• Trinity College Dublin

Strategies for Successful Ageing

Find out how staying happy, healthy, socially-connected and active can help you age successfully, with this free online course.

37,052 enrolled on this course

A variety of adults of varying ages
  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

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

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Skip to 0 minutes and 22 seconds How do you feel about ageing? What choices are you making to stay happy, healthy, socially connected, and active as you age? Hello. I’m Professor Rose Anne Kenny, Director of Ageing Research at Trinity College Dublin and a physician at St. James’s Hospital here in Ireland. Within the next 15 years, there will be approximately 1.4 billion people over the age of 60. Too often, we focus on the burdens of ageing rather than the enormous benefits and bounty that this demography will bring. Over the next five weeks, I will be joined by leading researchers here at Trinity who are investigating many aspects of ageing. They will share their findings with you. Many of them will challenge your assumption of growing old.

Skip to 1 minute and 17 seconds For example, did you know that your perceptions of ageing influence your ageing process? Have you defined what successful ageing means for you? What is old age anyway? This free online course is for all adults who want strategies for managing their health, developing their skills, and staying involved in their communities. You will watch videos, read articles, take part in discussions, and share your experiences with a community of learners. Along with other participants, you will learn how to increase physical fitness, improve function, improve nutrition, nurture your relationships, and maintain brain health throughout the years. You will meet artists, volunteers, and inspirational achievers who are making a difference by following their dreams. The course highlights the diversity of ageing experiences.

Skip to 2 minutes and 23 seconds And by the end of this course, you should have tools and resources to better understand what successful ageing will mean for you.

What topics will you cover?

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;

• 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.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

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.

Who is the course for?

This course is relevant for adults who wish to acquire strategies for successful ageing. No previous experience or qualifications are required.

Who will you learn with?

Rose Anne Kenny is the Principal Investigator and founder of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and Professor of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College Dublin.
www.tilda.ie

Who developed the course?

Trinity College Dublin

Founded in 1592, Trinity College Dublin is Ireland’s highest ranked university. It promotes a diverse, interdisciplinary environment to nurture ground-breaking research, innovation, and creativity.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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Get a taste of this course

Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:

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