Background and policy information
The aim of Health Scotland’s Health in Later Life programme is to identify and encourage factors that facilitate and promote healthy ageing, and to promote equitable services and policies across the population.
The Health in Later Life programme works in partnership with a range of organisations from the voluntary, statutory and academic sectors as well as older people.
Programme priorities
The programme has several priority strands, including:
Mental Health & Wellbeing in Later Life and Dementia
European Healthy Ageing Project (external link)
A Strategy for a Scotland with an Ageing Population
Scotland is changing. As a result of lower birth rates and greater life expectancy, in the coming decades there will be many more older people in Scotland, and fewer younger people.
This poses a challenge for Scotland's government – how to ensure that Scotland is a fit place in which to grow old?
The Scottish Government has published All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland with an Ageing Population (external link).
In May 2006, Health Scotland held a consultation event to determine the health and well-being issues relating to an ageing population in order to help inform the development of All Our Futures: Planning for a Scotland with an Ageing Population.
Other related policy areas and documents
Healthy and active ageing has been defined by the World Health Organization as 'the process of optimising opportunities for physical, social and mental well-being throughout the life course, in order to extend healthy life expectancy, productivity and quality of life in older age'.
Many factors affect healthy ageing such as socio-economic situation, environment, genetics, and lifestyle. Accordingly, policy documents relevant to older people’s health and well-being can be found across many Scottish Executive departments.
The Information and Statistics Division (ISD) report The Health and Well-being of Older People in Scotland (January 2002) (external link) provides valuable information on data on the health and well-being of the older people in Scotland.
Promotion of physical activity and mental health are key priority areas for NHS Scotland. Social Justice – A Scotland where everyone matters (2001) (external link) envisages 'a Scotland in which every person beyond working age has a decent quality of life' and 'a Scotland in which every person both contributes to and benefits from the community in which they live'.
The Adding Life to Years report (2002) (external link) recommended that 'older people should be encouraged to be physically and mentally active', and NHS boards should 'work to raise awareness of older people’s mental health issues, and to promote recognition and treatment of problems at an early stage'.