Healthy ageing

What is it?

The World Health Organization defines healthy ageing as "the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age".

Functional ability according to the organisation is the capacities that enable a person to be and do what they have reason to value, and results from the person's intrinsic capacity (all their physical and mental capacities) and the environment (the home, community and wider society) and the interaction between them.

The organisation lists five domains of functional ability: meeting basic needs, learning, growing and making decisions, mobility, building and maintaining relationships, and contributing to society.

Healthy ageing does not mean the absence of disease according to the organisation; many older people have one or more health conditions, and if they are well controlled their impact on their wellbeing may be small.

Biologically the organisation describes ageing as the result of the accumulation of molecular and cellular damage over time, leading to a gradual decline in physical and mental capacities and a growing risk of disease, and these changes are only loosely linked with age in years.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) states that both genetics and lifestyle affect how we age.

Why it matters

According to the World Health Organization the value of additional years of life depends largely on health, and evidence suggests that the proportion of life lived in good health has remained roughly constant, meaning that the additional years are mostly lived in poor health.

The organisation states that maintaining healthy behaviours throughout life, especially a balanced diet, regular physical activity and abstaining from tobacco, helps reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, improve physical and mental capacities and delay dependence on care.

The NIA says that managing your health helps you maintain your quality of life and live independently as long as possible.

MedlinePlus states that the body and mind change with age, and that a healthy lifestyle may help cope with these changes and possibly prevent some health problems.

The organisation adds that supportive environments, such as public buildings, safe and accessible transport and places that are easy to walk in, help people continue doing what matters to them despite some decline in capacities.

Key points

According to the World Health Organization: by 2030 one in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 or over, and the number in this group will rise from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion.

The organisation projects that the number of people aged 60 and over will double by 2050 to reach 2.1 billion, and the number aged 80 and over will triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million.

The organisation states that the proportion of the world's population over 60 will nearly double between 2015 and 2050 from 12% to 22%, and that in 2020 the number of people aged 60 and over exceeded the number of children under 5.

Common conditions in older age according to the organisation: hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia, and several conditions often occur together.

The organisation mentions "geriatric syndromes", which are complex conditions with multiple causes, including frailty, urinary incontinence, falls, delirium and pressure ulcers.

The organisation says there is "no typical older person"; some people aged 80 have capacities similar to many 30-year-olds, while others decline at a much younger age.

According to the organisation, in 2023 about 14.75% of adults aged 70 and over were living with a mental disorder, most commonly anxiety or depression.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021–2030 the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing, led by the World Health Organization, focusing on four areas: changing how we think, feel and act towards age and ageism, building communities that support older people's capacities, delivering integrated person-centred care and primary health services, and providing good long-term care for those who need it.

How to put it into practice

Physical activity: MedlinePlus advises regular activity to help keep a healthy weight and prevent chronic disease, starting slowly for those who are less active and then increasing gradually, while checking with a healthcare provider because needs differ by age and health. See physical activity.

Strength and balance: the CDC advises exercises that strengthen the legs and improve balance, mentioning tai chi as an example, and MedlinePlus says regular exercise strengthens muscles, improves balance and keeps bones strong.

Diet: MedlinePlus states that older people may need fewer calories but need enough nutrients, and advises choosing nutrient-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds, reducing empty calories (chips, sweets, baked goods, soft drinks and alcohol), and drinking enough fluids to avoid dehydration. See healthy nutrition.

Weight: MedlinePlus says both being overweight and underweight can cause problems, and advises asking the specialist about the healthy weight for you. See healthy weight.

Sleep: among MedlinePlus's tips for older people: a regular time to go to bed and get up, avoiding caffeine for at least 3 or 4 hours before bed, not exercising within 3 hours of bedtime, avoiding stimulating screens before bed, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, and getting up for a quiet activity if sleep has not come after 20 minutes. See sleep.

Social connection and enjoyable activities: MedlinePlus says hobbies and social and recreational activities may reduce the risk of some health problems and support mood and thinking, and the World Health Organization states that meaningful social activities can improve mental health and life satisfaction and quality, with examples including befriending programmes, support groups, the arts, education and volunteering.

Mental health: MedlinePlus advises keeping the mind active by learning new skills, reading and games to support memory, and caring for mental health through meditation, relaxation exercises or gratitude, and knowing the warning signs and seeking help when struggling.

Healthcare and medicines: MedlinePlus advises taking an active role in your care: regular check-ups and the tests needed, and knowing your medicines and taking them the right way. The CDC advises asking the doctor or pharmacist to review all your medicines, prescribed and non-prescribed, to find out what may cause dizziness or drowsiness. And do not stop or change any medicine without your doctor. See screening by age.

Vision: the CDC advises having your eyes checked by an eye doctor at least once a year and updating your glasses when needed, and for those who use bifocal or progressive lenses to consider separate glasses for distance vision only when walking outdoors.

Preventing falls at home: the CDC advises removing things you could trip over, installing grab bars inside and outside the bath or shower and next to the toilet, handrails on both sides of the stairs, and more or brighter lighting.

Bones: the CDC advises screening for osteoporosis and treating it when needed, and asking the doctor whether vitamin D supplements are right for you. MedlinePlus mentions the importance of getting enough calcium and vitamin D to reduce the chance of a fracture in a fall. The right amount is decided by the doctor.

Smoking: MedlinePlus states that quitting smoking reduces the risk of several types of cancer, some lung diseases and heart disease. See quitting smoking.

Special groups

Older people are not one group: the World Health Organization stresses that diversity in older age largely reflects environments and social inequalities, so needs differ from one person to another.

Older carers: the organisation states that many older people take care of spouses with chronic illnesses such as dementia, and that this may affect their own mental health, and recommends educating, training and supporting carers, and states that respite care, counselling, education and financial and psychological support help them.

People living alone: the organisation mentions programmes for the groups most at risk, including those living alone.

Women: the CDC states that women account for about 70% of hip fractures treated in the emergency department or hospital, and that the chance of a hip fracture rises with advancing age (US data).

Risks and cautions

Falls: the CDC states that more than one in four older adults (aged 65 and over) falls each year, that fewer than half of them tell their doctor, and that falling once doubles the chance of falling again.

The CDC states that about 37% of those who fell reported an injury that needed medical treatment or restricted their activity for at least one day, that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in older adults, and that 83% of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency visits and hospital admissions for hip fracture resulted from falls (2019 data).

In the United States, according to the CDC, falls among adults aged 65 and over caused more than 43,000 deaths in 2024, the leading cause of injury death in this group, and about 4.5 million emergency visits were recorded for falls in older adults in 2024.

Causes of falls according to MedlinePlus: balance problems, some medicines that may cause dizziness, confusion or slowness, vision problems, alcohol, muscle weakness especially in the legs, diseases such as low blood pressure, diabetes and neuropathy, slowed reflexes, and tripping or slipping.

MedlinePlus states that older people are more prone to breaking bones in a fall, especially with osteoporosis, and that a hip fracture can lead to disability and loss of independence, and the CDC states that recovery from a hip fracture is hard and that many people cannot live alone afterwards.

Social isolation and loneliness: the World Health Organization states that they affect about a quarter of older people, are among the main risk factors for mental disorders in older age, and that research shows their serious effect on physical and mental health, quality of life and longevity.

Abuse and discrimination: the organisation states that elder abuse affects one in six older people and is often committed by those who care for them, and that age-based discrimination (ageism) can seriously affect their mental health.

Medicines and sleep: MedlinePlus states that prescription sleep medicines may cause dependence, and with long-term use may cause confusion, delirium and falls, so it advises talking to a healthcare provider before taking any sleep medicine.

Delirium (sudden confusion): MedlinePlus describes it as severe sudden confusion due to rapid changes in brain function, which is common especially in older people, and causes include infections (such as urinary tract infection and pneumonia), some medicines, severe sleep deprivation, general anaesthesia and surgery.

Limits of this information

The practical steps here are based on MedlinePlus, the CDC and the World Health Organization, and from the NIA only on its main healthy ageing page.

The CDC's falls and hip fracture figures are US data, and the World Health Organization's figures are global; the figures may differ in your country.

This page does not give a specific recommendation for hearing test timing, or schedules for screening or vaccines for older people; these differ between countries and are determined by your doctor or the health authority in your country.

This page does not cover instructions for what to do immediately after a fall, so the page does not include first-aid steps for falls.

This is general information for education, and what suits you is determined by your doctor according to your condition and medicines.

Common questions