WHO defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. 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 their basic needs
learn, grow, and make decisions, be mobile, build and maintain relationships, and contribute to society.
Healthy Aging concentrates on maximizing the positive effects of those factors under our control. It is a continuous process of optimizing opportunities to maintain and improve physical and mental health, independence, and quality of life throughout the life course.
Functional ability consists of the intrinsic capacity of the individual, relevant environmental characteristics, and the interaction between them. As we age, it becomes more difficult to carry out the ordinary tasks of everyday living due to a decline in physical and cognitive abilities that can occur with aging, Slowing the rate of functional decline in older adults through a carefully and specifically designed Functional Aging Program, preserves autonomy, promotes well-being, cuts down on medical expenses, and reduces the risk of institutionalization.
Functional Aging addresses the physical, cognitive, and social aspects of the individual. It includes the ability of the individual to perform everyday tasks, such as walking, thinking, hearing, and personal interactions.
Healthy aging is now considered “the process of developing and maintaining functional ability which enables well-being in older age.”