WHO Guidelines on Community-Level Interventions to Manage Declines in Intrinsic Capacity: The Road to Prevention Cognitive Decline in Older Age?

The Concept of decline in “Intrinsic Capacities” (IC) from W.H.O Current Aging program (1, 2) prompts us to reposition prevention of cognitive decline and memory disorders with advancing age. In the new conceptual framework, Healthy Ageing is not defined as life free of diseases (disease can occur at any age) but, rather, as «the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age» (1). This is a significant departure from the key strategy of current health care systems that are mainly designed to identify and treat acute episodes of (and chronic) illnesses, rather than maintaining individuals’ Intrinsic Capacities IC across the life course (1). Hence, there is an urgent need to change the strategic emphasis of health care systems from focusing on acute conditions to promoting integrated care aimed at maintaining functional abilities and well-being as an effective approach to promote healthy ageing.