Support Over Your Lifetime

Senior Health

Some links on this page have been colour coded to make it easier to find the information you need:

Quick Read
In-depth
Clinical level

A positive approach

Professor Muir Gray’s “Live Longer Better” campaign takes an approach to ageing which looks at living longer combined with a good quality of life. This requires targeting improved mental, social and physical wellbeing. Further information can be found under

general Information and support for senior health

There is some general information relevant to health in older people:

Patient info have a section on Senior health, with numerous articles which provides a good introduction

From Patient info
Senior Health Senior Health | Patient

Voluntary local support

The Bucks Older Peoples Action Group (BOPAG)
“Independent, non-political, voluntary organisation made up of groups and individuals around the county and further afield. Our core message is Positive Ageing and through this directory, we try to provide information which helps older people lead healthy, active and independent lives.” BOPAG – Home

The broad support for adult health

A summary of the full range of adult health, with links to local support, can be found under

News

For some of the latest local and national health news, see under

National support - self referral

From Independent Age
“Our Helpline is a free and confidential phone service for older people and their friends, families and carers.” Call the Helpline | Independent Age

From Age UK
“Age UK’s Advice Line is a free, confidential national telephone service for older people, as well as their families, friends, carers and professionals.” Age UK Advice Line: Free national helpline for older people | Age UK

Improving mental and social wellbeing and mental health

MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCIES

Includes other support beyond calling 999 or going directly to A&E, which can be accessed any time of the day, see under

Social wellbeing

There is good local and national support to help reduce loneliness, see under

Mental WELLBEING

For all of us whatever our age an attention to mental wellbeing can be helpful.

Mental Health

There is good local support for mental health conditions, see under

Common mental health conditions include

Dementia

Dementia is well supported locally, see under

Improving physical wellbeing and reducing important risk factors

Good Physical Wellbeing can support the treatment of a number of health conditions, and includes local support in the areas of

Reducing risk factors for some important health conditions is well supported locally

Reducing the risk of ill health and accidents

VACCINATIONS

Reducing the risk from a number of infections is possible with

This includes information on commonly given vaccinations at older ages, including

SCREENING

Picking up the onset of health conditions earlier can help better control or stop serious health conditions

  • Screening – this includes how you get any screening you might have missed
  • NHS Health Check – for anyone aged 40 to 74 and who does not have a pre-existing health condition. This check can pick up multiple health conditions early and allow treatment.

Common health conditions

Paying attention to healthy living changes, as with physical wellbeing, not only benefits the present but can reduce the risk of many health conditions in the future including

Bone, joint and muscular conditions

Conditions such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, become more common with ageing. Information to reduce their impact can be found under

Accidents including falls

Many accidents, particularly falls, are preventable

Spotting cancer and sepsis early can make a difference

Long term conditions, frailty and polypharmacy

Long term conditions

Many older people will have one or more long term condition. For information on long term conditions,  see under

Frailty

As the Canadian Frailty Network suggest
“Getting older doesn’t necessarily mean someone is frail, but it does increase the odds of developing multiple medical conditions and frailty. Things like inactivity, poor nutrition, and social isolation or loneliness, and multiple medications contribute to frailty. When you are frail, your body does not have the ability to cope with minor illnesses that would normally have minimal impact if you were healthy. With frailty, these minor stressors may trigger rapid and dramatic deterioration.”
What is frailty? The Canadian Frailty Network Website. Retrieved 25th March 2025

Polypharmacy

Having more than one long-term condition (multimorbidity) can lead to a large number of drugs being prescribed (polypharmacy). Medicines optimisation can reduce associated risks including those that come with frailty.

Further information on multimorbidity, frailty and polypharmacy

Further information on reducing the risk of frailty and polypharmacy can be found below:

 

From the Canadian Frailty Network
This excellent Canadian government sponsored website explains frailty simply and provides some steps you can take to reduce your risk.

For support locally for reducing the risk of frailty, see under

Further information on frailty and multimorbidity

From the British Society of Geriatrics
Introduction to Frailty Introduction to Frailty | British Geriatrics Society

From Age UK
Understanding frailty What is frailty? | Age UK

From Patient info
Frailty and Multimorbidity Frailty and Multimorbidity | Assessment and Prevention | Patient

From NHS England
Frailty resources NHS England » Frailty resources

From NICE
Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management Recommendations | Multimorbidity: clinical assessment and management | Guidance | NICE

Having more than one long-term condition (multimorbidity) can lead to a large number of drugs being prescribed (polypharmacy). Medicines optimisation can reduce associated risks including those that come with frailty.

From NHS England
Medicines optimisation NHS England » Medicines optimisation

From Patient info
Polypharmacy What is polypharmacy? | Multiple Medication | Patient

Support for social health

Support for the social side of life

We know that what is going on in a patient’s whole life can have an important impact on their overall health. Here there are links to information on the social side of life which can be relevant to older people.

Some popular topics include

Driving

Many patients find a driving assessment supportive, to reassure themselves (and also family members) and also to get advice about vehicle modifications if relevant. For information on this and the guidance on medical conditions and driving see under

Local transport

For support with local transport, including hospital transport, see under

Planning for the future

At some point social care may be needed, even if limited to helping a person remain independent at home. See under

Support for any carer may become relevant. See under

Having a long term medical condition leads many older patients to consider planning for the future decades before death with

Understanding end of life care allows long term planning for the future and discussions with family, ensuring it is known what a person might want.

Videos and podcasts

On the videos and podcasts page there are links to some relevant videos and podcasts covering the topic of older people.

  • Videos And Podcasts – see section “support over your lifetime” as well as relevant information in other sections.

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