Key messages for people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s
UNDERSTANDING AGEING
Key messages
- Ageing is a normal biological set of processes which does not cause major problems till the nineties
- The principal effects are reduction in the maximum level of ability and loss of resilience or reserve
- Ageing starts in childhood but does not become the dominant biological process till the late thirties, the decline observed by most people before that age being due to loss of fitness
- Most major problems experienced by people as they live longer are due to loss of fitness, disease and ageist beliefs and attitudes
Key messages
- It is almost always a decline in fitness that starts the decline in ability not ageing
- Fitness has four dimensions – strength, stamina, suppleness and skill
- Increasing fitness becomes more important every year and with every diagnosis
PREVENTING AND COPING WITH DISEASE
Key messages
- The increase in the prevalence of disease as people live longer is mainly due to their environment rather than the ageing process and can be reduced
- The effects of disease are often complicated by accelerated loss of fitness
- Healthcare is what individuals do for themselves and everyone should know their NHS number and hold their own record
UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGING HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT AGEING
Key messages
- Beliefs about people who are older are often wrong and under estimate ability and potential
- Hostility may be increasing because of concerns about older people’s use of carbon, pension rights and protection during Covid
- Attitudes towards older people are too pessimistic
- People generalise about older people in ways that would be considered unacceptable if made about other sub groups in society
UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGING BRAIN AND MIND
Key messages
- People can form new connections in the brain at any age,
The effect of normal ageing on reducing the brain’s ability has been greatly over emphasised - Dementia is not just accelerated normal ageing
- Alzheimer’s disease is not the only cause of dementia, there are other causes which can be influenced to reduce the risk of dementia which has got less common in the last twenty years
MAINTAINING A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DEVELOPING A POSITIVE PLAN
Key messages
- Purpose is very important
- Ikigai is one of the factors that helps people in Japan live longer better
- A purpose helping others is even betterthan a purpose than making things better for yourself
- It is good to develop a plan and chck it weekly
- Keep a gratitude diary and record what you have to be thankful for even if you have had a tough day
DEVELOPING STRENGTH AND POWER
Key messages
- There is some loss of muscle mass and strength as a result of ageing but the principal cause is loss of fitness
- Muscle mass and strength can be increased at any age
- People with long term health problems are even more likely to lose muscle strength but can also regain strength and mass
MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING SKILL & CO-ORDINATION
Key messages
- Decline in ability to co-ordinate move either intentionally or as a reflex eg after a stumble is the result of loss of fitness and not simply due to ageing
- New circuits can be formed in the brain at any age because of what is called the brain’s neuroplasticity
- Everyone needs to challenge their brain by daily exercises and by learning new skills
INCREASING STAMINA
Key messages
- Stamina is the ability to keep going for longer and only a little of the reduction observed is due to ageing
- You have to get a little bit breathless for about thirty minutes every day to improve stamina
- The improvement in stamina occurs in the muscles’ ability to use oxygen rather than in the heart or lungs
Key messages
- There is some loss of suppleness and joint mobility as a result of ageing but the principal cause is loss of fitness
- Suppleness can be increased at any age
- Exercises to increase suppleness should be part of everyone’s daily routine
INCREASING BRAINABILITY AND REDUCING THE RISK OF DEMENTIA
Key messages
- Dementia is different from normal ageing
- Alzheimer’s disease is the single most common cause of dementia; vascular dementia due to disease of the arteries is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease
- There is strong evidence about the three steps people can take to reduce their risk of dementia