Healthy Ageing

To ensure you stay well as you get older you should:

Take medications as prescribed by your Doctor
Get your hearing and eyesight checked every two years
Keep dental checks up to date every six to 12 months

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is important to staying well. As people get older their needs change, they need more nutrients and less overall energy from food. The links below offer more detail information on healthy eating advice for older Australians:

Staying Active

Physical activity helps you stay strong and able to keep doing the things which need to done each day. Too much time spent sitting and not enough time spent being physically active is bad for health. Heart Foundation Australia recommends people of all ages should at least try to do 30 minutes of physical activity spread throughout everyday.

Falls Prevention

Tips to prevent falls in the home include:

keeping living areas neat and tidy and avoid clutter.
Tidy up overhanging curtains, bed spreads, cords, mats or rugs, loose fitting tiles, and worn out carpet.
Place things within easy reach and not above head height.
Take care with slippery, wet or loose surfaces when indoors or outside.

Further falls prevention steps include:

keeping eyeglasses clean and use hearing aids.
ensuring shoes fit well, are closed in with a little wriggle room for toes, provide good support, and have broad, flat soles with good grip.
Use walking aides if recommended.
Report any symptoms of light headedness to your GP.

Stepping On is a community based program for people over 65 years who have a fear of falling or have had recent falls. Check out the active and healthy website to find a stepping on program near you.

Immunisation

To avoid getting sick or making others around sick, ask your Doctor which vaccines are right for you. For more information please visit Immunisations for older Australians.