9. DNA coach

While an increasing number of people are able to measure their health parameters, it may be still be difficult to understand the data, and/or act on it. That is why a DNA coach is needed to help the individual to interpret the data and to develop individualised diet and exercise plans, both to reduce existing health problems and for preventive purposes.

•Provide lifestyle and dietary advice based on analysis of the customer's DNA in • order to improve both mental and physical well-being Monitor adherence to the coach’s recommendations such as using wearables and by measuring and assessing how the body reacts to the new lifestyle in order to optimise diet and exercise

•Genetics • Nutrition • Behavioural science • Psychology

Swedes are living longer than ever and the proportion of older people is increasing. Older people are also becoming increasingly active. Age 65 is no longer viewed as a cue to retire and pull back – instead, many see it as the beginning of a new active period in life. In a US study, eight of ten respondents stated that they see aging as an opportunity to achieve new goals, and three fourths said that aging provides time to pursue passions that previously did not fit into their lives.

Today’s seniors also work until they are older. For men age 60-64, workforce participation increased from 55 to 75 per cent between the late 1990s and 2017. For women in the same age group, workforce participation was almost 70 per cent in 2017.

In recent years, widespread involuntary loneliness has received increasing attention. Most studies show that involuntary loneliness has negative consequences for both mental and physical health, and today loneliness is referred to as one of the common public health challenges of our time. Statistics show that loneliness in the form of social isolation increases with age. Quite simply, as partners and friends become ill and die, and physical energy and mobility decline, there is resultant natural decrease in social contexts.

Research shows that training in, and use of, computers and the Internet can reduce loneliness among older people. Although many seniors are becoming increasingly active on the Internet, a large proportion of the elderly still live in “digital exclusion”. The Public Health Agency of Sweden has therefore initiated a collaborative project with the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Swedish Agency for Participation, Forte and the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services, to develop knowledge support that can provide guidance to municipalities in order to promote social stimulation and participation among older people through training in and use of digital technology. In many municipalities, initiatives are currently underway to improve the digital skills of older people, including through IT coaches. The coaches are themselves older people who train and help other seniors with digital technology.

One person who helps older people to understand technology and avoid exclusion in today's society is Gunilla Yhuel Sätterberg, who was named 2018 Volunteer of the Year. Her accomplishments include starting a “mobile junta” at SeniorNet Botkyrka, where seniors help each other to understand smartphones and tablets. We spoke with Gunilla about the benefits of being active online as a senior.

• Almost seven of ten people age 55 and older are active on social media and the Internet several times a day. • Two thirds of seniors are active on some form of social media, where Facebook and Instagram are most popular: over nine of ten are on Facebook and almost half are on Instagram. • Almost two-thirds use social media to stay in touch with friends, and almost six of ten to stay in touch with family and relatives, while around half follow various interest groups.

People who don’t keep up, are at risk of being left out, in various ways. As society becomes increasingly digital, older people are left out, especially in relation to social and government services such as the Care Guide, Mobile BankID and the Swedish Tax Agen- cy. The Internet is also an important place for both creating and maintaining social contacts. Research shows that training in, and use of, computers and the Internet can reduce loneliness among older people.

The Internet is an incredibly important tool for both maintaining existing and creating new contacts, both digitally and in real life. Skype, Facebook and Instagram make it possible for older people to stay in touch with friends, children and grandchildren when they don’t have the energy or physical opportunity to see them in person. They can now talk to them by video and follow their everyday lives. Facebook has many interest groups that can bring people with common interests together. For example, genealogy is very popular among older people and provides an opportunity to find others who share this inter- est, both online and through physical encounters. Instagram allows people to share their interests, their daily lives and things they have tried with others. The Internet allows people sitting alone in an apartment to find some pleasure and reduce their loneliness through contact with their friends, children and grandchildren, by both following and writing com- ments.