2012: a year to help people stay active and healthy for longer - Main contents

Bron: Blogs PoMo

2012 Is the European year of Active Ageing and solidarity between generations - launched today.

It couldn’t come at more important moment. Today most of us realise that staying active is the key to a healthy life. And I, for one, am proof that you can enjoy leading a full life at the age of 70. I believe that we should be allowed to continue being active long after official retirement age - and I think I’m not the only one. And it doesn’t have to mean paid work - it can also be volunteering, helping out in the community or pursuing a hobby - whatever it is, staying active means you are more likely to stay healthy and independent for longer.

Since 1960, life expectancy has climbed by eight years and that could go up another five years before 2060. Combine these longer lives with low birth rates, and you’ll see why, on average, Europe’s population is ageing fast.

As Europe’s population gets older, that creates pressures on the public finances as we need increasing public funds to treat and look after them. Which is a worry in the current time of crisis. But still more worrying is the human cost: of having millions of people unable to be active, healthy and independent as long as they should. So the time has come for us to get really serious about this issue.

Babies born today have a good chance of living until 100. They will grow up in a world where we have to deal with the after-effects of the crisis, a world where we have to share resources globally, a world where five or six generations of a family could be alive at the same time.

How are we going to deal with that? (And I don’t just mean how to get enough seats round the table for Christmas events and family reunions!)

Here’s my prescription:

• 1. 

  For a start we need a greater emphasis on prevention in health and care. Falls are a leading cause of injury among the elderly - but once it’s happened, it’s too late, the damage is done. Technology can help us predict and avoid those kinds of injuries, and ensure people maintain their health, dignity and independence as long as possible. Tech can also improve the care experience, so that when monitoring is needed it can be done from a distance - again allowing more independence, but also better outcomes for less cost.

• 2. 

  We need to take a long forward view in our policies. The EU already does. Such planning ahead - until 2020, or even 2050 - doesn’t always get recognition. But given our demographic situation, it’s the most sensible thing in the world.

• 3. 

  In an age where millions might be living to 100, we should stop regarding people as old at 42, and past it by 64. I might be older at 70, but I’m not old. And I know that people can carry on being active way beyond then. If we take the trouble to equip people with the right skills, they can lead long and varied working lives - not be thrown on the scrapheap too soon.

• 4. 

  And solidarity between generations means thinking about the young too. Young people have shouldered much of the burden of this crisis. The lack of jobs is really, really shocking. The lack of credit they can access to start businesses and find homes is also very tough. There are immediate actions to address this, but let’s not kid ourselves that this problem can be solved overnight, or even over one symbolic year. One of the best things we can do to show solidarity with our young people is to get our ageing policies right.