26 October 2017
We recently launched an exciting seminar series for practitioners who work with older people.
The Health Improvement and Self-Management in Older People's seminars aim to help practitioners identify opportunities to support and enable older people living with long-term conditions to make positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing by:
- Raising awareness of current health improvement guidelines
- Highlight local support and resources to improve older people's health
- Discussing with colleagues what this might mean in practice for staff
Recent evidence strongly suggests that a healthy lifestyle can help inhibit the development of many diseases such as dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. A healthy lifestyle can also help prevent the loss of functional capacity thus improving quality of life and lengthening life expectancy.
Dr Tim Patterson, Joint Director of Public Health, said: "The ageing population and increased prevalence of long-term conditions have a significant impact on health and social care services. I am delighted that over 60 people attended the first Health Improvement and Self-Management in Older People's seminar session in Melrose recently. This is the first of a series of training seminars for staff and carers with the aim of helping people with long-term conditions make positive changes to their health and wellbeing so that they can maintain their independence at home."