Senior scams have been around for a long time. In 1931 for example, a clinic was opened that claimed they could inject elderly folk with a substance that would rejuvenate their bodies and make them look and feel much younger. The substance was purported to be fetal sheep cells and needless to say, the injections did absolutely nothing. This was the case even though this particular clinic had many high profile clients, including the King of Morocco and Pope Pius XII.
There are not many of these glaringly ridiculous products out on the market right now, but the anti-aging product industry is still generating about $20 billion a year. And it shows no sign of slowing down. Current reports say that the industry is growing at a rate of about 9 percent per year–three times the rate of inflation. This makes sense, sadly. The senior population is growing much more quickly than most other populations, and that means that more and more people will have a desire for these products–even if they clearly do not work.
One of the things that many seniors desire is to feel younger again, and there is no end to people wanting to take advantage of this fact and make some money. Just because these snake oil type miracle cures don’t work doesn’t mean that there is nothing out there that can help. However, it is never going to come in the form of a silver bullet, or in this case, a fetal sheep cell injection. Instead, feeling younger comes in the form of taking good care of yourself and having the appropriate supervision to help you overcome any obstacles that there might be to caring for yourself. This can easily be in-home care in most cases, as this is the type of care that most people need. Others may require a different type of care, but this is a great first choice because it is cost effective and easy to begin. It also makes transitioning to other types of care a bit more simplistic.
There are benefits to things like stem cells, antioxidants, nanotechnology, and other science buzz words, but not all of them apply to our health in the way that certain products are marketed. Yes, a diet rich in antioxidants has the potential to help keep you healthier, but that doesn’t mean that it’s an instant fix. There is no immediate way to help improve your health in a big way, but rather it’s the cumulative effect of doing healthy things and having a beneficial lifestyle over the course of many years that does this. Nothing that you find at the grocery store or on an infomercial is going to instantly change your life by making you look and feel 25 years younger, unfortunately. These are marketing gimmicks meant to separate senior citizens from their money. Be aware and don’t fall for these scams. Instead, live a healthier life and take good care of yourself. If needed, have someone like a professional caregiver help you out once in a while.
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