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NS575 Davies N (2011) Promoting healthy ageing: the importance of lifestyle. Nursing Standard. 25, 19, 43-49. Date of acceptance: November 2 2010.
Summary
The UK has a rapidly ageing population with increased healthcare needs. While the population can, on the whole, look forward to longer years of good health, many people will be living with one or more chronic conditions. However, modifiable lifestyle, such as a healthy diet and physical activity, can encourage healthy ageing and improve the quality of life of older people. Nurses are ideally placed to provide advice on nutrition and physical activity to older people in an effort to reduce the burden of age-related disease. This is likely to require new ways of working, with nurses being trained to recognise opportunities for health promotion with older patients, as well as how to plan for and conduct health promotion so that it becomes integral to practice.
Keywords
Ageing, health, lifestyle behaviours, nutrition, older people, physical activity
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Aims and intended learning outcomes
The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of lifestyle in healthy ageing and the fundamental role that nurses play in promoting health in older people. Defining the specific components of a healthy diet accompanied by moderate physical activity will help nurses engage fully in promoting health and wellbeing among the ageing population. After reading this article and completing the time out activities you should be able to:
*Understand associations between ageing and deteriorating health.
*Describe the essential components of a healthy diet for older people.
*Outline the benefits associated with remaining physically active in older age.
*Identify effective health promotion advice to encourage healthy lifestyle choices in older people.
*Apply the appropriate policies and guidance when promoting healthy lifestyle choices in older people.
*Implement strategies to support government initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the ageing population.
Introduction
There are nearly ten million people in the UK aged 65 years...