5.3 Activities to foster active aging

Activities that will benefit active aging

The concept of active aging was initially promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The foundations of what would later on become this concept already appear in the International Action Plan presented in Vienna in 1982. However, this new focus on aging consolidates during the 1990s. In this way, the WHO defined active aging as:

“…the process of optimizing those opportunities related to health, participation and security with the goal of improving the quality of life of individuals as they grow older… Enables individuals to reach their full potential from the perspective of their physical, social and mental wellbeing during their lifetimes and to participate in society according to their needs, wishes and capabilities….”

Moreover, there is talk of four main aspects:

• Health (physical and mental)
• Participation in society
• Security
• Life-long learning

However, the first aspect will have a great impact on the other ones. This means that it should be a priority to preserve the health of individuals as they grow older.

The ageing process in people with learning disabilities brings changes in the rates of physical and mental health problems similar to those found in people without pre-existing developmental disabilities.

Benefits of active aging

Unfortunately, individuals will normally become less active as they grow older. A poll published in the nineties, showed that only 18% of the population aged between 65 and 75 years old remained physically active. And this number went down to only 15% for the population group between 75 and 85 years old. However, different studies have shown strong evidence that those older adults that are more active physically  compared to those that were less active- had:

• Lower mortality, coronary heart disease and hypertension rates
• Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular function
• An improved body composition and weight was also observed
• Improved bone health
• Lower risk of falling
• Better conserved cognitive functions
• Lower risk of suffering from moderate and severe functional impairments
• Better sleep quality
• Helped maintain a healthy weight and control
• Increased socialisation

Depending on their individual disability, people may be affected in different ways.  People with Down’s syndrome, for example, tend to age at a faster rate than the general population, often showing signs of ageing in their 30s.  They may also be affected by dementia from a much earlier age, and at a faster rate.

Many people with milder disabilities, however, can remain mentally and physically active into their 80s and beyond, with the challenges of ageing being similar to those of the general population. Perhaps the most impactful change concerns health.  As our bodies change, we are forced to adapt ourselves to their changing realities and needs.

Physically, everyone will begin to experience problems with their body by a certain age.  These problems are dependent on genetics, lifestyle, and chance, and are therefore unique to each individual.  Health problems earlier in life will often impact on later experiences, meaning that people with specific health needs may find these issues becoming greater as they age.

Planning for the demands of old age will therefore need to begin earlier for some people: a fact which reinforces the necessity of regular health checks.  For some, planning for ‘old age’ may need to begin by the age of 50.

The impact of ageing on mental health should not be ignored.  The stress caused by physical health problems, lifestyle changes, and/or simply reaching a certain point in life can be considerable and can manifest itself in mental health issues.  These may not be as immediately obvious as problems with physical health, but can be debilitating.

Ageing can also be socially challenging.  Whether through retirement, ill health, or merely a progressive ‘slowing down’, many older people find themselves increasingly disengaged from society, and may feel lonely.  This can be especially true for people with learning disabilities, many of whom have small social circles, and may rely on support to make and maintain these connections.

As a by-product of the fact that many people with learning disabilities are living longer, it is a relatively new but steadily increasing phenomenon for people with learning disabilities to outlive their parents.  This has the additional impact that many people thus lose their parents and their primary caregivers at once; this is a situation which must be planned for. The subject of housing for older people with learning disabilities also presents certain challenges, but many of these become more in line with the needs of the general population.   Mobility aids are a common requirement, as is more regular access to home-based support.

Activities for active aging

In general, there are multiple types of activities for active aging. What is important is that these activities help older adults to remain active from both a physical and cognitive perspective. Importantly, these activities can also be used for socialising  or even to learn new things.  The benefits provided by active aging will be greater the more active we are.

Board Games:  stimulate mental agility and good for social participation.

Playing a Sport: promotes a good physical and cognitive health condition and increased socialiisation

Workshops and Courses: promote learning and help maintain both cognitive and physical health