Eat a balanced diet, 3 regular meals and plenty of fluids (preferably water) each day. See “Nutrition”.

Exercise regularly – at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise every day.  Do a range of exercise that involve balance and walking, strength, flexibility and cardiorespiratory activities. 

Keep your weight within a healthy range.  Do you know your body mass index (BMI) and your waist circumference?  If not, find out or talk to your doctor.

Keep your mind active – read, write, do crosswords, play music, play games, learn new activities or skills.

Don’t smoke…it is never too late to quit!

The new Australian Alcohol Guidelines for Low Risk Drinking recommend that adults drink two standard drinks (10g of alcohol) or less a day but suggest that older people should consider drinking less or no alcohol.  The body’s ability to process alcohol decreases with age and alcohol can interact with your medication. 

Try and get 7-8 hours of good quality sleep regularly.  See “Sleeping Well”.

Understand your medical conditions and your medication - whether it is arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes etc – ensure that both are properly managed.    See “Safe Use of Medicines”.

Have a medical check-up at least once a year.  If there is a problem, early detection improves outcomes.  See “Older Person’s Health Assessment” below.

Practice safety habits at home and in the community to prevent falls and fractures.  See “Avoiding Falls”.

Maintain contacts with your family and friends.  Stay active and socially and productively engaged through work, volunteering, recreational activities and involvement in the community.

Keep a positive attitude towards life and a sense of humour.  Do things that make you happy and give you meaning/purpose. 

Be adaptive as your circumstances change, look for opportunities to meet new friends, to take on new activities, learn new skills.

Plan your long term housing, financial needs and your retirement activities.  Don’t wait until you retire to decide what you will do to keep active and productively engaged.

THE EARLIER YOU ADOPT A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF AGEING WELL,

HOWEVER IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START.

Older Person’s Health Assessment

An Older Person’s Health Assessment is a voluntary in-depth assessment of an older person living in the community (75 years and over or, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, 55 years of age and over).

The assessment aims to identify health issues and conditions that may require further management, and includes an assessment of medical and physical health, psychological and social function. 

A GP conducts the medical components of the health assessment, however, the information collection part of the assessment can be undertaken by a suitably qualified third party (nurse or medical assistant) under the GP’s supervision.  The GP is responsible for making clinical judgements and communicating the findings to the patient.  The GP is required to provide a written report of the findings with recommendations.  

Medicare Benefits are available for eligible people to receive an Older Person’s Health Assessment every 12 months.

Please contact your GP if you would like to know more.

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