Health Promotion Programs for the Elderly in Greece, the “Health Pro Elderly” Project

Aim: The ageing of the population and the increase of chronic diseases’ incidence, combined with limited resources for health care, led researchers and policy makers to search for health promotion alternatives. The “Health Pro Elderly” project aims to identify criteria that make health promotion programs successful and provide evidence for sustainability.Method: The project was realised within the Public Health Program of the European Commission and 19 partners from 11 EU countries are involved in identifying criteria for sustainable implementation of health promoting projects for seniors.Results: The synopsis of literature findings in all countries has been realized (www.healthproelderly.com). Relevant terms have formed an English glossary. Criteria have been set for the collection and selection of health promotion programs. A database with 33 examples of good practice has been compiled. Conclusions: The lack of resources and personnel could be balanced by promoting policies that will advance Healthy Ageing. “Health Pro Elderly” as part of a EU-wide health promotion policy contributes to that direction.