Ageing Well: Nutrition and Exercise for Older Adults

Boost the quality of life of those in your care

Are people who age well just lucky? Or is there something you can do to ensure older adults in your care enjoy a better quality of life?

On this two-week course from the University of Reading, you’ll discover the science and practice of ageing well. Informed by the latest research in nutrition and health science, the course provides easily implemented guidance for older adults and their carers.

Understand what research says about the changing needs of our bodies as we age

Research has shown that adjusting your diet to include more protein and taking up strength-building exercises can make all the difference when it comes to ageing well. The course will start by introducing the science behind nutritional guidance for older adults.

You’ll learn how small changes to the ingredients of favourite meals and regular physical exercise routines that can be done at home help maintain independence by preventing undernutrition and preserving muscular mobility.

Get tailored advice and guidance to help those in your care

Once you’ve understood the science, you can begin applying it. In Week 2 of the course, you’ll receive advice on how to put the health and nutritional guidance into practice and communicate it to those in your care.

Throughout the course, you’ll produce an action plan of tailored tips and tricks that you can apply to your own particular situation. These include recipes for nutritious meals, activities to do at home, and communication strategies for encouraging older adults to tweak their habits.

By the end of the course, you’ll have the confidence you need to support those you care for as they age well.

This course is primarily designed for carers of older adults, including both family members and staff working in care or nursing homes or providing in-home care services.

It will also be useful for older adults looking for evidence-based activities to apply in their own lives, or for medical staff and dieticians seeking tools to help them communicate with older patients.

This course is primarily designed for carers of older adults, including both family members and staff working in care or nursing homes or providing in-home care services.

It will also be useful for older adults looking for evidence-based activities to apply in their own lives, or for medical staff and dieticians seeking tools to help them communicate with older patients.

• Develop skills in enabling older adults to make manageable improvements in diet and exercise routines.
• Identify strategies and tools, such as recipes and tips for exercising safely at home, which make a real difference to ageing well.
• Apply your knowledge, transferring it into an action plan tailored to the particular preferences and health contexts of the people you care for.
• Discuss the challenges and rewards of your job with other carers, sharing tips on how best to communicate with and encourage older adults to bring about lasting change in habits for healthier outcomes.