healthy and active ageing - EuroHealthNet's Healthy Ageing Website

PRIORITY TOPICS FOR ACTION
Policymakers, NGOs and practitioners should consider the following priorities for action when working
with older people:
Retirement and pre-retirement
Increase the participation of older workers and the quality of their working lives using new management
concepts. Keep a balance between personal resources and work demands and do not tolerate age
discrimination. Prevent illness in the workplace, promote healthy lifestyles and a supportive and
stress-free transition from work to retirement.
Social capital
Encourage the participation of older people in the community. Increase educational and social activity
group interventions targeting older people to prevent loneliness and isolation. Provide opportunities
for voluntary work by older volunteers.
Mental health
Address the wider determinants, such as social relationships, poverty, discrimination, that have an
impact on mental health and wellbeing in later life. Raise awareness of mental issues relevant to
older people, such as depression and dementia. Increase the provision of psychotherapeutic and
psychosocial interventions for older people.
Environment
Improve access to safe and stimulating indoor and outdoor environments for older people. Access to
technology should be considered as well as the impact of climate change, excessive heat/cold and
storms.
Nutrition
Promote healthy food and eating habits among older people, with an emphasis on low intake of
saturated fats and high consumption of fibre-rich foods, green vegetables and fruits.
Physical activity
Increase the level of physical activity among older people in order to reach the international
recommendations of 30 minutes or more of, at least, moderate-intensity physical activity on most,
preferably all, days of the week.
Injury prevention
Initiate safety promotion and injury prevention, including programmes against violence and suicide,
at all relevant policy levels. The individual approach should include physical and nutritional aspects,
careful prescription of psychotropic drugs, and safe housing.
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