Culturally relevant resources to support health and well-being at any age
In the fall of 2025, the NCCIH began work on a series of healthy aging booklets for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis adults (18-49 years) and older adults (50+years) in Canada. The booklets were developed in response to requests from Indigenous families and community partners for culturally relevant resources to support the health and well-being of First Nations people, Inuit, and Métis people throughout the aging process. Several First Nations people, Inuit, and Métis people from across the country contributed to the development of the healthy aging booklets by sharing their knowledge, insights, ideas, stories, health tips, and feedback to improve the quality and value of the resources.
The healthy aging booklets in this six-part resource series include:
- Healthy aging: Physical activity and exercise — focuses on the vital role physical activity and exercise play in extending your lifespan (to live longer) and enhancing your healthspan (to live longer in good health).
- Healthy aging: Food, diet, and nutrition — promotes practicing healthy eating habits — including limiting unhealthy foods, consuming traditional foods, and staying hydrated — to keep your mind and body healthy and functioning properly.
- Healthy aging: Preventative health behaviours — discusses how preventative health behaviours — such as getting proper sleep, practicing good oral health habits, having regular medical check-ups, keeping your feet healthy, protecting your eyes and ears, and keeping a healthy home environment — can improve your overall health and quality of life.
- Healthy aging: Mental and emotional health — focuses on taking care of your mental and emotional health, which includes learning about intergenerational trauma, coping with intergenerational grief and loss, managing stress and anxiety, keeping land-based connections, and staying socially connected and engaged.
- Healthy aging: Life stages and wellness — directs attention to specific health matters specific to older life stages (e.g., heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, menopause, and older adult abuse) that can affect your physical vitality, mental clarity, emotional resilience, and overall quality of life in later years.
- Healthy aging: Financial wellness — focuses on financial wellness and the importance of keeping a healthy budget, doing taxes, taking advantage of available health and social benefits, and planning for retirement and end-of-life.
Practical and actionable guidance for healthy aging
Healthy aging is about aging well, actively and successfully, by living well, staying positive and productive, and keeping good physical, mental, and social functioning. The healthy aging resources are grounded in the belief that healthy aging is a lifelong process that can start at any age. You are never too old — or too young — to start taking care of your mind, body, and spirit. The booklets provide a foundation for optimal health, well-being, and quality of life through practical, actionable guidance for healthy aging.