Older People Older People

Older people in Europe Ageing Europe as the oldest continent Problems faced by older people Ageism The social construction of ‘old age’

Ageing Under current trends, the population of the current EU will be smaller and older in 2050 By 2050 there may be 58 million more people over 65 (and 48 million less people between 15-64) Low birth rates, higher life expectancy at birth (81 for men, 86 for women by 2050)

Implications of ageing 2005: 4 people of working-age for every elderly citizen 2050: ration 2 to 1 A smaller workforce will drag down growth Age related spending (pensions, health and long-term care) will increase by 4-8 % of GDP

Europe as the oldest continent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4r0S5qoIXc What is the importance of Africa being the youngest continent, and Europe the oldest?

Gerontology Scientific study of old age Emphasises the social and behavioural aspects of ageing Ageing as a lifelong process that varies in its effects from individual to individual Gerontologists study how older people are treated within a society and how older people cope with the problems related to ageing

Problems faced by older people Health problems Income and economic welfare Chronological age often used to include or exclude people from activities or benefits Coping with changes in society Harmful stereotypes provided by the mass media

Ageism The term “ageism” was coined in 1969 by Robert Butler (the first director of the National Institute on Ageing) A process of systematic discrimination against people because they are old Today it is more broadly defined as any prejudice against an age group

Manifestations of ageism Negative behaviour towards people on the grounds of age (too young or too old) Examples: “infirm”, “senile”, “dirty old person”, “past it”, “cranky”, “childlike” Ageism against young people

Consequences of ageism Similar to other forms of discrimination: persons subjected to prejudice tend to adopt the dominant group’s negative image and behave in ways that conform to that negative image Older people are expected to be passive, unproductive, asexual, forgetful, invisible...

Common responses to ageism Acceptance (“act old”) Denial (lying about one’s age, hiding age) Avoidance (isolation, addiction or suicide) Reform (individual or collective attempts to eliminate discrimnation)

Fighting ageism Promote intergenerational solidarity Involve older people in decision making at the family and social levels Ensure access of older persons to all basic social services Provide medications at low prices Legal measures that eliminate abuse Provide palliative care

Older people are… awesome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOOOtnow-U

The social construction of ‘old age’ Ageing is not only a natural process, it is also a social one, which means that the way older people are treated is largely determined by social expectations

Older people in Europe Read the text and answer the following questions: How is chronological age often used in society? Is ‘old’ a pejorative term in Europe? What is sexism? What are attitudes towards older people determined by?

Complete the following statements: Ageism can be defined as___________. ‘Old age’ is an _____________ term. The age of consent means _____________. The retirement age is ______________.

Older people in Britain

The role of volunteers Royal Voluntary Service, formerly WRVS Royal Voluntary Service is a volunteer organisation that enriches the lives of older people and their families across Britain.

Working together to make Britain a great place to grow old The WRVS offers many services to older people in the home, hospital and community, allowing them to regain and retain their independence by providing practical help and activities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cPoaUg6etA

Translate the following: Hrvatski građani rođeni nakon 1971. godine ići će u mirovinu po novim pravilima – nakon navršene 67. godine života. To propisuje odredba novog Zakona o mirovinskom osiguranju o kojem su raspravljali saborski zastupnici. Ministar Mirando Mrsić pojašnjava da je hrvatski problem sve starije stanovništvo i sve veći broj umirovljenika u odnosu na zaposlene. "Održivost mirovinskog sustava, produženje životne dobi u Hrvatskoj i ono što nam je neminovno, a to je da ćemo s obzirom na starenje stanovništva Republike Hrvatske imati potrebe za što većom aktivnosti starijih dobnih skupina na tržištu rada", rekao je Mrsić.

Suggested translation Croatian citizens born after 1971 will retire in accordance with new rules – after they turn 67. This is regulated by the new Pension Insurance Act that was discussed by members of Parliament. Minister Mrsić explains that Croatia is faced with a problem of ageing population and a rapidly increasing number of retired persons in comparison with the number of employed persons. „Sustainability of the pension system, expansion of life expectancy in Croatia and what is inevitable, and that is that, with regard to the ageing of the Croatian population, we will have a need for more activity of elderly age groups in the labour market“, said Mrsić.

Any thoughts about ‘the retirement age’? Can people be equally productive in their sixties?

Thank you for your attention!