Understanding What is the Active Ageing policy?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Active Ageing policy is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security to enhance quality of life as people age. This progressive framework moves beyond the traditional view of later life as a period of decline and dependency.

Quick Summary

The World Health Organization's active ageing policy is a framework designed to maximize health, social participation, and security for older people, fostering empowerment and independence throughout their later years.

Key Points

• Holistic Approach: Defines ageing positively, beyond just the absence of disease.

• Three Pillars: Rests on the core principles of health, participation, and security.

• Life-Course Perspective: Emphasizes that healthy and active aging requires action at all ages.

• Empowerment and Inclusion: Shifts focus from dependency to capability, empowering older adults to remain engaged.

• Multisectoral Responsibility: Requires collaboration across sectors.

• Economic Contributions: Recognizes older adults as a valuable resource that contributes to the economy and society.

The Core Principles of Active Ageing

The World Health Organization's (WHO) active ageing policy aims for people to live active, engaged, and meaningful lives as they age. It is structured around three key pillars: health, participation, and security. This approach defines "active" broadly, including physical activity as well as involvement in social, economic, cultural, spiritual, and civic matters.

The Pillars of Active Ageing

• Health: Focuses on optimizing physical and mental well-being across the lifespan, including promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing disease, and ensuring access to quality health services. The aim is to enhance the quality of life, recognizing health as complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease.
• Participation: Aims to create opportunities for older adults to participate in society through employment, volunteering, civic engagement, and recreation. It emphasizes meaningful contributions based on individual needs and abilities.
• Security: Addresses the social, financial, and physical security of older individuals, including access to adequate housing, income security, and protection from abuse. Ensuring security is seen as vital for dignity.

A Shift from Traditional Views on Aging

The active ageing policy represents a significant departure from the traditional “deficit model” of aging, which often viewed later life as a time of decline. Unlike more individual-focused concepts like “successful aging,” active ageing strongly emphasizes the societal factors enabling participation.

Active Ageing vs. Traditional Perspectives

Feature	Active Ageing Policy	Traditional View
Focus	Holistic well-being, embracing all abilities.	Medical health, decline.
Role of Older Adults	Active participants, contributors.	Passive recipients of care.
Scope	Multidimensional (health, social, economic, cultural, environmental).	Primarily economic or biomedical.
Inclusivity	Accommodates a range of needs.	Often focuses on the highly productive.

Key Determinants of Active Ageing

Several factors influence the experience of active aging, highlighting both individual and societal roles. These include health and social services access, personal lifestyle choices, psychological factors, the physical environment, social support networks, and economic security.

Strategies for Implementing Active Ageing Policies

Effective implementation of the active ageing policy requires collaboration across various sectors. Strategies involve promoting flexible labor markets and combating age discrimination, creating age-friendly environments, encouraging lifelong learning, leveraging technology for independence, and fostering intergenerational connections.

Challenges in Promoting Active Ageing

Implementing active ageing policies faces challenges such as societal ageism, economic constraints, caregiving shortages, and ensuring inclusivity for diverse needs, including those who are frail.

Conclusion: The Path Forward

The active ageing policy offers a framework for an aging global population, prioritizing health, participation, and security. It challenges outdated views of aging, advocating for systemic change and a societal commitment to inclusivity. Implementing this policy contributes to the well-being of society as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three core pillars of the active ageing policy?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the three core pillars are health, participation, and security, designed to optimize opportunities for well-being in later life.

How is active ageing different from the traditional view of aging?

The active ageing policy offers a more positive and empowering perspective than the traditional view, which often portrays aging as a period of decline and dependency.

Does 'active' only refer to physical activity in the policy?

No, the term 'active' is defined broadly. It includes ongoing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual, and civic affairs, in addition to physical well-being.

What role does lifelong learning play in the active ageing policy?

Lifelong learning is considered a key component that helps older adults maintain cognitive function, adapt to new technologies and changes, and acquire new skills.

How does the policy address ageism?

The active ageing policy seeks to combat ageism by reframing the conversation around older adults, recognizing their value as contributors, and challenging negative stereotypes about aging.

Are active ageing policies only for healthy seniors?

The policy is intended to be inclusive of all older adults, including those with health challenges or frailty.

What are some practical examples of active ageing in action?

Practical examples include creating age-friendly cities, implementing flexible labor policies, establishing intergenerational programs, and utilizing technologies that assist with daily living.