Healthy Ageing: Concepts, Interventions, and Preparing for the Future

Discover how to enable healthy ageing as life expectancy increases

Life expectancy is increasing. In the UK, the average person now lives to the age of 81, up from 77 in 2000.

This increase in lifespan has not been matched, however, with an increase in ‘healthspan’ – years of healthy, independent life. Many older adults suffer from increased frailty, and other common health problems.

This healthcare course from the University of Birmingham addresses current challenges and opportunities related to healthy ageing.

Discover tools and methodologies for healthy ageing

On this course, you will learn how to assess frailty, and explore measures to slow its onset. We will also look at current physical activity guidelines and debunk myths and correct misunderstandings about nutrition in older age.

You will discover different research methodologies applied to improving healthspan.

The course will enable you to apply what you learn about healthy ageing to real-life scenarios and your own research.

Explore the latest research into healthy ageing

This healthy ageing course is evidence-based, drawing on the latest research. The University of Birmingham is a leader in this field. It has also been built in consultation with older adults, to listen to their concerns and lived experiences. Ageing will be considered in the context of health inequality.

This course lines up with the UK Government’s Ageing Society Grand Challenge, which is “for people to enjoy five more years of healthy, independent living by 2035”. It also coincides with the WHO’s Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).

This healthy ageing course is aimed at a broad audience, including, but not limited to:

• Sports/biomedical/health scientists and students.
• Medical and healthcare professionals and students.
• Older adults who want to learn more about healthy ageing.

• Concepts: What is Healthy Ageing?
• Welcome to the course
• What does healthy ageing mean to you?
• What is frailty and what are the implications for healthy ageing?
• Age-related health inequalities
• Week 1 Summary
• Interventions to improve healthspan
• Welcome
• Physical activity and nutrition for healthy ageing: the research evidence base
• What can we do to halt or reverse frailty progression in older adults?
• Taking the first steps along the research path
• Summary
• Future proofing
• Welcome
• Co-creation and community involvement in healthy ageing research: how does it work?
• Global healthy ageing research: applications and insights
• Next steps in healthy ageing research
• Summary