scholarly journals Policy Initiatives on Healthy Ageing in Russia from 2010-2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-110
Author(s):  
Elena Golubeva ◽  
Anastasia Emelyanova

Background: A number of various policy strategies has been adopted in the last decade in response to population ageing in Russia. Governmental actions have yet to be evaluated in terms of their efficacy. By making a detailed overview of policy actions and relevant research, we are able to define successes and failures on the way to having a thriving and healthy older population. Aims: To analyse policy initiatives targeting healthy ageing in terms of both the entire population and the individuals thereof, and provide the overview for the most recent years of 2010–2020. Methods: The study has a theoretical nature. We undertake an analysis of available research literature and policy documents. In Section 2.2.1, we used a systematic literature review approach. Regarding the segment of the collection of literature discussed in the paper, a mixed approach was used retrieving online indexing services and additional searching in the Russian electronic library eLibrary.ru. Results: Main demographic documents and primary structural changes focus on the population decline, ageing, retirement, and overall population health. Research on healthy and active ageing in the Russian academic literature, and elaboration of the new strategies and programs designed specifically for the benefit of older people and their health, have been discussed, with special attention given to the mental health of older people. Conclusion: The initiatives mainly prioritise further increases in life expectancy, the quality of life of older persons, stimulating old-age productivity and active ageing. Many aspects require further improvement such as clear definitions, focused attention to geriatric care, better coordination of managing authorities, sustainable funding, and realistic expectations toward implementation indicators.

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Scrutton ◽  
David Sinclair ◽  
Trinley Walker

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how access to vaccination for older people in the UK can be both improved and used as a tool for healthy ageing. Design/methodology/approach – ILC-UK released a report “Adult Immunisation in the UK”, which applied a UK perspective to a 2013 Supporting Active Ageing Through Immunisation (SAATI) report on immunisation. The ILC report combined the SAATI findings with a traditional literature review, a policy review incorporating grey literature and the outcomes of a focus group discussion. This paper highlights the key findings of the ILC-UK report. Findings – Vaccination needs to be included as part of proactive strategies to promote healthy and active ageing. Initiatives need to be explored that increase the rate of delivery of vaccinations. Barriers to the vaccination of health and social care professionals working with older people need to be removed. The government should explore using psychological insights into human behaviour to improve the take-up of vaccinations amongst adults. The range of settings where older people can receive vaccination needs to be expanded. Information on the potential benefits of immunisation should be made readily available and easily accessible to older people. Practical implications – The paper calls for a structural shift in how vaccination services in the UK are organised. Social implications – The paper calls for a cultural shift in how society views immunisation and the role it has to play in the healthy ageing process. Originality/value – The paper uses new European research on immunisation and applies it to the UK's situation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S533-S533
Author(s):  
Daniel Doh ◽  
Kwadwo Adusei-Asante ◽  
Vicki Banham

Abstract In most parts of the world, people are now living longer lives, which presents both opportunities and concerns over how to make the ageing process a worthwhile experience. The World Health Organisation’s Active Ageing model became a prominent global policy response since 2002 and has evolved into different country-level ageing policies. While a considerable volume of literature exists on active ageing – testing the validity of its various components, there is limited empirical evidence of how social interaction contributes to active ageing for older people and how it can be promoted through policy. In this paper, we examine social interaction and how it contributes to lived experiences of active ageing among a sample of 30 older Ghanaians living in Australia and Ghana. Our findings confirm the significance of social interaction for active ageing, and shows that social interaction creates a sense of purpose for living, which leads to the ability of the individual to build resilience, which mitigates anxieties and pains associated with ill health (especially for frail older people); enhances self-motivation for play and fun; empowers the individual to explore opportunities for continuous activity including leisure, and improves the general feeling of happiness resulting in active ageing – quality of life. The paper’s main argument is that social interaction presents potentials for improving the quality of life (active ageing) for older people and needs to be carefully considered in policy, research and practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-79
Author(s):  
Tiina Tambaum ◽  
Felika Tuul ◽  
Reeli Sirotkina

Older men’s participation in learning initiatives is low in Estonia (SHARE, 2015). The national plans for active ageing (Welfare Development Plan 2016–2023, 2016) indicate that activities related to inclusion and development are vital to improving older individuals’ quality of life in the context of the ‘longevity revolution’. There is little discussion about the ways in which older people themselves affect the success of these plans, and about the potential roles and opportunities for all members of the community to foster the inclusion of older people. Two qualitative studies conducted in Estonia in 2012 and 2017 expand upon the involvement of older men in different contexts. A content and thematic analysis revealed latent factors that may hinder older men’s learning, such as loneliness, expectations about masculinity inherited from the cultural background, a restrictive domestic comfort zone, and a lack of demand for older men’s experience. The main finding from the analysis is that older rural men in Estonia do not feel responsible for their own social health. As older men’s personal initiative to create their own learning opportunities tends to be low, the community needs to provide more support for the reduction of men’s indirect barriers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
Michal Koricina

Pre-Senior Education will be one of the main pillars of active ageing policy in the future. Requirements on adult educators, lecturers, trainers of older people, grow. In the paper author presents theoretical starting points of competencies of educator of pre-senior preparation, deals with general competencies defined in Slovak national documents and indicates specific requirements on older adult educator. He also talk about aspects as relational competence and charizma of lecturer which are important elements of quality of educational event. The article is the output of author within the project VEGA no.1/0001/18 called Preparation for ageing and old age – possibilities of andragogical intervention.


2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Martha Pelaez ◽  
Marilyn Rice

From 21-25 February 2000, in San Jose, Costa Rica, a WHO Consultative Group was held on the topic of Primary Health Care for Older Persons, with representatives from 13 countries from around the world, as well as Headquarters and Regional offices of WHO and the private sector. In the policy statement that emerged from the meeting four basic principles were highlighted: universal accessibility and coverage on the basis of need, community and individual involvement, intersectoral action for health, and appropriate use of cost effective technologies in relation to the available resources. Three complementary integration functions are mentioned: functional with an integrated approach to the health needs of individuals over their life course taking precedence over episodic management of disease; organizational, with a focus on how health centers should function with interdisciplinary teams; and educational which addresses the knowledge and skills and attitudes needed by health professionals that will facilitate communication, networking, advocacy and mediation of resources. The proceedings go on to outline the objectives to be included in national plans on health of older people, as well as the extended benefits and outcomes to be expected from PHC strategies for older people. In promoting quality of care for older persons, positive and negative factors are mentioned, as are strategies to: stimulate interest in geriatric care, motivate general practitioners to focus on the care of elders, encourage teamwork among PHC staff, and encourage multi-sectoral collaboration in promoting the health of older persons. An example is provided of healthy ageing from Canada. The recommendations include defining and measuring an ageing friendly health center (with specific indicators for the latter), defining the role of the PHC team in promoting healthy ageing, characteristics that programs should have to promote “age friendly” services in the primary care setting, and outcome indicators for quality of care of elders at the PHC level.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asghar Zaidi ◽  
Katrin Gasior ◽  
Eszter Zolyomi ◽  
Andrea Schmidt ◽  
Ricardo Rodrigues ◽  
...  

The active and healthy ageing measure reported here is calculated for the 28 European Union countries, with a specific focus on the current generation of older people and by using the latest data from multiple surveys. It covers diverse aspects of active and healthy ageing, by measuring older people’s contribution with respect to not just employment but also their unpaid familial, social and cultural contributions and their independent, healthy and secure living. The article presents the first-of-its-kind quantitative measure of active and healthy ageing in the literature on active and healthy ageing which hitherto has focused largely on concepts, definitions and public policy strategies. In this pursuit, an important contribution of this measure, referred to as the Active Ageing Index (‘AAI’), is that it also captures how countries differ with respect to capacity and enabling environments for active and healthy ageing. The AAI offers a breakdown not just by four domains of active and healthy ageing but also by gender. Key findings are that Sweden comes at the top of the country ranking, followed closely by Denmark, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands and Ireland. The four southern European countries (Italy, Portugal, Spain and Malta) are middle-ranked countries. Greece and many of the Central European countries are at the bottom, highlighting much greater untapped potentials of active and healthy ageing among older people in these countries and a need for greater policy efforts. Women fare worse than men in most countries, identifying a need for an emphasis on reducing gender disparity in experiences of active and healthy ageing. The AAI tool developed has the potential to identify the social policy mechanisms behind the differential achievements of active and healthy ageing, for example, what active and healthy ageing strategies have driven top performers, and in what respect the bottom-ranked countries have lagged behind.


2022 ◽  
pp. 185-199
Author(s):  
Maria Koelen ◽  
Monica Eriksson

AbstractIn this chapter, the authors consider the meanings of the concepts of healthy ageing, ageing well, salutogenic ageing and reciprocity between the sense of coherence (SOC) and ageing processes. They discuss how the community can provide resources to strengthen older adults’ SOC, perceived well-being and quality of life. Quoting ‘It’s not how old we are; it’s how we are old’, the authors illuminate critical differences in understanding healthy ageing by professionals, researchers and older people themselves.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
maryam tajvar ◽  
Mehdi Yaseri ◽  
Roya Mahmoudi ◽  
Mohammad Arab ◽  
Asghar Zaidi

Abstract Background- Iran is one of the fastest ageing countries in the world and is expected that it will face with major challenges in future, as it is yet unprepared to respond to the necessities of its older population. The model of Active Ageing could be a strategy that greatly contribute in addressing the problem of population ageing in Iran. This study measured the status of Active Ageing in Iran at the individual-level and examined its associations with the health-related quality of life of older people. It was hypothesized that having an active life in old age is associated with better health-related quality of life of older people. Methods- A quantitative cross-sectional survey of a random sample of 623 people aged 55+ years resident in Tehran was conducted using multistage stratified cluster sampling method. In total, 590 people responded. The Active Ageing was measured using AAI questionnaire and the health-related quality of life was measured using SF-36 questionnaire. Associations between the domains and the overall AAI scores with the quality of life of older people were examined by MANCOVA analysis in four models using the STATA software. Results- The score of overall AAI was calculated at 26.8 (men 33.9 vs. women 20.6) out of 100. On average, the participants had slightly better scores in the mental component summary of SF-36 than the physical component (55.8 vs 52.7). The analyses indicated that there is a stronger association with the physical component than the mental component of the SF-36 and the score of the overall AAI was only associated with the physical component. Generally the 1st (employment) and the 2nd (participation in society) domains of the AAI showed little or no association with SF-36, but there was an association between the 3rd domain (enabling environment for active ageing) and the SF-36 and a particularly strong associations with the 4th domain (independent, healthy and secure living capacity). Conclusion- Implications of these findings for older people currently living in Tehran are considered and recommendations for future studies and appropriate interventions, taking account of the results, are made.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Aidukaite ◽  
Inga Blaziene

PurposeThe article seeks to contribute to a better understanding of older people's situation in the labour market in three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Three Nordic countries are taken as a reference point to compare the countries in order to better understand the situation from a comparative point of view. The article asks the questions: Does a longer working life for older people contribute to their better economic situation? How satisfied are they with a longer working life and their working conditions? Do they experience any discrimination in the labour market because of their age?Design/methodology/approachIn order to understand the situation of older people in the labour market, the authors employ welfare state models and the Active Ageing Index. The welfare state models help us to understand the context in which the working life of older people is taking place. The Active Ageing Index helps to gain a better understanding of the employment domain of active ageing. The analysis is based on several Europe-wide data sources: statistics on earnings from Eurostat database, information on income, job prospects, occupational safety and health, training, working life perspectives from the European Working Conditions Survey as well as a special survey, conducted by the authors, of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian residents aged 50 years and older.FindingsAnalysis conducted reveals that in the Baltic countries older employees, although actively participating in the labour market, face unfavourable material, physical and psychological situation in the labour market more frequently than their younger colleagues. The findings show that the most important factors influencing older employees' decision to stay longer in the labour market in the Baltic countries are linked mostly to welfare state-related issues, i.e. financial benefits, healthcare, possibility to reconcile work and family obligations. These welfare state-related issues are even more important for those who are going to stay longer in the labour market after reaching the retirement age.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a better understanding of older (50+) people's situation in the labour market. It suggests that, while the increasing employment of older people increases the Active Ageing Index and is generally viewed positively, in some countries with less developed welfare states high employment rates of older employees, although providing them with an additional means of livelihood, do not ensure a higher quality of life and, on the contrary, act as a factor reducing the quality of work and, at the same time, the quality of life.


Author(s):  
Alba Ayala ◽  
Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez ◽  
Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga ◽  
Giorgi Beridze ◽  
Laetitia Teixeira ◽  
...  

This study aimed to analyze the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in older people in three European countries (Portugal, Spain and Sweden). A sample of 7589 participants in waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, aged 50 and over and living in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, was included. The CASP-12 scale was used to measure QoL. A principal component analysis was performed to group preselected variables related to active and healthy ageing into the dimensions of health, social participation, and lifelong learning. A linear regression model was built using the change in CASP-12 scores over the 4-year follow-up as the dependent variable, including the interactions between country and each independent variable in the model. After four years, the average QoL increased in Portugal (difference = 0.8, p < 0.001), decreased in Spain (−0.8, p < 0.001), and remained constant in Sweden (0.1, p = 0.408). A significant country-participation component interaction (p = 0.039) was found. In Spain, a higher participation (β = 0.031, p = 0.002) was related to a higher QoL improvement at 4 years, but not in Sweden or Portugal. Physical health and emotional components (β = 0.099, p < 0.001), functional ability (β = 0.044, p = 0.023), and cognitive and sensory ability (β = 0.021, p = 0.026) were associated with QoL changes over time in all countries. The country-specific associations between health, social participation and QoL should be taken into account when developing public health policies to promote QoL among European older people.


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