Health Essentials
Care for our elderly parents & preparing for our golden years
The past few years I have been thinking a lot about how to make the life of elderly parents fulfilling and with less stress on our lives. How we should also prepare adequately for our golden years while we provide guidance to our children and grandchildren. These thoughts have on several occasions shifted to perimenopause and menopause and the role of finance and wellness and all this cannot be taken for granted.
Age does creep up on us. One minute you are a teen, with neither fears nor cares and in a blink of an eye, you are a parent of teens who will remind you that being around for over half a century is old. Is fifty that old? I do not think so, but a lot depends on what we have been doing for most of the fifty years. It is never too late to make changes.
As we trudge through life, most of us never think about the challenges that our elderly parents may face, and we are just not prepared when reality stares us in the face. Every age bracket has its unique issues and between forty to sixty-five years we often have quite a lot on our plate; supporting our elderly parents, putting our own lives in order and guiding our young ones.
Necessary steps to enhance life of elderly
1. Never boss or try to “parent” your parents
a. Think about this; we unconsciously start “ordering” our parents. Telling them what to do without finding their preferences etc. Parenting our parents is one of the challenges many elderly parents endure silently. Stop It!
2. Ask for their opinion
a. Being old does not mean one no longer has opinions. Ask. Argue in love, discuss issues such as exercise, medication, hospital visits, food, friends, religion, politics. Everything. By all means seek their opinion.
3. Do not overtreat them medically
a. Not every change you see in an elderly person requires medical intervention. Be careful what you buy medicines for and stay away from unnecessary tests. Make sure you speak to a knowledgeable health professional.
4. Hospital stays should be as brief as possible
a. Plan hospital or clinic visits to make them as short and convenient as possible. If possible, get tests and consultations done on the same day. If it’s not an emergency, find out if the medical facility has special arrangements for the elderly and also check the time of days with the shortest wait time. Many elderly people do not like the stress of hospital environments and why should they?
b. When admitted for an illness, work together with the medical team to ensure they are home as soon as possible. Most of them do best in familiar surroundings and home is numero uno.
5. Have them stay at home for as long as possible
a. Sometimes children are in a hurry to send parents off to homes that care for the elderly. People often ask where they could get such support. I think we should all plan to keep parents at home for as long as humanly possible. Sometimes we do not have the option of having them at home, but we need to explore all our options
6. Help them to socialise
a. Organise time with friends etc. at home and out of home. This brings a breath of fresh air to everyone including our elderly parents. This makes them happier, healthier and they live longer.
b. …and the more time we spend with our elderly parents, the longer they live.
7. Ensure physical activity
a. No matter one’s age and medical condition, there is always a form of physical activity to engage in. It may be as simple as making fists or moving arms, but every movement goes a long way to make life better.
b. Sunlight is a must. Do whatever it takes to ensure at least one gets a few minutes of sunlight a day.
c. The presence or chance to see beautiful plants is a bonus worth going the extra mile for.
Steps to prepare for our own golden years
1. Start a wellness plan or continue if you already have one
a. It’s a must!! Learn to breathe, build muscle, move to ensure your heart is happy and even more important parts of your brain that protect you from dementia will grow.
2. Keep in touch with your classmates
a. They have known you for years and a phone call or occasional visit or gathering definitely ignites memories and it brings “warmth” beyond your wildest imagination
3. Surround yourself with younger people
a. They can support you in many ways and their visits brighten your day while your advice is priceless to them. It is a win-win situation.
4. Avoid loneliness at all costs
a. You are not an island. Even if you think you are better off on your own and with your thoughts, nature does not agree with that. Kindly make a few good friends.
5. Protect your brain/memory
a. Dementia is a matter of when and not if; exercise will enlarge the part of the brain that controls memory. Having a larger hippocampus means it takes longer for dementia to show up.
Age will definitely catch up with each of us if we hang around Earth long enough. It is a matter of when and not if so, we should take steps to make our golden years and those of our loved ones happy and fulfilling. I will choose SUCCESSFUL ageing over USUAL ageing any day.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh. com)
*Dr Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’
Thought for the week (1) – “Ageing comes with psychosocial challenges such as neglect, abuse, sexual adjustment, emotional disorders, other mental health challenges, issues with living arrangement and several others. Let us all help to make life easier and more enjoyable for the elderly”-Kojo Cobba Essel
By Dr Kojo Cobba Essel
The prostate gland, a small but essential organ found only in men, plays a key role in reproductive health. It produces fluid that nourishes, protects, and transports sperm, yet many focus only on its connection to prostate cancer.
Location & Function
- Situated between the bladder and penis, with the rectum behind it.
- The urethra passes through the prostate, carrying urine and semen.
Common Prostate Conditions
1. Prostatitis – Infection of the prostate:
- Symptoms: chills, fever, pus-like urethral discharge, painful urination, groin/testicular pain, painful orgasms, erectile dysfunction.
- Advice: Seek professional help; do not self-medicate.
2. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) – Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate:
- Symptoms: frequent urination (especially at night), urge incontinence, difficulty starting urination, weak stream, painful urination, blood in urine, terminal dribbling, and in severe cases, inability to urinate.
- BPH can be extremely painful, sometimes compared to labor pains.
3. Prostate Cancer – Common among men, especially black men, often aggressive and with earlier onset:
- Risk Factors: older age, African descent, family history, obesity.
- Symptoms: frequent urination, straining, blood in urine/semen, weak urine flow, new erectile dysfunction; advanced stages may include fatigue, weight loss, and bone pain.
Diagnosis
- Digital rectal examination – checks for irregular or hard areas.
- PSA test, biopsy, ultrasound, CT/MRI/PET scans, bone scan.
Management
- Holistic approaches include watchful waiting, medication, surgery, and radiation (external & brachytherapy).
- Always discuss all options with your healthcare provider.
Risk Reduction Tips
- Regular screening
- Healthy, varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, cauliflower)
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise at least 5 days a week
Final Advice
- Share this information – the prostate needs support!
- Maintain good hygiene, walk and exercise daily, pray, and know your numbers (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI).
Thought for the Week:
“There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Dr. Essel invites readers to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Wellness Festival on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 6 a.m., to walk, exercise, network, and share ideas to stay healthy.
Contact: dressel@healthessentialsgh.com
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
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Health Essentials
Stop the silent killer: Breaking myths to prevent sudden deaths from high blood pressure
Every week in Ghana, a life is cut short, sometimes in the middle of traffic, sometimes at a desk, sometimes in the quiet of sleep. A father doesn’t come home. A sister doesn’t wake up.
A colleague slumps at work and never gets back up. Families are left asking why and you will hear statements like what happened? Was he sick? I just saw him, he has not shown signs of ailment, what a shock and so on.
Behind many of these sudden tragedies is a quiet, invisible force: high blood pressure, or hypertension. It doesn’t scream for attention. It doesn’t always show symptoms. But it tightens its grip silently on hearts, on brains, on lives.
This is not just a medical issue. It is a human one, it is about behaviour, it is about ignorance and it is about lifestyle. It is the grandmother who never got her blood pressure checked because she felt “fine.”
It is the taxi driver, the statistician, the nurse who ignored his pounding headaches, thinking it was just stress. It is the young lady who was so vibrant at church and no one suspected she could fall and die. Because it shows no symptoms.
The alarming numbers we cannot ignore
The Ghana’s 2023 STEPS Survey on Non-Communicable Diseases conducted by The World Health Organisation, Ghana Health Service and Ghana Statistical Service has revealed findings that should push for action.
According to the report, 21.7 per cent of adults aged 18 to 69 in Ghana are living with high blood pressure. Even more alarming is that 51.1 per cent of those with hypertension are not aware of their condition.
This means that more than half of the people with dangerously high blood pressure are walking around without knowing it until tragedy strikes. That is the real danger of this silent killer.
Literature has shown that hypertension is preventable and manageable. But only if we treat it like the threat, it is. That means regular checkups; that means understanding the risks and that means talking about it openly, urgently, and with compassion.
The deadly power of myths
Why are so many Ghanaians untested or untreated? Is it out of ignorance, or the pervasive myths about hypertension and its treatment?
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the body” or “shortens life.”
• Some believe blood pressure medicine “weakens the penis and kills sexual drive”
• Others think once you start taking medication, you are “dependent for life.”
• Many say, “I feel fine, so I must be fine.”
These beliefs are not only false, but they are also deadly. The truth, according to the World Health Organisation, is that effective treatment can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent and heart attack by 25 per cent. Avoiding treatment does not prevent dependence rather, it accelerates death.
As Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, has noted, “Hypertension is preventable and treatable, but our biggest battle is misinformation and late detection.”
A national conversation we must have
This is not just a health issue it is a national emergency. Sudden deaths rob families of breadwinners, communities of leaders, and the country of its productivity. In every obituary notice caused by hypertension, there is a story of loss that could have been prevented with a simple blood pressure check and treatment.
Behind every life saved is a moment of awareness, a decision to act, therefore, the media must rise to the challenge.
Radio and television programmes should dedicate regular airtime to demystify hypertension. Newspapers should carry survivor stories, expert interviews, and practical lifestyle advice.
Social media influencers should spread awareness in local languages, reaching young people who assume they are safe.
Public health experts also have a responsibility. Screening must move beyond hospitals into churches, mosques, markets, schools, and workplaces. People should not have to wait for illness to know their BP status.
What we can do together
To stop the silent killer, we need a collective response:
• Check your blood pressure regularly, even if you feel healthy.
• Follow medical advice faithfully if diagnosed because treatment saves lives.
• For healthy lifestyle, eat less salt, reduce alcohol, reduce starchy, fat and oil intake, avoid smoking, and exercise at least 30 minutes daily.
• Encourage one another talk about blood pressure in families, communities, and workplaces.
Conclusion: Silence is killing us
What kills is not just the disease, but the silence, fear, and myths that surround it. The STEPS 2023 report has sounded the alarm: nearly one in five Ghanaian adults has high blood pressure, and more than half don’t even know it.
This is the time for bold conversation, public education, and decisive action. The media, health professionals, policymakers, and ordinary citizens must join forces to expose the myths, spread the facts, and save lives. Let us not wait for another headline.
Let us make blood pressure a national conversation before it becomes a personal tragedy. With awareness, treatment, and collective will, Ghana can stop the silence and stop the sudden deaths from the silent killer.
Written by: Ansah Moses Teye-Akam – Senior Statistician, Sociologist/Scientific Research Organisational Expert.
Email: moses.ansah@ statsghana.gov.gh/ansahmosesteyeakam@ gmail.com.gh Contact: 0244539034 / 0204359034
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