International Day of Older People

On Tuesday 1st October we celebrated ‘International Day of Older People’; a global campaign endorsed by the United Nations to raise awareness of the valuable societal contribution older people make.

It is widely accepted that people are living longer and life expectancy is exceeding far beyond 75 years in almost half of countries worldwide. By 2030 it is estimated the number of older people will outweigh cohorts of children and young people combined, most notable in rapidly developing countries.

In the UK the proportion of people working or volunteering past the ‘traditional’ state retirement age of 65 in the UK is continuing in an upward trajectory. The theme of  #InternationalDayofOlderPersons2024 is;

The Part We Play: Celebrating the Integral Role of Older People in Our Communities'.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues, volunteers and people who provide unpaid care in our communities who are pillars of support for many people.

To mark this occasion, colleagues working as part of the CAVRPB Ageing Well Programme hosted a stand located in the main public area of the University Hospital of Llandough on October 1st.

Ruth Cann, Consultant Nurse Older Vulnerable Adults said:

“This campaign can be used to promote messages around healthy ageing. Syndromes or illnesses such as frailty, falls or dementia are not an inevitable consequence of getting older. We can also use it as an opportunity to challenge ageism and reflect on language used in health when talking about and communicating with Older People.”

‘Preferred language when referring to older people in a health context’ | British Geriatrics Society

Ageing Well | CAVRPB 

Age Friendly Cardiff | Working towards an Age Friendly City

Leading a Healthy Lifestyle | Keeping Me Well

International Day of Older People |  Centre for Better Ageing