September 23, 2014

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Lifestyle changes and new technology can ease elders' lives

If we embrace lifestyle changes and new technology, we improve our prospects of staying healthy in old age, getting good care and reducing our dependence on others. This is the message of a new report summarizing the conclusions from the Uppsala Health Summit in June.

An is an asset in society and a sign of progress and development in . On the other hand, reaching an advanced age is not an end in itself unless it can be combined with a good and .

At the regular annual Uppsala Health Summit in Uppsala, Sweden, decision-makers, opinion leaders and experts interested in future healthcare services gather to discuss topical subjects. During the 2014 meeting with 'Healthcare for Healthy Ageing' as its theme, held on 3–4 June, private roundtable discussions took up much of the delegates' time. The Summit addressed two areas: prevention, involving investment in preventive measures to bring about healthy ageing, and care, covering how to provide healthcare for autonomous ageing.

The conclusions from all the workshops and panel debates at the Summit have now been compiled in a report that, from today, is available to everyone.

The overarching impression from the two days' discussions is cautiously positive. We ourselves have the power to change our lifestyle and harvest the fruits such change may bring. New technologies offer an array of opportunities for improving our and physical care, and reducing our dependence on others.

Challenges were also identified. In several discussions, for example, it was stated that financing in part of the community may be a challenge. This is because such measures entail economisation or enhanced prosperity in other segments of society. A need to review the systems of health and medical care thus arises.

Other lines of discussion addressed personal integrity in connection with the use of genetic diagnostics and the question of whether increased personal responsibility for one's own health really means equal opportunities for all.

The report contains accounts of the workshops in the following areas:

More information: The report is available online: www.uppsalahealthsummit.se/wp- … ence_report_2014.pdf

Provided by Uppsala University

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