Healthy Ageing
Complete Healthy Ageing Course
Activity, food, friendships and health checks for later life, brought together with Every Move Counts, the over-65s Food Pyramid and simple planners.
€22.99Buy
Healthy ageing courses for staying active and independent
Practical courses on food, strength, balance and planning ahead, based on Irish guidance for adults over 65.
- 5 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
Ireland has its own Food Pyramid for older adults, based on FSAI recommendations updated in 2021. It suggests 5 to 7 servings a day of vegetables, salad and fruit, 3 to 5 of wholemeal cereals, breads, potatoes, pasta and rice, 3 to 4 of milk, yogurt and cheese, and 2 to 3 of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts. Including good-quality protein at two or more meals a day helps protect muscle and lower the risk of frailty and falls. All adults over 65 are advised to take 15 micrograms of vitamin D every day, all year round.
Drinks matter as much as food. FSAI advice for older adults is about 1.6 litres of fluid a day for women and 2 litres for men, unless a doctor has advised a fluid limit. Strong tea is best taken between meals rather than with them, so it does not reduce the iron and zinc you absorb.
Every Move Counts advises older adults to follow the adult activity guidelines and add activities for balance and strength on 3 or more days a week, to help prevent falls. Our healthy ageing courses turn this into meal plans, chair-based exercise, a home falls checklist and tools for planning support with family. Every course is written by Dr Aqsa Mukhtiar, PhD in Nutrition.
All healthy ageing courses
Healthy Ageing
Nutrition for Older Adults
Later-life eating made easy with the over-65s Food Pyramid: protein at two meals, year-round vitamin D, drinks and a check for unplanned weight loss.
€17.99Buy
Healthy Ageing
Strength for Older Adults
Chair-based strength moves for later life in line with Every Move Counts, a 12-week plan and a before-you-start GP checklist.
€17.99Buy
Healthy Ageing
Balance and Everyday Mobility (Falls Prevention)
Stay steady at home and out and about: a room-by-room hazard check, balance exercise cards and a clear plan for what to do if you fall.
€17.99Buy
Healthy Ageing
Supporting an Ageing Parent
Find the right Irish help for an ageing parent, from HSE home support to carer payments, and share the load with a needs checklist.
€19.99Buy
Which healthy ageing course to start
- The Complete Healthy Ageing Course: activity, food, brain health, social connection, health appointments and planning ahead in one programme.
- Nutrition for Older Adults: protein, bones, drinks, easy meals for one or two and spotting weight loss early.
- Strength for Older Adults: a 12-week chair-based strength plan that starts with a GP check.
- Balance and Everyday Mobility: a safer home, balance exercises and a plan for what to do if a fall happens.
- Supporting an Ageing Parent: for adult children who are noticing changes and arranging help.
What the healthy ageing tools do
- Healthy ageing self-check: a quick look at activity, food, sleep, social contact and appointments.
- Chair-based exercise cards and 12-week plan: seated and supported moves, with a progress log.
- Home falls hazard checklist and falls diary: go room by room, and keep a record of trips and near misses to show the GP.
- Malnutrition risk checker and hydration tracker: simple prompts that point you to the GP if weight or appetite is dropping.
- Care options comparison and family responsibilities planner: lay out choices and share tasks between relatives.
When to involve the GP
Contact the GP about:
- losing weight without trying, or clothes, rings or dentures becoming loose
- any fall, or feeling unsteady, dizzy or afraid of falling
- memory problems that are new or getting worse
- difficulty swallowing, or coughing when eating or drinking
Call 112 or 999 after a fall if the person has hit their head and is drowsy, confused or being sick, cannot get up, or is in severe pain. Sudden confusion also needs urgent help the same day.
Healthy ageing courses: your questions
Is it too late to start strength exercise in later life?
No. Every Move Counts recommends strength and balance activities on 3 or more days a week for adults over 65. Start gently, check with your GP if you have a health condition, and build up slowly.
How much protein do older adults need?
The Food Pyramid for over-65s suggests 2 to 3 servings a day from the meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts shelf, with good-quality protein at two or more meals. Milk, yogurt and cheese add protein too.
Do I need a vitamin D supplement?
Irish advice is that all adults over 65 take 15 micrograms of vitamin D every day, all year. Check with your GP or pharmacist if you take other medicines or supplements.
Can I take a course on behalf of a parent?
Yes. Supporting an Ageing Parent is written for adult children, and many of the tools in the other courses can be filled in together with an older relative.
How can I tell if someone is not eating enough?
Watch for weight loss, loose clothes or dentures, smaller meals and less interest in food. The GP or practice nurse can check for malnutrition, and the courses show you what to note down before the appointment.
Official sources
Steady, strong and well fed
Start with the healthy ageing self-check and pick one change to make this week.