Week 3-Healthy ageing Flashcards
Healthy Ageing: What’s the problem? (PHE, 2014)
-In the UK, our life expectancy is expanding rapidly with a greater number of older adults in the population compared to 20 years ago
-There is also a lower birth rate compared to the past decades
-45% of women and 33% of men are not active enough for good health with 19% of men and 26% of women being physically inactive
-Easy access to processed foods
-Both factors impact later life
What is Healthy Ageing?
“The process of developing and maintaining
the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” World Health Organization, 2020
What is meant by Functional Ability?
Functional ability means an individual can:
*Meet their basic needs
*Learn, grow and make decisions
*Be mobile
*Build and maintain relationships
*Contribute to society
What are the 4 action areas of the decade according to UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030)?
- Change how we think, feel and act towards age and aging
- Ensure that communities foster the abilities of older people
- Deliver person-centered integrated care and primary health services responsive to older people
- Provide access to long-term care for older people who need it
How can adding life to years be impacted?
-Through environmental influences
Example: Covid-19 pandemic
-Told elderly people to isolate as they were in a high risk group
-So how can they go out and exercise, socialise, or do something meaningful such as volunteering to make their life impactful?
-Social isolation negatively impacted mental health
Other examples: location, socioeconomic status etc.,
What’s the link between Physical Health & Healthy Ageing?
-Older people are likely to suffer from ill PH (50.8% men, 56.7% women aged 80 have a longstanding PH problem)
-2013 ONS survey shows long standing illness increases with age (15% of 16-24 yr olds & 69% of over 75’s)
-If you have two or more chronic physical conditions the risk of depression was over seven times more common.
-Therefore by reducing one e.g., PH, the other will reduce with it e.g., depression
What’s the link between Mental Health & Healthy Ageing?
In the 2013 UK Wellbeing Survey, nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK aged 16 or older showed symptoms of anxiety or depression (higher for females 21.5% than males 14.8%).
Depression affects 4 in 10 people living in care homes.
Depression in older adults has links with dementia, frailty, and social isolation
What are the 5 factors affecting the mental health & wellbeing of older people?
- Participation in meaningful activities
- Relationships
- Discrimination
- Physical Health
- Poverty
Slide 11
How is Diet one of the most important influences on health and ageing?
-“The field of ageing has focused almost exclusively on the lifespan and healthspan effects of dietary restriction but, at the other end of the spectrum, overeating and the accompanying obesity shortens lifespan and decreases healthspan.”
-In between these two extremes, there is strong evidence that optimal eating is associated with increased life expectancy and a reduction in the risk of all types of chronic disease.
-Diets that favour longevity and healthspan are generally characterized by minimally processed foods, being predominantly plant-based, low alcohol consumption and a lack of overeating.
-Exciting recent developments are emerging in the nutrition field, such as intermittent fasting, diets that mimic fasting and time-restricted feeding”
Slide 13
Slide 14
What are the benefits of exercise?
Generally considered health protective (reducing the risk of e.g. cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and, some forms of cancer)
A lack of physical activity is a significant factor in non-communicable diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
Associated with a significant down-turn in all-cause mortality
Consistently associated with psychological benefits – elevated mood in both clinical and non-clinical populations.
Reduced anxiety
Reduced depression**
Heightened self-esteem and self-image
Increased levels of pro-social behaviour
Delayed neuronal degeneration, which underlies cognitive decline in dementia.
What are the negative consequences of exercise?
-Excessive reliance on exercise can become compulsive, and may produce dependence.
-Withdrawal effects of guilt and irritability may occur.
-Long-term excessive exercise can lead to muscle wasting and weight loss.
-For previously inactive individuals, dramatic exercise may lead to injury and/or aversion to exercise.
What is Physical Activity like throughout the life course? (Gluchowski et al., 2022)
-72% adults aged 25-44 met the guidelines for aerobic activity
-60% of older adults aged between 65 and 74
-38% of older adults aged 75 and over
Similarly for muscle-strengthening exercise:
-Those aged 75 and over least likely to meet the guidelines (11%)
