Active ageing
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 13
June 2012
The way how persons age is determined by a variety of factors: biological pre-conditions, social circumstances, attitudes towards ageing, and life-style. The manner how an individual person ages may contribute to how long a person will live and how fit a person might be in the late period of life.
Current policies on ageing may perceive “old age” as a status rather than the result of a process. Some ageing policies may be aimed at providing services within this status rather than at empowering older persons to live independently. Here, a change of paradigm is needed. In order to gain the ability to remain active, the individual needs to invest in this process throughout the life course. Appropriate societal structures, incentives and awareness-raising would enable persons to live an active life-style as long as possible. Current societal and legal infrastructures may not fully provide those opportunities for active ageing.
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Images of older persons
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 12
January 2012
The economic and societal implications that result from demographic change may have an impact on how certain generations or age-groups are perceived by the majority of the population or community. Often older family members or neighbours are respected and well integrated members of their community. They also often dispose of a considerable knowledge, experience and consumer power through life-long accumulated savings. Older persons are thus able to assist younger family members and their community with advice through gained experience. But in some cases older persons are faced with neglect and negative stereotypes. A displacement of older persons into segregated communities, an undervaluing of their contributions to society, and negative media portrayals, contribute to a decrease in face-to-face contact with older persons, foster the growth of a gap between generations and a general lack of empathy towards people of different age-groups.
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Cooperation on Ageing Policies in the UNECE region
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 11
November 2011
Although ageing policies are often dealt with in the context of the national public policy agenda, there is also a need for regional, sub-regional and international cooperation on this topic, as many issues do not end at national borders. Regional cooperation may be helpful as states of the same region often share similar cultural, economic, or political contexts.
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Tapping the potential of volunteering
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 10
January 2011
The concept of volunteering has many aspects. Across the UNECE region there is no unified definition of volunteering in terms of pay, duration of activity, or content of work. In this context a clear distinction between regular employment and volunteering must be drawn, which must go beyond the mere presence or absence of remuneration. Benefits for volunteers need to be clearly outlined, e.g. training opportunities, social participation and inclusion, as well as other aspects. Older persons benefit from volunteering both as providers and as recipients. Promoting these activities is therefore in the interest of every government. Such promotion can be achieved by offering support to organizations and volunteers through the strategies outlined in this policy brief.
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Age-friendly employment: policies and practices
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 9
January 2011
In many UNECE countries the average actual retirement age is below the statutory retirement age, which means that the labour market is losing a great deal of resources in terms of experience and labour capacity of older workers. Ageing societies, however, cannot afford to lose the highly valuable resource of older workers. If there are people aged 55 years or older who want to work, but cannot due to unfavourable conditions in the labour market, UNECE member States may wish to address this issue.
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Advancing intergenerational solidarity
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 8
August 2010
Demographic transition in Europe has led to changing household structure with a potential impact on the dynamic between generations. As a consequence of living longer and later childbearing, most adults in Europe belong to a family network of three generations with which they share several decades together in a complex web of ties. The solidarity among generations is a key feature of the economic, financial and social systems in Europe. However, the rapidly changing demographic context, particularly in combination with the demands of the recent economic crisis, could create tensions among generations and represent a challenge to the existing solidarity and cooperation among people of different age groups.
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Towards community long-term care
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 7
July 2010
The population of countries in the UNECE region is ageing, which is leading to the increase in the number of the oldest old — a group with a higher probability of becoming in need of long-term care. At the same time, the number of those making up the working age population, who will be able to provide care, will decrease. UNECE member States have committed themselves to coping with this growing demand in care services while securing quality and choice for patients and their families. Financial sustainability of long-term care systems and a qualified work force are key elements in securing a high quality of long-term care and protecting human dignity in an ageing society.
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Health promotion and disease prevention
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 6
April 2010
While people are living longer, it is important to improve the quality of every stage of life. Therefore, UNECE member States have committed to implement health policies ensuring that increased longevity is accompanied by the highest attainable standard of health1. In the coming years and decades, the number of elderly people in the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will rise sharply, challenging societies’ ability to care for those in need.
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Lifelong learning
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 5
March 2010
Populations in the UNECE region are ageing rapidly. To maintain economic growth and standard of living, people would need to work longer before they can retire. Regarding people who are currently in their working age, demographic change may require to include those into the labour market who were previously not fully integrated, such as early school leavers, women and migrants. In a knowledge society, this all requires a good standard of basic education as well as vocational training, tertiary education, information and communication technology (ICT) and language skills.
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Integration and participation of older persons in society
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 4
November 2009
Realizing a society for all ages is the declared goal of Governments in member States of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. To this end, achieving the integration and participation of older persons in society are important elements. This policy brief outlines the main strategies that may be considered to increase participation of older persons in political and economic life and to improve their access to transport, appropriate housing and cultural activities. It highlights the importance of balanced intergenerational relationships based on mutual respect. Efforts may be made to reduce ageism and to destigmatize old age. The potential of volunteering may also be used – both in support of older generations and by the older generations themselves.
Older persons as consumers
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 3
November 2009
In an ageing society, one aim is to further enhance the social, economic, political and cultural participation of older persons. […] Older persons should therefore be recognized as a significant consumer group with shared and specific needs, interests, and preferences. Governments, service providers and civil society should take into account the views of older persons on the design of products and delivery of services.
Gender equality, work and old age
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 2
November 2009
To respond to demographic and societal changes, the effects of policies on men and women and on all generations have to be considered. Gender mainstreaming is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, for instance legislation, policies and programmes, prior to implementation. This allows the development of strategies in which concerns and experiences specific to women and men are an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
Mainstreaming Ageing
UNECE Policy Brief on Ageing No. 1
November 2009
Population ageing has important and far-reaching implications across all spheres of society. Ageing-related issues therefore need to be integrated into all policy fields in order to bring societies and economies in harmony with demographic change. This policy brief looks at how Governments can do this and provides selected examples. It also addresses the ways in which all age groups can be equally involved in designing, implementing and evaluating ageing-related policies and programmes.
