Dan and Anna Skipper are the co-authors of a new book called Everything You Need To Know at 50+. Dan, who is Director of Healthy Ageing Norfolk, explain why they were perfectly placed to write the book together
Who are you and what do you do?
I am the Director of Healthy Ageing Norfolk, a voluntary sector partnership working to reduce frailty and falls. Anna Skipper is the Head of Clinical Excellence & Falls Prevention Lead at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital. She is a Chartered Physiotherapist.
What has led you to writing Everything You Need To Know At 50+ together?
In our roles, we both see a lot of people who live with multiple health conditions that make their day-to-day lives challenging, or they’ve ended up in hospital due to a fall or condition that could have been prevented. Often, the support kicks-in at that time, but it’s the years and decades before that, which influence what our later life might be. We felt there was a lot of content aimed at older people, or on single conditions, or books aimed at healthcare professionals. We wanted to do something that was for the general reader, simple and aimed more at mid-life in view of helping people understand factors in their control as they get older.
We hope this book encourages people to think differently about ageing and how small changes in mid-life can create a good foundation for later life. We wanted to highlight topics that don’t always get the attention they deserve – things like sleep, hydration, social connection and housing. These all play a huge role in our health and wellbeing, and they’re often things we can positively influence ourselves.
Why are you both perfectly placed to write the book? What are your backgrounds?
Prior to Healthy Ageing Norfolk, I worked for Age UK Norwich for 11 years, most of which as Chief Executive Officer. During my tenure, the charity launched ‘Age Friendly Norwich’ as part of the World Health Organisation (WHO) global initiative. The charity was a national winner of the GSK / The Kings Fund IMPACT Award in 2026.
Anna has worked in healthcare since 1993 and has worked across the UK. Prior to her role at the hospital, she was Strategic Lead for Population Health at Active Norfolk. She has received national recognition and commendation for her falls prevention work from the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership and Health Service Journal. Through these roles, its connected us to various specialist and experts, who have contributed to the book sharing their expertise and experience.
Together, we’ve seen and heard the lived experience of older people whose lives have been heavily impacted by their health and wellbeing – much of which could have been prevented or significantly improved with the right support.
Who would you like to thank – and why?
We would like to thank all our experts who gave their tips and insights, some in fields of study that do not receive enough airtime with the general public. The power of sleep, good hydration and nutrition should be a societal universality. Also, the team at Creative Sponge, a Norwich branding and design agency, who helped turn our concept into a reality. They’re great to work with!
The book is aimed at people in their 50s – why is this an important time to start future-proofing our lives?
Age 50 is a reflective milestone, and for many people it is the start of more practical planning for retirement – whatever that may look like. However, being healthy and active to enjoy those years comes as an assumption, rather than something we’ll all have to take-action for. Good habits for healthy ageing in mid-life set a good foundation for later life, to give you the best chances for a long retirement with independence, opportunity and enjoyment.
Everything You Need To Know At 50+, by Dan & Anna Skipper, is available on Amazon. If readers want to find out more, contact Dan and Anna at hello@agesafe.org.uk.
Featured image of Dan and Anna Skipper – supplied
Leave a Reply