Support For Healthy Ageing Welcomed

Support For Healthy Ageing Welcomed

20 August 2010

Age Concern New Zealand’s national president Liz Baxendine is delighted to see the release of two new publications on older people’s health.

The national organisation for older people says oral health and nutrition are important aspects of seniors' wellbeing.

“Age Concern knows that some seniors are suffering as the result of bad teeth and poor oral health. Improved oral health care for older people in residential care is an Age Concern priority."

Healthy mouth, healthy ageing: oral health guide for caregivers of older people, produced by the NZ Dental Association, explains how to provide oral care to older people who can't care for their own teeth.

"If it is heeded and acted on, this guide will make a difference to the wellbeing of older people in rest homes, particularly as it is being followed up with training workshops for staff.”

Liz Baxendine says everybody who works with older people should also know about another recent publication: the Ministry of Health’s Food and nutrition guidelines for healthy older people: a background paper.

"This paper contains everything you could ever want to know about food, nutrition and physical activity for older people – and it’s easy to read!

“What a pleasure to see attention being paid to older people’s health in such detail and in such a positive way."

Both publications are available at www.ageconcern.org, as well as the publishers' websites.

ENDS

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