Healthy Ageing - Policy Context Dr Roger O’Sullivan 7 March 2013

Introduction

• Constructions of ageing

• Ageing policy

• Healthy Ageing

• Implications

Construction of ageing

“Everyone involved in policymaking, individually and collectively, is engaged in ‘everyday theorising’, that is, they hold articulated or unarticulated ideas about the behaviours and needs of people and what direction social policy could take to address these”.

Dr. Maria Pierce and Dr. Virpi Timonen 2010 – A discussion paper on theories of ageing and approaches to welfare in Ireland , north and south

Different Constructions of Ageing

Chronological view of ageing

New theories of ageing

Bismarck designed the first Pension system in

1881

Construction at three levels

• Individual level

• Organisational level

• Public policy

Ageing - Individual level - terminology

• Elderly

• The aged

• Older folks

• Seniors

• Senior citizens

• Pensioners

• Older people

Ageing organisations Ageing – Organisational level

Policy Level - International Policy Drivers:

• Older Americans Act (1965) • Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing (1983) • The United Nations Principles for Older Persons (UN General

Assembly Resolution 46/91 - 1991). • European Year of the Elderly and of Solidarity between Generations

(1993) • Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (UN, 2002) • WHO - Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO, 2002) • Age-friendly Cities Programme (WHO, 2006) • UN General Assembly: Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (UN,

2010) • Commissioner for Wales 2007 (NI in 2012) • European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between

Generations (2012)

Ageing policy in Ireland – north and south Northern Ireland

• Investing for health (2002) • Ageing in an inclusive

society (2005) • Lifetime Opportunities:

Government’s Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy (2007)

• Commissioner for older

people in NI (2012) • New ageing strategy

Republic of Ireland

• The Years Ahead (1998)

• Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You (2001

• Towards 2016: Ten Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement 2006 – 2015

• Positive Ageing Strategy 2013 -forthcoming

Ageing in an Inclusive Society Strategy Overview

Ageing in an Inclusive Society Strategy – Healthy

Ageing Section

Development of Concept

• Ageing well (1970s)

• Successful ageing (1970s)

• Productive ageing (1980s)

• Healthy ageing (1980s)

• Inclusive ageing (1990s)

• Positive ageing (1990s)

• Active ageing (1990s)

Healthy Ageing - Policy definitions

Ireland: NCAOP

“While healthy ageing implies a focus on the maintenance of health, often through lifestyle choices and preventive measures (Davey, 2002), it is used here in a broader context. Healthy ageing, as used in this report, is concerned with increasing the quantity and quality of life of older people” (National Council on Ageing and Older people - Healthy Ageing in Ireland: Policy, Practice and Evaluation 2003).

EU - OECD

“The process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life” (SNIPH, 2007).

International - The Australian government

“Healthy ageing describes the on going activities and behaviours you undertake to reduce the risk of illness and disease and increase your physical, emotional and mental health”.

Targets : Active and Healthy Ageing

European commission: Active and healthy ageing innovation partnership have set a goal of adding 2 years to the average healthy lifespan in the EU by 2020

http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-union/index_en.cfm?section=active-healthy-ageing&pg=about

Measurement of healthy ageing

“Although the notion of healthy aging has gained wide acceptance in gerontology, measuring the phenomenon is challenging. Guided by a prominent conceptualization of healthy aging, we examined how shifting from a more to less stringent definition of healthy aging influences prevalence estimates, demographic patterns, and validity.”

(McLaughlin SJ, Jette AM , Connell CM. 2012)

Concluding remarks

• Consider how we and policy makers are constructing ageing

• Recognise that different terminology has been adopted by different governments, researchers and consumers – implications for comparisons

• Consider are policy goals actually achievable or just aspirational.