Live long and prosper?: Ageing, care and the ‘pandemic of frailty’ left by lockdowns
Growing old, staying well: Frailty, lockdowns and ageism | HeraldScotland HeraldScotland
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Falls and Fractures Increase Among Older Adults During Pandemic
Dawn Skelton, a professor of ageing and health at Glasgow Caledonian University, has highlighted the significant increase in falls and fractures among older adults due to reduced activity during the pandemic. This de-conditioning has had a detrimental impact on the physical function of older individuals.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
In Scotland, there were 5,038 Covid deaths among people aged over 75 in 2020, accounting for three quarters of all registered deaths from the disease.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Skelton acknowledges the difficult dilemma faced by policymakers in protecting vulnerable elderly individuals from the lethal effects of Covid. However, she believes that the restrictions implemented during the pandemic have gone too far, resulting in a pandemic of frailty among older adults.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Skelton explains that the reduced activity during the pandemic, including the lack of social interactions and physical exercise, has led to increased falls and fractures in various settings such as homes, hospitals, and care homes. She emphasizes the importance of providing older individuals with choices and opportunities to engage in activities while still maintaining social distance.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
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Skelton highlights the negative consequences of social isolation and anxiety among older adults, as well as the worsening of long-term conditions due to the fear of burdening the healthcare system. She predicts that it will take a decade to return to pre-pandemic levels of frailty.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Skelton’s insights come ahead of a major international conference on global ageing, where thousands of delegates from 48 countries will gather to discuss various topics related to ageing, including end-of-life care and age-inclusive urban planning.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
READ MORE: Hundreds of hospital wards closed due to Covid outbreaks
Skelton will deliver the final keynote speech at the conference, emphasizing that falls and frailty are preventable and reversible. She advocates for interventions and exercise programs that focus on maintaining physical strength, independence, and overall well-being in older adults.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
Skelton emphasizes the importance of physical activity in successful aging and highlights the need for a shift in healthcare priorities to prioritize exercise as a key component of maintaining good health. She suggests that physical activity should be promoted by healthcare professionals and integrated into daily routines
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The article discusses the issues of falls and fractures among older adults due to reduced activity during the pandemic, the high number of Covid deaths among older adults, the need for age-inclusive urban planning, and the challenges of adapting societies to an aging population. These issues are connected to the SDGs mentioned above.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age.
- SDG 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, particularly for older persons and persons with disabilities.
- SDG 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
Based on the issues discussed in the article, these specific targets are relevant to address the challenges related to falls and fractures among older adults, the high number of Covid deaths among older adults, and the need for age-inclusive urban planning.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 3.4: Mortality rate attributed to non-communicable diseases.
- Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable.
- Indicator for SDG 11.7: Proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status, and place of occurrence, including in public spaces.
- Indicator for SDG 17.17: Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets by tracking mortality rates attributed to non-communicable diseases, the coverage of social protection systems for older persons, the prevalence of physical or sexual harassment in public spaces, and the number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. | Mortality rate attributed to non-communicable diseases. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age. | Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable. |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green, and public spaces, particularly for older persons and persons with disabilities. | Proportion of persons victim of physical or sexual harassment, by sex, age, disability status, and place of occurrence, including in public spaces. |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. | Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the sustainable development goals. |
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Source: heraldscotland.com
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