When I was a fifth grader, I participated in my school’s concert, “Up with People.” The song I loved best was “Freedom isn’t Free.” The lyrics are:

“Freedom isn’t Free, you’ve got to pay a price, you’ve got to sacrifice for your liberty.”

Last week, we the people of The United States of America celebrated the day our country declared its independence. Then and now hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives—some unto death—in the defense of our freedom.

On a more personal scale, I have friends, family, and neighbors who are fighting their own battle for independence—to live by themselves in their own homes without the assistance of anyone.

The problem is some are simply not physically or mentally capable of doing this, so they must move to facilities from assisted living to skilled nursing. It’s a frustrating situation that I hope you and I never have to experience.

Yet, as of 2022 of the 54.1 million adults in the U.S. over the age of 65 (considered as “elderly”), 1.3 million live in skilled care facilities and nearly another million (918,700) in assisted living places.

This is a group I don’t want to join so I focus on little health hacks every day and I share them in a Facebook group.

Of the elderly folks who live at home, many no longer enjoy conveniences and privileges such as driving and must depend on family, friends or hired persons as live-in or drop-by care takers to provide:
meal delivery
prescription drug protocols, and
assistance for activities they once took for granted

What can you and I do to maintain our physical freedom?

We have to “pay a price and sacrifice.”

What can we give up NOW so we can keep and maintain our healthy independence LATER?