Older People

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What you can do and where to get help and information

Top ten tips for staying healthy

Adding years to life and life to years - want to stay fit in later life?

Here are some easy tips that should help keep you feeling happy and healthy.

• Read a book or two - helps with relaxation and sleep
• Play cards and do crosswords - keeps the brain active.
• Sleep long and get up late - late risers have faster brains and lower stress levels.
• Go out into the fresh air as often as you can. Vitamin D, which is important for bones, teeth and happiness, is boosted by sunlight (but keep the sunscreen on).
• Walk and keep physically active - it's good for the heart and lungs
• Sing - the breathing control needed from singing is good for combating stress
• Drink at least 6 to 8 cups of liquid a day - preferably water and fruit juices - to give the body a chance to deal with all the toxins we consume on a daily basis.
• Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day - this will make you enjoy better health and vitality which in turn can make life more enjoyable.
• Keep your home safe and free from hazards (floor surfaces, trailing flexes), wear properly fitting slippers and increase the level of lighting everywhere - this will help you avoid slips, trips and broken hips.

Find out more about health issues on Age Concern’s Health Information page - a one stop shop for useful links, information and advice (see External Links below).

We provide a lot of information about anything from benefits to adult education for older people in Kingston. Follow the links at the bottom of the page for further details.

What Kingston Council and partners are doing

Kingston has an Active Ageing strategy which outlines local plans to improve the health of older people. The strategy covers issues relating to:

• Material wellbeing including the areas of benefits advice and financial planning for older people approaching retirement.
• Quality of homes and the areas of fuel poverty, prevention of falls and supported housing.
• Mobility covering promoting walking and chiropody services.
• Independence, in particular public transport.
• Fear of crime.
• Social interaction including day centres, adult education, leisure facilities and intergenerational activities.
• Mental health including the areas of preventing and identifying depression among older people and coping with dementia.
• Nutrition.
• Involvement of older people in developing services and health promoting initiatives.
• Health and social care services.
• Information and consultation.

One of Kingston's Local Area Agreements (see Related Documents below) is to increase the number of over 45s who participate in sport or exercise related activity (e.g. walking briskly, cycling, swimming, keep fit/aerobics, team sports, individual sports) at least 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes continuously in the last 12 months. To support this we will be improving the awareness and availability of opportunities for physical activity.

Kingston also has a falls prevention strategy, for more details see the Accidents and Falls section (see Internal Links below).