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Anyone who is elderly and lives alone faces a special set of challenges, beginning with health issues.

Physical and mental health should be priorities. Let’s begin with physical health which is a very basic need but one that for most of us gradually deteriorates.

We can however slow the process of declining health. There is plenty of information in the media on how to do so. The challenge lies in finding the motivation to live in a healthy way.

We must prepare for old age and should start early in life. Just as it is advisable to begin financial preparations for retirement so should we early on initiate actions and behavior that preserve health, energy and stamina.

Every magazine stand highlights the importance of diet and exercise, as well as how to stay young physically and mentally.

The motivation for a healthy lifestyle depends — to a great extent — on a positive outlook and that is where mental health comes in.

We do have a certain amount of control over our mental health. Studies have shown that socially active individuals tend to be healthier and more alert in every way. Having many interests in life decreases the likelihood of depression or cognitive impairment. To work at maintaining a positive outlook helps prevent depression.

Loneliness can easily become a problem as family, friends and peers grow sickly and reach the end of their lives. Loss is a painful reality in later years. It is especially difficult for persons who tend to be naturally introverted, for whom reaching out to new friends does not come readily.

As we grow older and slow down, we have more time to pursue hobbies and interests that were postponed. It’s a good idea to open new doors by exploring topics we simply had no time for a few years ago. Learning should never stop; it can provide a constant source of personal enrichment. It also makes one interesting.

Passion for life, fueled by curiosity and a desire to keep growing, makes the difference between lonely, boring senior years and a golden time of life. We are fortunate to live in an area of boundless opportunities for continued learning.

For the elderly who are alone and immobilized by physical handicaps, computers and telephones provide a bridge to the world. Even though computers might be daunting, having one and knowing how to use it can make the difference between total isolation and meaningful connection. Now available are computer lessons at home, either from a live tutor or an infinite number of opportunities through the Internet.

The senior years are not much different from the rest of life. Life is what we make it and most of it depends on our attitudes. If we take good care of our minds and bodies, make an effort to think positively and remain socially connected we may be a bit slower but need be no less happy than we’ve ever been.

In conclusion, I share a bit of appropriate wisdom that just arrived in one of those email forwards we all love. “We do not stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

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Elinor Stanton is a psychiatric nurse practitioner on Marco Island. She has 30 years of experience as a therapist in private practice and with a large health maintenance organization in Boston. Send comments and questions to etseven@aol.com or call 394-2861. Visit her Web site at http://www.etseven.net.