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The world we live in is still one that, arguably, has not quite accepted the inevitability of aging. We are still surrounded by voices promoting anti-aging treatments and tips on ‘turning back the clock’, and while everyone is at liberty to make their own choices in this regard, from a healthcare perspective, we must take care to be conscious of our messaging around aging.
With people generally living longer worldwide – by 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 or over, and by 2050 the number of persons aged 80 or older is expected to reach 426 million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) – the importance of healthy ageing cannot be understated.
Healthy ageing
The WHO defines healthy ageing as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age”, with functional ability referring to a person having the capabilities to meet their basic needs.
This entails the ability to be mobile, build and maintain relationships, contribute to society, and to learn, grow and make decisions.
“Healthy ageing will mean different things to different people,” says Jenny Lippiatt, strategic programme manager at Age UK. “What it generally means is that people are able to maintain the ability to do the things that they enjoy and that they have good physical and mental wellbeing in older age.”
It is one’s “intrinsic capacity” to think, see, walk, remember, hear, and so on. This ability and capacity is influenced by an exponential amount of factors, from home life, community, and relationships, to health policies and socioeconomics.
Aideen Young, senior evidence manager at the Centre for Ageing Better, said that: “Experiences of ageing, and the likelihood of ageing well, vary significantly across the country, with huge inequalities in people’s health as they age depending on where they live.”
As we know to be true across all age groups, there is no ‘standard’ older person, and many people of the same age vary greatly in their physical, social and/or mental capacity.
While policies and Government action to eradicate these gaps in experiences is crucial to helping people age better, pharmacy teams can make a massive difference immediately in promoting healthy ageing in their communities.
There are many aspects to this, but three pillars are indisputably important; exercise, nutrition and social engagement.
Move it or lose it
Exercise is key to healthy ageing. Not only does it build strength and balance crucial to mobility in older age, but it services the rest of the body by helping the cardiovascular system function efficiently and keeps organs healthy by spreading nutrients and oxygen around the body.
It reduces stress, controls weight, leads to better sleep – which has ripple effects of its own – and for some, provides purpose, making it an absolute no-brainer for anyone wanting to age well.
“We can’t prevent ageing, but we can take action to help us age as well as possible. Physical activity and daily movement is a good way to do that,” says Jenny. “It is good for balance, strength and mobility, and can help people stay more independent for longer.”
Pharmacy teams should be encouraging all customers, no matter their age, to incorporate daily movement into their lives as a preventative health measure.
But, for those elderly customers who have neglected movement for some time, they can still start small and feel the benefits. “Regular movement has also been linked to better mental health, reduced risk of dementia and other health conditions,” says Jenny. “Starting small and building up is important, small changes can have a big impact.”
The NHS recommends that all adults over 65 should aim to be physically active every day; doing activities to improve strength and flexibility at least two days a week, and 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if they are already active).
Walking, water aerobics, hiking and dancing all constitute moderate intensity activity, but things like cleaning and dusting, vacuuming and moving around the home are examples of light activity that people can start with.
“By 2050 the number of persons aged 80 or older is expected to reach 426 million”
You are what you eat
It is not uncommon for people’s appetites to decline as they get older, but this does pose an issue when it comes to nutrition. Eating a well-balanced diet becomes all the more important.
Fruit and vegetables are essential in an elderly person’s diet as they contain many vitamins and minerals, are generally low in fat and are high in fibre.
Recommend five portions of fruit and vegetables each day – and this includes fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables, smoothies and 100 per cent fruit juices.
Including oily fish, which are rich in omega-3 fats, in one’s diet can help protect against heart disease, with some research also suggesting that omega-3 fats help alleviate some symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
They are also linked to lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and some forms of cancer.
The body cannot produce the amount of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s) that you need to survive, so it is important that they are present in people’s diets.
Pharmacy teams should also relay the importance of staying hydrated, as as people get older, their thirst sensation decreases and they can become dehydrated without noticing.
Recommend six to eight drinks a day, and while juice, tea and coffee count, water is the best way to replenish fluids.
Apart from diet, there are two other lifestyle changes that pharmacy teams can encourage customers to make, and which certainly play a role in ageing healthily: stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake.
It is well-known that smoking is one of the most detrimental habits for one’s health, leading to a multitude of health problems, disease and irreversible conditions.
Similarly, alcohol consumption has short- and long-term health implications, including an increased risk of a range of cancers, liver disease and worsening mental health.
Advise customers that while there is no ‘safe’ drinking level, drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week is damaging to their health.
“Experiences of ageing, and the likelihood of ageing well, vary significantly across the country”
Staying social
“Social connection is important for everyone. As people age, they are at greater risk of not having meaningful social interactions and this can have health implications,” says Jenny.
“Loneliness leads to psychological distress which contributes to loss of wellbeing and decreased confidence. If you don’t mentally feel well, the motivation to do things that physically make us feel well or are good for us can be difficult, so there are physical implications, too.”
The WHO Commission on Social Connection released its global report: From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies on 30 June 2025. It revealed that loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour.
“Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and premature death. It also affects mental health, with people who are lonely twice as likely to get depressed,” says the report.
In the pharmacy, the first thing that teams can do is maintain their relationships and even friendships with their elderly customers who may be experiencing or are prone to loneliness. But, building on this, it is crucial to encourage customers, whatever stage of their life they are in, to invest in their social network.
Joining local clubs, libraries and volunteer groups are excellent resources for customers to find meaningful connections through shared interests. It can be something as small as a twice-a-week water aerobics class at the local leisure centre to joining a book club – every social interaction counts.
Here to help
“Pharmacy teams play an extremely important role in supporting older people’s health, not just in dispensing and providing advice on medicines and over-the-counter products or administering vaccines, but also by helping them to manage their health conditions and by providing friendly reassurance,” says Jenny.
As oftentimes the closest (it may be the closest to their house, and they may find it the easiest to navigate) healthcare touchpoint for older people, pharmacy teams may convey the entirety of information they hear around healthy habits and lifestyle choices.
This means extra care should be taken when imparting healthcare information to these customers, and pharmacies should consider how their team goes about encouraging healthy aging collectively.
“Pharmacy teams embedded in communities are in a great position to provide tailored support to help older people stay as well as possible; whether that’s encouraging someone to take part in regular exercise, eat a balanced diet or cut down on smoking and alcohol consumption.”
Incontinence issues
Pharmacy teams may notice that elderly customers suffer with incontinence, but it is important to remember that it is not an unavoidable result of aging.
Nevertheless, it can have a transformative impact on how customers live their day to day lives, so being informed about symptoms, how to address the topic with customers and knowing what to recommend is crucial.
“The prevalence of incontinence does increase with age, but isn’t an inevitable factor of aging,” says Lyndsey Allen, advice line specialist nurse at Bladder Health UK.
“The impact of incontinence can be massive on sufferers, altering their quality of life, causing or contributing to social isolation, feelings of embarrassment, worry and anxiety, and impacting how they feel about themselves.”
In the elderly, this can be especially dangerous as they are already at risk of social isolation and becoming housebound, putting off social and family events.
Moreover, adds Lyndsey, incontinence can lead to a higher risk of falls, as people urgently try to access a toilet, worsened by the fact that elderly people may struggle already with mobility.
“It can [also] contribute to or cause skin integrity issues, making the sufferer experience skin rashes, soreness or broken skin, and possibly infections,” says Lyndsey.
“It can impact sleeping and quality of sleep if the sufferer needs to pass urine during the night or several times at night, or if they wake having had an episode of incontinence. This can then cause tiredness during the day and reduce their ability to carry out daily tasks and impact on their independence.”
Treatment options
When it comes to treating incontinence, there are several options. “Incontinence is a symptom, not a diagnosis, [and] therefore should always be assessed to establish the cause,” says Lyndsey.
“Depending on the reason for incontinence, it is not always preventable, but can often be treated and, if not cured, can definitely be managed to improve sufferers’ quality of life.”
The first part of helping someone manage any incontinence issues can be the most difficult: getting them to open up to you about it. For many, there is still a sense of embarrassment around the topic, which may delay customers in seeking advice. Lyndsey has some tips.
“[Pharmacy teams] can firstly help to identify potential sufferers of incontinence and attempt to discuss this if carrying out other health-related interventions [by including] it in conversation or questions to do with health,” she says.
“By doing this, it can encourage the person to talk about it, and it gives them ‘permission’ to speak about it with a trusted individual, as many sufferers often suffer alone and don’t seek help or treatment.”
In addition, Lyndsey says pharmacy teams can:
- Be aware of local NHS bladder, bowel and incontinence services and how to refer people to them, or have posters and leaflets in-store providing this advice
- Notice if people are accessing the urinary tract infection (UTI) pathway services often, as this may be an incontinence issue
- Advise on bladder-friendly fluids like water and diluted squash as opposed to alcoholic, fizzy and caffeinated drinks
- Look to discuss symptoms with customers on bowel medications. “Discuss any possible continence issues, as faecal incontinence is often an issue alongside bladder problems, but is even more difficult for people to speak up about”
- Promote a healthy diet with good fibre intake to promote constipation
- Stock bladder health supplements and incontinence pads
- Recommend appropriate pelvic floor exercises.
“Pharmacy teams can listen when people share symptoms with them and provide a confidential, safe space. They can advise people that this isn’t an inevitable part of aging and isn’t something they have to just put up with.”
The impact of incontinence can be massive on sufferers, altering their quality of life.
“As people age, they are at greater risk of not having meaningful social interactions and this can have health implications”
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