Strategies for Successful Ageing (FutureLearn)

How do you feel about ageing? What choices are you making to stay happy, healthy, socially-connected and active as you age?
During this five-week course, distinguished academics and physicians at Trinity College Dublin will present world-leading research in successful ageing, which may challenge many of the assumptions you have about growing old.

Learn strategies and tips for healthy, active ageing
As a community of learners, we will discuss what you’re doing to maintain your health, increase your wellbeing, maintain friendships and navigate life’s challenges.
Together, we will discover the many opportunities for personal growth and community-building by exploring the skills, talents and dreams of older adults.
Each week, we will investigate strategies for successful ageing:
• Week 1 explores your perceptions and attitudes about ageing;
• Week 2 focusses on improving your happiness and wellbeing, by defining what quality of life means to you;
• Week 3 places a spotlight on health and presents tips for increasing physical fitness, improving nutrition, and maintaining brain health through the years;
• Week 4 celebrates opportunities for staying connected by investigating the expectations you have set for yourself and by sharing your personal strategies for staying involved;
• and Week 5 is all about creative ageing, in which we explore the talents and contributions of older adults and share your accomplishments with the world.

Choose your approach to successful ageing
The knowledge that you gain from this free online course will inspire you to choose activities and behaviours that improve your quality of life. Through this course, we hope you will think differently about ageing and recognise the many contributions that older adults make every day.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Reflect on the concepts of ‘old’ and 'ageism'.
• Understand how perceptions of ageing can influence ageing.
• Apply strategies for positive mental health, physical health, social engagement, and creativity.
• Perform a life audit.
• Assess what 'quality of life' means.
• Explore how to plan for older age through goal setting.
• Discuss case studies of successful ageing initiatives.