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:
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
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
- Anxiety And Depression – are the most common mental health conditions seen for which there is good local support.
- Sleep
- Bereavement
- Alcohol And Drugs – beyond any physical harm, alcohol can have an important impact on mental health. The support locally can support change
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
- reducing your risk of stroke
- Reducing your risk of dementia
- Reducing your risk of heart attacks
- Reducing your risk of diabetes
- Reducing your risk of cancer
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.
- What is frailty? What is frailty? – Canadian Frailty Network
- AVOID frailty AVOID Frailty – Canadian Frailty Network
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
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.
