On 5 June, at the Nautical Centre of Montemor-o-Velho, 130 older people participated in the event “+Age +Movement +Physical Exercise”, organized within the framework of the European project PREDISC. The aim of this community event was to prevent and promote the health of the elderly population, in a context where active ageing is becoming increasingly relevant in view of current demographic challenges.
Manuel Teixeira Veríssimo, president of the Regional Section of the Centre of the Order of Doctors, also stressed that “Coimbra is one of the territories in Portugal with the highest ageing index in Portugal. It is important to organize this type of events promoting active and healthy aging because older people must have quality of life. Physical exercise, good nutrition and social relations are essential.”
Manuel Teixeira Veríssimo, presidente de la Sección Regional del Centro de la Orden de los Médicos
Functional assessment and promotion of active and healthy ageing
About 30 professionals from the ULS BM of different areas (medical, nursing, physiotherapy and nutrition), and students of higher schools of health performed functional evaluation and counseling to the elderly participants. Talks were also organized on food for functional preservation and mental health as well as physical exercise and relaxation sessions.
Ana Raquel Santos, president of the Board of Directors of the Local Health Unit (ULS) of Baixo Mondego also addressed the participants, stressing that “Your participation in this project will help us to help you. We want older people to be more active and have equal access to health care. We would like to point out that the prevention of old-age dependence includes physical exercise and healthy habits.”
Community events throughout the PreDisc territory
This event is part of action 3 of the PreDisc project, which consists in organizing community events to promote health and active and healthy ageing. Portugal also adopts good practice from the other PreDisc territories. It is noteworthy that taking advantage of the follow-up meeting of the project, PreDisc partners attended this community event: the biomed biomed research center Navarra – Miguel Servet Foundation, the Institute for Health Research in Navarra (IdiSNA), Universidad de Deusto (Bizkaia, Euskadi), Centro Hospitalario Polo Universitario de Toulouse Gériatrie (Occitania), and Servei Andorra d’Atenció Sanitària (Andorra) of which the ULS of Bajo Mondego is part.
Also present were the vice-president of the Municipal Chamber of Montemor-o-Velho, José Veríssimo and Manuel Teixeira Veríssimo, president of the Regional Section of the Center of the Order of Doctors.
The event also featured VirtuALL from AD ELO – Local Development Association of Bairrada and Mondego and the Saber + Health Program of the Laboratory of Social Medicine and Public Health of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Coimbra.
