Event news
Excessive attention to elderly people
Galina Kolosova, the first deputy chairman of the Committee on social policy of St. Petersburg, told how interdisciplinary cooperation is built in the Northern capital. "In St. Petersburg, we are implementing a rather large package of social security for the elderly. For example, they are provided with the services of nurses at home, "panic button". We have to do everything to make elderly people understand and feel our care. Understood that the city cares and is for them", – Galina Kolosova speaks. In St. Petersburg, a service of the social precinct and the Center of geriatric medicine are being created. Now in St. Petersburg there are 1.2 million people over 60 years.
Marvin Formosa, a director of the International Institute of ageing, UN-Malta (Malta), described how active lifestyle affects older people. "Our efforts are aimed at improving life. People who live the way they want are happy. To live an independent life, you need to be active and monitor your health," says Mr. Formosa. According to him, in old age active longevity is desirable. "The main question is not only in the duration of life but also in its quality. Can I be happy if I live in poverty, do not do what I love and am not active. Of course, our activity is supported in the social sphere. These factors affect the quality of life," believes the director of the International Institute of ageing. In Russia, as well as in other countries, the proportion of the older population is now increasing as life expectancy increases. Naturally, the structure of the population is changing. In the near future, the number of citizens older 60 years will exceed the number of children up to 5 years. These demographic shifts will become even more noticeable in the upcoming years. "The society is important to all the ages. It is impossible to oppose the interests of different ages, and they should develop and help each other. Active longevity depends on several factors. But the most important of them is health", - says Marvin Formosa
Alexander Sidorenko, a senior advisor at the European centre on politics and research on public welfare (Austria), is convinced that one of the society's goals is to ensure equal rights for the elderly. "Rights should not depend on age, race or gender. The human rights of older persons are rights that should last a lifetime. Equality does not change with age. Are they respected and met? According to WHO, it was estimated that almost 16% of people aged 60 + are exposed to violence. And these are understated figures.
Often violence takes place at home, in the family circle. In many countries, there is simply no institutes to reach out for help, because the systems for solving the problem of abuse of older people are limited or do not exist at all," says Alexander Sidorenko.
Social laws are needed to be implemented to protect the rights of older persons. "Criminal and civil codes need to be revised to include issues of violence, neglect and exploitation of older persons. Revision of laws on domestic violence and domestic violence is needed to include provisions on older persons in these laws."
"We need to build a unified system of long-term medical and social help due to the continuity of patient treatment between different levels of the health care system, as well as health and social protection services," says Elena Frolova, a head of the I.I. Mechnikov North-West state medical university and a professor of the Department of family medicine.
Today, such a program is implemented within the framework of the federal project "Older generation". "One of its main tasks is to create a system of long-term care as an integral part of the program. It is necessary to consolidate the concept of "long-term care", the creation of a list and volumes of social and medical care, criteria and conditions for the provision of appropriate support measures to citizens," says Elena Frolova.
The expert proposes to start cooperation with the identification of needs in social and medical care. "A constant exchange of information and its concentration in a single information centre are needed. A good example is a "panic button" – believes she.
In Russia, right now there are promising developments for the possibility of increasing the resource of human life. So, the development of Vladimir Havinson, a director of the St. Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology of the RAS, has become the basis for one of the most effective anti-ageing technologies.
