Old age is not for taking it easy, pensioners told in warning over burdens on care system

THE elderly must “play their part” in keeping active to avoid becoming a burden to the healthcare system, experts have said.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, doctors and ageing charities called for a shift in the “prevailing attitude” that views exercise as an activity only for the young.

They called on elderly people to “understand their role” in reducing demand for social care by staying fit. Figures show that one quarter of British women and 20 per cent of men do no activity at all during the week, let alone the recommended 150 minutes, while some studies estimate that just 2 per cent of older adults meet weekly exercise requirements.

Scarlett O’mally, the lead author and a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Eastbourne District General Hospital, said research had shown exercise could restore physical ability to that enjoyed a decade earlier. “We need to challenge the idea that old people should rest,” she said. “People need to keep active however old they are. They need to increase activity.” The cost of social care is about £100billion a year. Exercise has been proven to reverse physical decline and keep elderly people out of care homes.

The authors say there is evidence fitness improves mental ability and reduces the risk of dementia, which costs the NHS £26billion each year.”

“The prevailing attitude that exercise is for young people while older people should be encouraged to relax needs to be challenged,” they say. “Gyms, walking groups, gardening, cooking clubs, and volunteering have all been shown to improve the health and well-being of people at all ages with long-term conditions.”

Anna Dixon, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better said: “Falls account for 4 million hospital bed days every year.

“Physical activity that maintains and improves muscle strength and ability to balance is crucial in reducing the risk of falling, potentially saving the NHS £1 billion from hip fractures. Physical activity is also critical to helping people live independently as they get older.” The editorial also calls for changes to hospitals so that patients are not confined to beds.

Older patients admitted to hospital spend over 80 per cent of their time in a bed, which equates to a 60 per cent reduction in their mobility and can cause “deconditioning syndrome” where people become unfit simply from being in hospital.”