Healthy aging

Despite the action taken by companies, large inequalities still exist regarding life expectancy and quality of life – these become more apparent with age. These inequalities are not only due to biological and genetic factors. According to the WHO, the diverse experiences and needs of older people is largely explained by their physical and social environment and by its impact on their behavior. To address this, the WHO launched the “Decade of Healthy Aging” (2021-2030) with the goal of reducing health inequalities amongst older people.

What are the levers (including digital) that affect the most vulnerable populations and those with less access to health systems? How can we create a better image of aging in our society to cause behavioral changes?

Many practical objectives can be put in place to ensure that one is successfully aging in a healthy manner, including:

• continuing to maintain and even improve one’s intellectual, physical, social and mental abilities
• prevent the risk of illnesses (particularly chronic ones) that occur with age, by adopting an appropriate lifestyle
• early treatment of illnesses or disorders that are likely to lead to incapacity
• reducing or improving disabilities (high blood pressure, sensory problems, walking difficulties, balance problems, etc.)
• engage in regular exercise or sport
• adapt one’s eating habits in line with the principles of local public health authorities and in a manner that promotes healthy lifestyles
• adapt their physical and social environment (housing and living conditions, technical aids, town planning)
• maintaining a rich social life in their community and links between generations
• combat isolation
• promote the concepts of life projects, self-esteem and adapting to change – for example, by strengthening the role of seniors and their participation in community life

How can we define which actions are the responsibility of individuals, private actors (start-up, industry players), and public policy? How do we prioritize and support these actions with adequate resources? Which tools (digital, technical aids, devices) optimize these actions?

To successfully roll out these diverse objectives, many competent players must be mobilized. Designing and implementing age-related policies can involve government players (in France, for example, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Solidarity, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Culture), local authorities, social protection (branches of social security system related to disease, retirement, and autonomy), and other players. Additionally, healthcare and social care professionals (including home helps and cultural mediators) can also play roles, as can players in the “silver economy”, beneficiary associations, living labs, resource centers, and more.

How can we align amongst healthcare professionals, insurers, employers, clinics, hospitals, public authorities, and solution providers to promote healthy aging? How can we ensure efficient and relevant funding? What key indicators can be defined for optimizing healthy aging actions? How can we bring to life shared experiences?

Today, the journey of older people – especially during the beginning of loss of autonomy – affects their loved ones, whether it’s for daily support, adapting their home, or carrying out administrative tasks. Carers are defined as those who “come to help, non-professionally, on a principal basis, partially or completely, to a dependent in their family or friends, for the activities of daily life”. Carers are key players, but are often not recognized and face multiple difficulties, including lack of rest, lack of training, difficulties balancing with their professional life, and financial difficulties. Several initiatives have been deployed to address this, such as the French program “Agir pour les aidants” (“Act for the carers”), or creation of a leave system for care givers to take paid time from work.

Facilitating daily life also depends on developing alternatives to traditional private housing and institutional care, particularly thanks to inclusive housing – which allows one to live with a semi-permanent carer – or intergenerational housing.

How can we support the development of inclusive housing? How can we better protect and address the needs of care givers (through work-life balance, rest, trainings, for example)? What information sharing should be put in place between structures, services, and close family/friends? How can caregiving careers be made to look more attractive?

Currently, caregiving services operating in beneficiaries’ households and retirement homes have difficulties recruiting and keeping caregivers for multiple reasons, such as the poor image of elderly care careers, lack of career growth, poor working conditions and low pay.

As a result, these lack of human resources translate to negligent practices and a lacking capacity for responding to the needs of elderly people who receive care.

Public authorities have engaged in several plans of action (in France, these include the “Ségur de la Santé”, and plans to increase job opportunities to help the elderly), but it is still too early to know whether these plans offer real benefits.

How can we give value back to caregiving careers? How can we fight against negligence by increasing good practices (through trainings, indicators, etc.)?