Healthy Aging: the elements of a successful intervention

Healthy aging strategies work: there are now various studies and reviews that assess the effectiveness of different types of interventions for promoting healthy aging. But what actually makes these interventions work, in terms of design and implementation? When we want to propose a new intervention to the community to improve lifestyle or prevent aging-related diseases, how can we ensure its success? A recent literature review has identified the recipe for success across intervention types, identifying the ingredients recommended for implementation and drivers of change. The first ingredient is collaboration in design. A collaborative approach between the different professionals involved and between health professionals and citizens, as well as co-design or person-centered approaches, optimize the impact of the program. Designing the intervention plan together with seniors improves their empowerment. Moreover, after hospital discharge, collaborative approaches guarantee continuity of care between an interprofessional team, patient and caregivers. The main driver of change seems to be social interaction, especially through group interventions.  Other ingredients of the recipe are: goal setting, booster sessions, multi-component interventions, tailoring of interventions, and the participation of volunteers or mentors.

Reference

Owusu-Addo E, Ofori-Asenso R, Batchelor F, Mahtani K, Brijnath B. Effective implementation approaches for healthy ageing interventions for older people: A rapid review. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2020 Sep 25;92:104263. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2020.104263. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33010790.