We observed the principal repercussions of chronic diseases in old age in terms of physical, mental, and social functionality, affecting basic, instrumental, and advanced activities of daily life. Chronic disease-associated dependency represents an onerous sanitary and financial burden for the older adult, the family, and the health care system.
In the Second World Assembly on Ageing held in Madrid in 2002, the relevance of active aging was highlighted as a key strategy for achieving the maximum health, well-being, and quality of life (QOL) of older adults, defining this as "the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age".
Active aging refers to the empowerment of older persons in biological, psychological, and social areas, understanding empowerment as the individual's self-promotion, independence, and self-confidence, as well as his/her right to a dignified way of life according to self-imposed values, the ability to stand up for one's own rights, and to be free . Active aging entertains three levels of approach, including a) paradigm, b) policy strategy, and c) instrumental action at the community level (Figure 1).