Healthy ageing policy and health promotion Flashcards
What are the positive attitudes towards ageing?
Acknowledging older adults: • Wisdom and experience • Generosity, caring and compassion • Positive contribution to society • Leadership • Role modelling • Raising grandchildren • Childcare provision Although the healthcare needs of older adults is greater when they were young • Their ongoing contribution to society should be valued, respected and acknowledged
What are the negative attitudes towards ageing?
- Will be a burden on society
- Bring with them unparalleled economic demands
- Agism
- Decreased mental health
What is ageism?
= stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination against people on the basis of their age
• Older adults may encounter discrimination in differing circumstances nationally internationally:
o Gaining employment
o Participation in community activities
o Mass media
= leads to social exclusion, isolation and marginalisation
What is the impact of ageism
- limit access to health care
- reduce opportunities for participation in the workforce
- limit access to social activities
- decrease physical health
Name some strategies to address ageism?
- Include education that debunks myths associated with ageing
- Programs that remove barriers to workplace participation for older people
- Promotion of intergenerational connection and or strategies to reduce fear of aging
- Physical environments that improve health
e.g.
o Pleasant and clean environments, green spaces
o Seating areas available for rest
o Paving and surfaces free of fall hazards
o Accessibility of shops and transport
o Security
o Adequate public toilets
What is active ageing?
Active ageing = Process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age, allowing people to realise their potential for physical, social and mental well being throughout the life course
WHOs Active ageing framework - determinants of health
Gender and culture = shape the way we age and influence all the other determinants of active ageing
health and social service system = e.g. health promotion and disease prevention, long term care, mental health services
Behavioural determinants = e.g. tabacco use, physical activity, nurtition, alcohol, oral health, medications)
Physical. environment = (eg. housing, safety of home environment, clean water/air, safe foods)
Social environment =(eg. social support, violence and abuse, education)
Personal determinants = (eg. , biology, genetics, psychological factors)
economy determinants = (eg. income, social protection, work)
what is healthy ageing?
” process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age”
• Functional ability is about having the capabilities that enables all people to be ad do what they have reason to value. Including ability
o Meet basic needs
o To learn, grow and make decisions
o To be mobile
o To build and maintain relationships
o To contribute to society
What were the challenges for policy development?
- Diversity in older age
- The impact of inequality
- Outdated stereotypes, new expectations
- The world is changing
Key issues for public health action?
- Dealing with diversity
- Reducing inequalty eg. assessing health policies and programmes in relation to inequalities
- Enabling choice – eg. fostering the abilities to choose and to selfmanage
- Ageing in place - the ability of older people to live in their own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income or level of intrinsic capacity - older people generally have a realistic perspective on the residential decisions they face
- Describe the main focus of the healthy ageing policies (based on the lecture notes and readings).
- Access to healthcare
- Resources for elder
- How can we provide a support environment for older people to experience healthy /active ageing?
- Engaging in their health literacy
- Individualisation
