Edinburgh Napier University

  In developed countries the population of older people is expected to rise as life expectancy increases. Consequently, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain independent living for older people in their own homes or provide adequate pensions and social security systems. It is not inevitable that all older people will live with disability and ill health, but these trends are strongly patterned by socio-economic position and identifying effective policies and interventions that focus on older people is a public health priority. This structured review provides researchers and policy makers with a summary of the evidence for a wide range of complex and specific interventions in primary care and community settings that aim to promote healthy ageing and prevent or delay disablement in later life.