Healthy Ageing

Health is intricately linked to one’s wellbeing, and important throughout the course of life. Prevention and health promotion are important for staying healthy. But in older age, wellbeing can also be fostered through non-medical approaches. As we get older, ailments and limitations crop up, and new ways of maintaining a high quality of life are needed. At Velux Stiftung, we focus on a bio-psycho-social approach and support research that aims to sustain or increase the functional ability and intrinsic capacity of older people. A person’s intrinsic capacities and the interaction with his or her environment make up functional ability.

By this definition, healthy does not necessarily mean disease-free. Many older individuals have well-managed health conditions with only a small or moderate influence on their functional ability and little or no impact on their wellbeing. Ageing entails physiological, social, and behavioural change. Therefore the goal is to enable people to be themselves and do what they value, to the best of their abilities wherever they are, whether that’s at home or in society.