The Role of Functional Ability in Healthy Ageing

What is Healthy Ageing?

Everybody wants to live a longer, happier and healthier life. However, environment that we live-in can either have negative or positive impact on the health.

WHO defines healthy ageing as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age”. Simply put, healthy ageing is about creating the environments and opportunities that enable people to be and do what they value throughout their lives.

Being free of disease or infirmity is not a requirement for healthy ageing because when well controlled, they have little influence on their wellbeing.

What is Functional Ability?

Functional ability is about having the capabilities that enable all people to be and do what they have reason to value. This includes a person’s ability to:

• Meet and fulfil their basic requirements;

• Learn, grow and make decisions;

• Be mobile;

• Able to build and maintain relationships; and

• Able to contribute to society.

How is Functional Ability Related to Healthy Ageing?

Functional ability consists of the intrinsic capacity of the individual, relevant environmental characteristics and the interaction between them.

Intrinsic capacity of an individual is the mental and physical capacities that a person can draw on and also includes their ability to walk, think, see, hear and remember. This can be influenced by several factors such as the presence of diseases, injuries and age-related changes.

Environmental characteristics include home, community and broader society, and all the factors within them such as the built environment, people and their relationships, attitudes and values, health and social policies.

Being able to live in environments that support and maintain one’s intrinsic capacity and functional ability is the key to healthy ageing.

How to Improve Your Functional Ability?

Below are some ways which can help improve your functional ability:

1. Staying physically active helps to improve functional ability by improving the immune response, general body function and mobility. It also improves mental health by inflicting self-confidence in elder people.

2. Keeping yourself occupied by indulging in your favourite hobbies and activities can help improve your mental and physical capabilities. This is a great step towards achieving happiness and healthy ageing.

3. The environment that a person lives in is crucial as it supports your intrinsic capacity and functional ability which are vital for healthy ageing. Living in the right environment can help improve your social function.

Conclusion

Healthy ageing and functional ability may sound like they belong to different scales, but in order to achieve the former, you have to work your way out with the latter one. It can significantly improve your physical and mental abilities and help you grow and live as the person you aspire to or aim to be.

Sources: WHO, Manipal Cigna, BMJ Open

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

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Published on October 31, 2022