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COVID-19 and older people: impact on their lives, support and care
- Authors:
- DUBOIS Hans, et al
- Publisher:
- European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions
- Publication year:
- 2022
- Pagination:
- 92
- Place of publication:
- Luxembourg
This report captures the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the quality of life of older citizens, including the impact on their well-being, finances, employment and social inclusion. It explores the effects on the use of care services and older people's reliance on other support. The report presents policy measures that have been implemented in EU Member States to support older people along all of the above-mentioned dimensions. These include measures to support independent living and schemes to support the labour market integration of older people or to prevent unemployment, all of which play a role in the quality of life of older citizens. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social contacts decreased in all age groups in the EU; mental health deteriorated for people of all ages during the pandemic, but affected young people and the 80+ age group most severely; both decreases and increases in income were less common among older people, for whom pensions proved to be a stable source of income - however, pandemic-related expenditure, such as spending on private transport and care services, caused financial difficulties, especially for low-income groups; during the pandemic, the likelihood of reduced physical activity increased with age; low-tech e-healthcare (by phone) facilitated access to healthcare during COVID-19, however, many older people still preferred face-to-face consultations and almost half of users aged 50+ who opted to use e-healthcare reported that it did not fully meet their needs. (Edited publisher abstract)
What are age-friendly environments? Why should European cities and regions become more age-friendly?
- Author:
- AFE-INNOVNET
- Publisher:
- AFE-INNOVNET
- Publication year:
- 2014
- Pagination:
- 16
Age-friendly environments aim to help people to remain active and independent for longer, helping to address some of the challenges linked to an ageing population. This document briefly describes what makes an age-friendly environment is, and why it important for European countries, cities, regions and communities to become more age friendly. It then provides short case studies from partners in the AFE-INNOVENT network across Europe. The practice examples cover the eight domains that contribute to an age-friendly city or community, originally identified by the World Health Organisation. These domains are: housing; social participation; respect and social inclusion; civic participation and employment; communication and information; community support and health services; outdoor spaces and built environment; transportation. The Cymru Older People's Alliance (COPA) is included as a best practice example of respect and social inclusion. (Original abstract)
Active ageing index 2012 for 27 EU member states: policy brief
- Authors:
- ZAIDI Asghar, et al
- Publisher:
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 11p.
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
The Active Ageing Index (AAI) is a newly developed tool that offers national and European policy-makers a way to measure and promote the untapped potential of the older population. The AAI measures the active ageing performance across 4 distinct domains that together capture the untapped potential of older people across EU Member States: employment of older workers; social activity and participation of older people; independent and autonomous living of older persons; and capacity and enabling environment for active ageing. Thus, the AAI shows the differential extent to which European older people living across EU Member States have and can realise their potential with respect to employment; healthy, independent and autonomous living; and to undertake other unpaid family, social and cultural contributions to the society in a given country. It also offers breakdown of the results by gender. This policy brief describes the AAI and provides ranking of the EU Member States in terms of their overall AAI values and their values in each of the 4 AAI domains. The AAI will be available online during 2013 and accessible to researchers and policymakers for use and further extension.
Cross-country performance in social integration of older migrants: a European perspective: working paper
- Authors:
- BERCHET Caroline, SIRVEN Nicolas
- Publisher:
- Institut de recherche et documentation en économie de la santé
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 30p.
- Place of publication:
- Paris
This paper presents empirical evidence on the relationship between migration and social integration. Using SHARE data and macroeconomic series, it first analyses the influence of immigrant length of stay in the host country on social integration indicators. It then examines the role institutional characteristics play on cross-country differences in speed of social integration. Findings indicated that the immigrant population presents a lower likelihood than the native population to get involved in social activities and to trust other people. Nevertheless, the more immigrants have spent time in the host country, the more they take part in social activities. The analysis also reveals significant cross-country differences in immigrants’ speed of social integration. Macroeconomic series like the GINI coefficient of income inequality and the Corruption perceived index could explain these differences. From a public policy perspective, the results suggest that immigrants’ social integration is more rapidly achieved in “fair” countries, with a more favourable social environment, where the levels of income inequality and perceived corruption are lower.
Report on the mechanisms for stakeholder co-ordination
- Authors:
- FINN Rachel, WRIGHHT David
- Publisher:
- Bridging Research in Ageing and ICT Development
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 106p.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
Bridging Research in Ageing and ICT Development (BRAID) is a 2-year European Union funded project. Within the EU, there have been frequent comments about the lack of adequate collaboration and co-operation among stakeholders in meeting the needs of senior citizens with specific regard to e-inclusion and active aging. The aim of the BRAID project is to develop a comprehensive Research and Technological Development (RTD) roadmap for active ageing by consolidating existing roadmaps and by describing and launching a stakeholder co-ordination and consultation mechanism. The purpose of this work package is to determine whether stakeholder needs are being met by existing multi-stakeholder mechanisms. It categorises the stakeholders into 6 groups (end users, industry, civil society organisations, public authorities, academics and the media), and examines how different examples of organisational models (including forums, platforms, networks, associations, virtual forums, consortiums, clusters, international conferences, federations and public-private partnerships) can address the needs of these stakeholders. It finds that organisational structures are both diverse and overlapping, and that different organisational structures are best suited to different activities. The final section discusses the objectives that a new multi-stakeholder co-ordination mechanism must address to be successful, and makes recommendations regarding the criteria that this mechanism will need to address.
Social involvement, behavioural risks and cognitive functioning among older people
- Authors:
- ENGELHARDT Henriette, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 30(5), July 2010, pp.779-809.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study examines data, from 22,949 adults (10,902 men, 12,047 women, average ages 62 and 63 years, respectively) from the non-institutional populations, of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, and Israel, from the first (2004-2006) wave of the ‘Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe’, on relationships between cognitive performance, social participation and behavioural risks, such as physical inactivity, smoking, drinking, or obesity. The authors use “stochastic frontier approach methodology”, controlling for age, educational attainment, income, physical activity, body-mass index, smoking and drinking and identifying the effects on age-related declines to cognitive performance, of variables, such as employment status, attending recreational educational courses, doing voluntary or charity work, providing help to family, friends or neighbours, participating in sports, social or other clubs, or in a religious, political or community organisation. Cognitive function measures used were orientation, memory, verbal fluency, numeracy and recall. The pooled results indicated that social involvement enhanced cognitive functions and that smoking, drinking, obesity or physical inactivity reduced cognitive functioning. Variation was found between countries’ examined.
The social connectedness of older Europeans: patterns, dynamics and contexts
- Authors:
- KOHLI Martin, HANK Karsten, KUNEMUND Harald
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of European Social Policy, 19(4), October 2009, pp.327-340.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Maintaining social connectedness through the transitions of later life, with their potential for isolation, is an important prerequisite for successful ageing. Social relationships have been shown to buffer the effects of spousal bereavement, to reduce mortality risks, and to serve as a social protection mechanism. This study used longitudinal data from the first 2 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to show that Europe’s population aged 50 or older is socially connected in several ways. Roughly one-third of the respondents reported having some kind of formal social relationships, more than one-tenth provided or received informal social support, and two-thirds exchanged functional support with family members outside their household. The various dimensions of social connectedness turned out to be complementary rather than subjective, except for the relationship between informal social relations and family relations which tended to be characterised by substitution. This analysis revealed that the dynamics of formal and informal social relations as well as family relations tended to be driven by individuals’ resources and need. While the associations between elders’ social connectedness and individual characteristics were very similar across countries, there were significant regional variation regarding the levels and the dynamics of social connectedness.
Commentary: the emergence and application of active aging in Europe
- Author:
- WALKER Alan
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Aging and Social Policy, 21(1), January 2009, pp.75-93.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The traditional public discourse on ageing in Europe (poverty, welfare dependency, social and economic exclusion) has fragmented in recent years to encompass both neoliberal ideas (the economic burden of an ageing population) and broader notions that emphasise human rights, participation, social inclusion and opposition to age discrimination. The evolution of European Union policy discourse up to and beyond the Lisbon Strategy reflects both models: a narrow focus on employment issues; and a more comprehensive approach to active ageing. However, it is the former that continues to dominate policy instruments. Possible reasons for the failure of active ageing ideas to influence policy are examined, and a way forward based on seven principles is discussed.
From disability rights towards a rights-based approach to long-term care in Europe: building an index of rights-based policies for older people
- Authors:
- BIRTHA Magdi, et al
- Publisher:
- European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research
- Publication year:
- 2019
- Pagination:
- 70
- Place of publication:
- Vienna
Countries across Europe, and indeed around the world, are confronting the social, economic and political challenges of an ageing population. Among the most pressing of these challenges, is securing adequate and sustainable long-term care and support for older people. There is growing consensus that long-term care services should look beyond a medical model of ‘care’. Instead, they should take a broader, more holistic view in which older people’s well-being and quality of life and their preferences regarding care and support are central to the design of services in line with existing human rights standards. Building on the achievements of the disability rights discourse, a conceptual framework for a human rights-based approach to care and support for older persons was developed as part of this project. Furthermore, two tools that can contribute to monitoring policies and their outcomes for older people in Europe were also created: the Rights of Older People Index (ROPI) and the Scoreboard on Outcome Indicators. Together, the ROPI and the Scoreboard contribute to fill an important gap, as multi-dimensional tools to monitor the situation of older people with care and support needs, based on a human-rights approach. They highlight gaps in legislation and the implementation of policies, as well as gaps in data. The report presents the results of the ROPI and the Scoreboard in 12 European countries. (Edited publisher abstract)
Social policy in the European Union
- Author:
- HANTRAIS Linda
- Publisher:
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 304p.
- Place of publication:
- Basingstoke
- Edition:
- 3rd ed.
Social policy is constantly evolving in the European Union and is closely intertwined with other EU policy areas. This book offers an account of 50 years of social policy formation and implementation across the EU. Since publication of the 2nd edition the EU has enlarged and there has been increased debate about how to adapt its institutional structures to reflect this extended membership. The third edition takes account of the debates about adapting the Union's institutional structures to accommodate different welfare arrangements and the need for more open forms of European governance. Chapters include: developing European social policy; towards a European social model; education, training and employability; improving living and working conditions; family policy on the European agenda; the gender dimension of social policy; policy for older and disabled people; from social exclusion to social inclusion; social policy and mobility; and assessing 50 Years of European social policy.