ABSTRACT
Older people have received little policy attention in relation to health promotion until the last decade. With the worldwide demographic shift to ageing of the population, policies supporting healthy, productive and independent ageing now represent an important and attractive initiative for governments (Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, 2002; New Zealand Ministry of Social Policy, 2001; Secretary of State for Health, 1999; US Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). The ‘healthy ageing’ construct has become a cornerstone of policy development in response to population ageing and this embraces concerns about quality of life as well as length of life.
