We are better at recognising illness

Aged Care Insite – December 2012

A leading doctor says medical staff and society are now more aware of the signs of depression

Older people need to be encouraged to start focusing on healthy ageing and healthy living to start alleviating the mental health epidemic facing the elderly, says a leading aged care services provider.

Dr Andrew Cole, chief medical officer at HammondCare, believes that encouraging ageing Australians to lead healthier lives by not smoking, treating blood pressure and exercising regularly could lead to a decrease in the amount of mental health issues and is good for the cardiovascular system and prevents strokes.

Cole said that maintaining a healthy weight and sustaining healthy family relationships is also very important.

“Healthy ageing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are very important on the front end of trying to get through old age with the best possible mental health,” Cole said. “It’s just one body. It’s a physical body and it’s the mind that is inside that body – so the two are interconnected.”

Although this issue has been given a lot of light in political and media forums recently, Cole believes this has always been an issue – one that just has not been sufficiently recognised up until now. more