Background
| Bild: | Demographic trends are a key factor for the future of the European Union. The population is ageing because of the falling birth rate and lengthening life expectancy. By the year 2015, there will be 33 per cent more people aged 80 and above than in 2004 in the present EU. The need to improve and strengthen the knowledge exchange on healthy ageing is a challenge for the European countries. In 2004, the EU public health programme approved support the three-year multinational project entitled “Healthy Ageing”.

The definition of Healthy Ageing
The participants of the project have formulated the following preliminary definition of Healthy Ageing:
“Healthy Ageing is the process of optimising equal opportunities for health to enable older people to take an active part in society and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life”.

Aims
The aim of the project is to promote healthy ageing in later life stages (50+).
The project will focus on different aspects of health and promote healthy ageing through the development of an integrated holistic approach to health in later life. The main aims are:

• to review and analyse existing data on health and older people at EU and member state level and produce and disseminate a report
• to make recommendations for policy at EU and member state level based on current evidence and practice for promoting the health of older people while taking cultural differences into account
• to disseminate the findings by developing a comprehensive strategy

A comprehensive strategy, according to the project partners, is a strategy that covers many sectors.

Tasks
Data on health, the impact of health determinants and older people at EU and member state level will be reviewed as well as examples of good practice, effective intervention, policies and strategies. Recommendations for policy and practice on healthy ageing at EU and member state level will be made and a report will be produced. Establishing sustainable partnership for healthy ageing at EU, member state and international level are important.

Target groups
The target groups are policy makers, practitioners and NGOs focusing on older people at both EU and member state level.