Healthy Active Ageing
6 May was the inaugural National Healthy Ageing Day. The day, initiated by iLA (Independent Living Assessment Australia) encourages practical, strengths‑based approaches that help people stay independent, connected and engaged throughout life. This year’s theme was ‘Keep doing what matters’.
Our supporting module ‘Healthy Active Ageing’ has been developed as an ‘umbrella’ approach to apply across all eight of our design features.
Recent industry feedback has identified strong interest in this module, and in supporting equity, inclusivity and accessibility for all people in our community.
Insights from the Module, which support independent, healthy, active ageing include:
“Across the world, people are living longer, and older people make up a growing proportion of the world's population. In response, communities and governments need to rethink how ageing is viewed and addressed. When older people are healthier, happier, more active and engaged, this delivers a social and economic benefit for the whole of society. Preparing for an increasingly ageing population requires planning and a focus on health promotion and disease prevention across the life span.”
“Physical activity is critical to maintaining people's quality of life as they age. Motivating people to be physically active as they age requires appropriate environmental and social support, including, in particular, walkable communities and accessible outdoor spaces that enable social engagement.”
“Social isolation and loneliness are particularly problematic in old age, due to decreasing economic and social resources, functional limitations, the death of relatives and spouses and friends, changes in family structures and mobility, and cultural barriers. Healthy Active Ageing responds to the impact of loneliness and isolation on rates of physical activity by facilitating environments that feature social engagement.”
“Healthy Active Ageing can be supported by creating interconnected movement networks, including modifications to public transport (such as buses), training of staff to understand the needs of older people and providing slow-moving environments. A consolidated built environment enables older people to continue to access healthy food, diverse housing options, and destinations, such as medical and social services”.
“Importantly, a Healthy Active Ageing population is underpinned by access to enabling environments and social networks. It is the connections between people that enhance the willingness for people to remain active throughout their lives. The built environment, programs and project initiatives need to be designed to include social interactions to complement the best possible health outcomes.”
“Planning and design play a crucial role in creating environments that support older adults' physical activity and well-being. Healthy Active Ageing principles should inform urban planning across scales, from metropolitan planning, which shapes the transport grid and urban land use mix, down to the local, which guides the design of neighbourhoods and houses. Likewise, cross-sectoral engagement is required, since no sector alone can foster the functional ability of older people”.
The module includes an easy to reference Checklist, as practical guidance for considerations to incorporate healthy active ageing in your projects, policies and programs to support older people in our communities to live well.
Check it out and discover ways to ensure your area supports older people to be healthy and well: https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/healthy-active-ageing/active-ageing
image credit: Photographer: Dan Schultz Sweet Lime Photo.