Determinants of Healthy Ageing Index

Results showed that functional difficulties (seeing, hearing, communication, remembering/concentrating, walking/climbing stairs) affect healthy ageing the most. As old age is associated with functional decline, it should be identified at an early stage. This will help to bring proper interventions to ensure healthy ageing. Social Participation refers to meeting friends/family/relative and participating in social gatherings. Older adults are at higher risk of undesirable health effects combined with social isolation and loneliness. Social participation has been found to be related to better functional skills and well-being. Third important determinant of healthy ageing is property ownership. This is correlated to older people participating in household’s decision making. Results suggest that those older people who keep the ownership of their property feel less discriminated and take their decisions on their own. On the other hand, age discrimination is positively correlated to those who either do not have any property or transferred their property to children. Activities such as walk/exercise works as medicine for older people. These daily life activities
play a very important role in prevention of diseases and promote healthy ageing. Through the SPRC Annual State of Social Protection 2020, SPRC presents its original Healthy Ageing Index of Pakistan for scientific scrutiny. SPRC believes that a robust indigenous index would go a long way in providing robust, cost-effective solutions to the actually unmet social protection needs of the older persons in Pakistan. The emergence of more robust local data sets would also be helpful in projecting the old age situation in Pakistan in global indices more correctly.