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This chapter examines the contribution of the multi-disciplinary NDA Programme and outlines the new policy approach that is required to accompany the new scientific one advanced in this volume. It contends that that activity, in a wide variety of forms, is a key to well-being in later life. In order to highlight the potential of active ageing as a policy paradigm, as well as the risks of misrepresentation it entails, it discusses three parallel developments associated with population ageing. After examining the origins of active ageing, the chapter concludes by arguing that a new, more comprehensive approach to it would promote both citizenship and social inclusion.

Just as the successful ageing literature paints a picture of a successfully ageing individual and seeks to understand what constitutes such a person, active ageing language in the realm of policy construes the ‘model older citizen’ who behaves in ways that policy prescriptions want him or her to behave. There is a connection between scholarly conceptions of successful ageing and active ageing in the policy sphere because the requirements of active ageing rely upon assumptions and behaviours of successful ageing being widespread in the older population, and becoming more widespread over time. The disjuncture between successful ageing and active ageing arises from the fact that policy operates in the absence of any deeper understanding of health, social and economic outcome patterns in the population. Successful ageing is more widespread among some groups than others, first and foremost the higher socioeconomic status groups, who tend to have longer life expectancy, better health, better social connectivity and higher levels of volunteering. Yet the policy prescriptions for dealing with ‘the ageing challenge’ are issued in a blanket manner, concerning all older adults regardless of how long they can expect to live, or what their level of health, social and material capital is.

Society views population ageing as a challenge at best, and as a social problem at worst, despite increased life expectancy being a notable human achievement. Population health trends show an inconsistent picture with wide variation between and within countries; thus research evidence that clarifies the state of knowledge and guides interventions to improve healthy ageing is of growing importance. This chapter reviews how healthy ageing is conceptualized, defined, and measured, making the case for a focus on optimizing physical and cognitive capability and wellbeing at the individual level, and the functioning of body systems, organs, and cells. It argues that social and biological factors across life affect the chance of healthy ageing, presenting an integrated life course model of ageing that highlights the importance of physiological compensation and social and behavioural adaptation. Being able to detect early markers of change offers opportunities for timely interventions to optimize function and wellbeing.

Transformations take place in Danish elder care due to neo-liberal modernization processes which imply a conception of human beings as rational and autonomous while simultaneously increasing the level of governance and control. Inspired by trends in gerontology, these transformations form a radical change in the understanding of the relation between those in need of support and professionals. The critical questions rise where this leaves older people in need of care, the care workers, and the idea of a welfare state responsible for those who cannot care for themselves. This chapter explores these questions drawing on care ethics and theory of recognition. It presents the new discourse of active ageing and illustrates, through analysis of empirical data from activity centers, how the transformations pose challenges to care workers and are reflected as different logics that collide when they talk about older people and in the daily interactions.

This chapter argues that older people experience active ageing in a diversity of ways, both shared and unique, which are not necessarily captured in existing research, showing how active ageing is important to looking ahead beyond retirement, as well as being understood in terms of people's pasts. As illustrated by the various activities they took part in, participants in the study did all they could to enjoy their lives, despite physical and financial problems. The chapter explores the fit between discourses of active ageing in policy and older people's views of possibilities for being and acting. Two strong themes emerged from the interviews: ‘freedom’ and ‘helping others’. Active ageing, as it is thought about by the interviewees, actually depends on a perceived sense of freedom that older people may subsequently choose to use in helping others.

Active ageing is recommended by international policy bodies including the World Health Organisation as a means to tackle the challenges of demographic ageing. This chapter considers active ageing in Ireland in a time of austerity, specifically assessing older people’s involvement in social participation, creative activities and volunteering in Ireland. It investigates the motivations for, potential benefits from and barriers to participation in such activities. It discusses how certain groups, (including the oldest old, those with mobility issues and men) may be under-represented in terms of participation. The chapter draws on three mixed methods empirical studies to illuminate the findings. The chapter concludes that while social benefits and an enhanced quality of life are associated with such engagement, governments need to ensure that such programmes are adequately resourced so that all groups of older people may participate and that older people are not overburdened providing services that ought to be provided by the state.

In this chapter the idea of primary prevention is explored in relation to policies and practices on healthy ageing. It examines in greater detail the potential of salutogenic perspectives on health as a way of overcoming negative perceptions of ageing. The frameworks of public health and health promotion are examined. It is argued that a focus on multi-sectoral upstream actions to promote health have largely been replaced by a focus on individual behavioural factors and personal responsibility for health, with particular implications for health in later life. Policies on active ageing are also analysed for their implicit moral message and questions are raised about the global reach of such policies, which have been developed in the context of high-income societies. The idea of salutogenic environments is explored with reference to care and the promotion of older people's health.

This chapter critically maps the global landscapes of the politics of ageing and later life. This is important because any understanding of the relationship between globalization and ageing needs also to address the political dimensions that are specific to each polity. Three key emerging epistemic communities around ageing and later life are identified in this chapter. These are 1) the anti-ageing enterprise, 2) the new pension orthodoxy and 3) the active ageing epistemic community. Their existence once again questions the dominance of methodological nationalism in the formulation of both the policies and the cultures of old age. They also challenge the too simplistic notion that globalization is an unstoppable juggernaut with its own deterministic logic. Instead, the chapter reveals that no one spatial logic is dominant, but that in order to be successful these communities must align groups across a wide range of spatialities.

The main European policy framework to address the challenges of population ageing is called 'active ageing', and it seeks to promote older people's engagement in economic and social activities and their independence and autonomy. This chapter proposes the adoption of an alternative-a capability framework-to deal with the challenges of population ageing, which is based on the capability approach (CA) and shifts the focus from activity (mainly economic and social activity) to the real opportunities older people have (their capabilities) to do what they value and to be the persons they want to be. This calls for comprehensive efforts to map out older adults' preferences and needs, and a more flexible, multidimensional and supportive approach to old-age policy, without imposing a priori importance on certain policy domains and without a strong focus on individual responsibility. The capability framework can open the door to policy alternatives that are more focused on older adults' opportunities and preferences.

The chapter examines both the context for the rise of precarity in the lives of older people as well as responses and alternative areas of practice. The chapter reviews the link between precarity and changes in the welfare state and austerity policies imposed by governments in the Global North. These developments are linked to the influence of neo-liberal policies with their emphasis on individual responsibility for managing transitions through the life course. The chapter then considers the basis for ‘collective’ forms of agency, underpinned by a recognition of issues concerning the provision of universal basic services, substantive equality and collective engagement on the part of older people.

This chapter discusses the collaborative research project ‘Design for Ageing that brought together stakeholders from academia and industry, to engage with active ageing participants in the co-design of smart functional clothing, with wearable electronics. The prime objective was to develop a functional clothing ‘layering system’ for participation in walking comprising; close-fitting body layer garments, with vital signs and activity monitoring, moisture management base layer styles, mid layer insulating garments, with warming devices, and outer layer protection, providing multi-modal user interfaces to facilitate outdoor healthy exercise, social engagement and enhanced well-being. Co-design methodology, new to clothing design, was adopted to help to explain complex terminologies and practices between both academic and industry stakeholders, including technologists in electronics, clothing/textiles, and gerontology. This collaborative research has contributed to training a new breed of cross-disciplinary academic researchers, in tried and tested co-design process with industry practitioners and end-users.

Population ageing is both a challenge and an opportunity. A challenge to the various welfare regimes, an opportunity to move towards a more comprehensive, sustainable and integrated life-course approach to active ageing. Moving from the premise that a high employment rate is the only way to secure long-term sustainability for any welfare system, this chapter focuses on the policy reforms that have been devised and implemented, at both the national and the local level, to increase the employment rate of elderly people, highlighting the possible trade-offs. While attention is paid to the institutional and economic realities of the Southern European countries, the final section will consider the extent to which the results and recommendations drawn from the analysis of the ageing question in the countries of the Northern Rim can provide a guide to policy for the other Mediterranean countries.

Due to population ageing, old age policies have gained increasing attention over the last few decades. For example, many countries reformed their pension systems and their long-term care regulations to counter the increasing number of frail older people. However, researchers underline that policies dealing with population ageing cannot focus on older people alone. Instead, they need to account for life-course effects and, therefore, tackle the situation of individuals of all ages. This chapter discusses how policy-makers can utilize life-course effects in old age policies. It explains the potential and the pitfalls of such a step, using Canada as an example. Canada is trying to prepare for population ageing through e.g. by promoting ‘Active Ageing’ and ‘Age-Friendly Communities’, which this chapter describes.

Chapter 2 provides an overview of the contributing factors which have led to the development of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC). It focuses on the influence of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) AFCC model, and explores a number of issues associated with the implementation of age-friendly policies and initiatives. The chapter further locates discussions about AFCC in the context of theoretical debates within environmental gerontology, emphasising the importance of such perspectives and related disciplines in advancing knowledge about ‘what works’ in respect of age-friendly interventions.

Recently, the UK government began placing an emphasis upon how good health and work interact. This is being led by the Health, Work and Well-Being Unit, which has adopted a single-minded and non-integrated approach based upon health-centred solutions. This chapter presents and discusses a broad, holistic approach, implemented first in Finland from the 1980s, for the management and improvement of the quality of work and individual working lives. It offers a critical appraisal of the approach and its applicability to the UK polity within an active ageing paradigm.

In the past, the Maltese government, was more preoccupied with meeting the ‘humanitarian’ issues of the process of active ageing, directing their programmes towards ‘protecting’ the older persons. Hardly any emphasis was put on development aspect how to ‘socialise’ the growing population of older persons. Such a strategy resulted in emarginating the older persons from society. The need was felt to break the policy of segregation of older persons and replacing it with a strategy of to participate in society to the greatest extent possible. Guided by the awareness that the family environment is the one best suited to the life style of older persons, the Maltese government has given rise to various policies and programmes to supplement family support to the growing elderly population so as to enable the older persons to remain within their family environment for as long as possible. This paper analyses the effects and implications of the radical change in the Maltese government’s policy from the Institutionalisation to Community Care.