
However, in Korea, there is a growing tendency to value individualistic values, so there is a high frequency of experiencing negative emotions due to twilight parenting. In particular, it is explained that isolation, fatigue, and pain that occurs during childcare at dusk can increase the risk of developing depression, so more attention is needed.
Professor Shin Cheol-min from Korea University’s Ansan Hospital Department of Mental Health said, Discuss with your children the time to look after them, the scope of the care, etc.“We have to make sure we don’t take on too much of a burden from the start,” he said. It is important to share your views with your family about how to raise your child.do it,” he emphasized.
Grandparents themselves have to work hard too. Share the difficulties you face in caring for your child with your children and secure your own complete break time to relieve the stress of parenting in your spare time.Should be.
Professor Shin Chul-min said, “As much as parenting can be supported by physical strength, it is also important to exercise whenever the time is right.“In addition, to replenish physical strength with enough sleep,” he said. It is best to stay away from smartphones before going to bed and meditate or read before falling asleep.” he advised.
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