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Policies for Healthy Ageing: An Overview, OECD Health Working Papers No. 42

in
Publisher: 
OECD
Date published: 
16 February, 2009
Author: 
Howard Oxley
Region: 
International

Publication type: 
policy
Featured item on home page: 
no
Publication link: 
OECD Healthy Ageing: An Overview

Healthy Ageing Policy: Prevention is better than cure

As OECD country’s populations age successful policies in maintaining good health into old age are increasingly important.  
 
Successful policies in the area of healthy ageing could have the following potential benefits:
 
·         Increase the likelihood that individuals can and will work longer and retire later;
·         Once in retirement, more healthy individuals can become an important resource for the economy by helping to care for their partners, elderly relatives and/or provide child care
·         Slow down the growth in health and long-term care spending.
 
This paper looks at the various types of programmes set out to enhance healthy ageing, the positive outcomes of such programmes and their cost effectiveness.
 
It points out the need for inter-departmental policy frameworks that can bring together the various necessary measures to make broader policy decisions jointly effective.
 
This review suggests that significant improvements to the health and welfare of older cohorts could come from: delaying retirement, increased community activities, improved lifestyles, health-care systems that are better adapted to the needs of the elderly and more emphasis on cost-effective prevention.
 
Other policy dimensions such as housing, education and reduction in economic and social instability could also have an effect but also require more in-depth research. Within this context government will also need to focus on areas where the costs of intervention are low and the payoffs high. This may mean emphasising the role and increasing the support for voluntary and community activities.
 
Changing lifestyle appears to be particularly important.  Cessation of smoking, reduced alcohol intake and more exercise seem to be the most hopeful measures to improve the health of the elderly.
 
While the above is based on the willingness of the elderly themselves studies suggest that it could be very difficult to obtain sustained changes in older people’s behaviour.  Leading to idea that early intervention and prevention is better, and more cost effective, than cure.
 
Overall this paper clearly highlights the need for increased research into successful, effective policy initiatives and improved health to give evidence based information on the most effective policy decisions and where exactly government should be investing into the future.

 

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