Geriatrics and Healthy Ageing

At the molecular and cellular level, ageing is caused by the accumulation of a range of molecular and cellular damage throughout time. This results in a gradual loss of physical and mental capacity, increased disease risk, and, eventually, death. However, these changes are not linear nor consistent, and they are only tangentially related to a person's chronological age. While some 70-year-olds are in good health and function, others are feeble and require a great deal of assistance from others. It is about creating conditions and opportunities that allow people to be and do what they value throughout their lives to achieve healthy ageing. Everyone can age in a healthy manner. Many older adults have one or more health conditions that, when well controlled, have little impact on their wellbeing. Being free of disease or infirmity is not a requirement for healthy ageing, as many older adults have one or more health conditions that, when well controlled, have little impact on their wellbeing.