Commenting on the new BGS report ‘Healthier for Longer’, examining healthcare and health messaging to older people, Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said:
"We strongly welcome the Healthier for Longer report and its emphasis on investing in future health at every age. Prevention is just as important for someone in their 70s as it is in their earlier years.
"While it is a sign of real progress that people are generally living longer than in the past, we must not forget that many people spend too many of these ‘extra years’ in poor health, and this needs to be addressed to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive and enjoy their later life.
"It is also important that healthcare workers and public health professionals don’t overlook older people, by assuming they are ‘too old’ for health interventions or public health initiatives to be of benefit. For instance, this report shows that older people are far less likely to be offered surgery than younger people. This decision should be made not on chronological age, but on fitness for treatment.
"We at Independent Age believe that it’s essential to include consideration of people of all ages in health and public health planning, to ensure that everyone in our society can live a healthy, independent and fulfilling life."