Health care for older people

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Abstract
Health care is a shared responsibility An older adult consulted for the report said: “A doctor can do only so much. We oldies must realise we are responsible for our own health.” Adding Life to Years is to be commended for promoting individual responsibility in health care. Encouraging older adults to be physically and mentally active and to reduce poor health habits is an important theme of the report. For example, when an older adult presents with pain due to arthritis, the “pill for every ill” approach should be avoided and non-pharmacological options explored.2 Weight loss and exercise may have an important role in minimising symptoms without placing the patient at risk for adverse events.1 Exercise has been documented to improve muscle strength (thereby reducing frailty, functional decline, and injuries) even in frail residents in nursing homes.3 Similarly, older adults should be encouraged to stop smoking. As stated in the report, “It is never too late to give up.” Stopping smoking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory complications. A quarter of older adults (65-74 years of age) in Scotland were identified as smokers.1 Lower rates of smoking have been reported for older adults in other countries, but smoking remains an important public health consideration. 4 5