Guide to the National Implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing

Department of Economic and Social Affairs

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a
vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental
spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas:
(a) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and
environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations
draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (b) it facilitates
the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses
of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (c) it advises
interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks
developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the
country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities.

Notes

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do
not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the Secretariat of the United
Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The term “country” as used in the text of this publication also refers, as appropriate,
to territories or areas.

Bibliographical and other references have, wherever possible, been verified.

Copyright © United Nations, May 2008
All rights reserved.
Printed at United Nations Headquarters, New York.

ii

Contents
Page

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction 1

Section 1 Conceptual framework for national strategies for
implementing the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing 3

1.1 Who are older persons? 3
1.2 The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing:
a comprehensive agenda for an ageing world 5
1.3 Focal points on ageing: some specific functions
and responsibilities 9
1.4 The scope of age-related policy planning and implementation 10
1.4.1 Ensuring that older persons’ priorities are included
in national development strategies and sectoral plans 11
1.4.2 Securing budgetary allocations 13
1.4.3 Programme implementation arrangements 14
1.5 Age mainstreaming: a central plank of the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing 15
1.6 Strengthening regional and international cooperation 16

Section 2 Promoting a harmonious relationship between
development and demographic change 19

2.1 Linking into wider development agendas 19
2.2 Ageing as an opportunity for development:
winning arguments and changing minds 20
2.3 Poverty reduction and older persons 22
2.4 Contributing to society: creating opportunities
and eliminating barriers 24
2.4.1 Policies to promote employment for older persons 27
2.4.1.1 Age discrimination 29
2.4.1.2 Other barriers 31
2.4.2 An enabling work environment and transportation
system and the concept of universal design 32
2.4.3 Older consumers 33

iii

Contents (cont’d)

Section 3 Making social protection work effectively
for older persons 37

3.1 What is social protection? 37
3.2 Identifying key risks and responding with
appropriate social protection 39
3.3 Addressing poverty risk and income
insecurity in old age 40
3.3.1 Means-tested transfers 43
3.3.2 Universal pensions 44
3.4 Key issues of concern 45
3.5 Mainstreaming concerns of older persons into
pension and social security programmes 48
3.6 Families and social protection 49

Section 4 Taking population ageing into account in
health policy 51

4.1 Ensuring equitable access to adequate health services 51
4.1.1 Starting points 51
4.1.2 Data sources and collection strategies 52
4.1.2.1 Epidemiological data 52
4.1.2.2 Data on health services 55
4.1.3 Predicting future health demand 56
4.1.4 Tackling inequalities in access to health services 57
4.2 Policies, initiatives and reforms 57
4.2.1 Identifying policy initiatives 59
4.2.2 Specific care issues 61
4.2.2.1 Primary health care and health promotion 61
4.2.2.2 Mental illness 62
4.2.2.3 Palliative care 63
4.2.2.4 Reproductive health care 64
4.2.3 Mobilizing resources, engaging in advocacy and
building partnerships 65

Section 5 Exploring long-term care in different settings 67

5.1 Starting points 67
5.2 Assessing levels of need for long-term care 68
5.2.1 Needs and preferences 68
5.2.1.1 Inferring need from general data on the age
structure and status of the older population 68
5.2.1.2 Surveys of functional capacity 69
5.2.1.3 Surveys of older persons’ preferences 69

iv

Contents (cont’d)
5.2.2 The capacity of family caregivers 69
5.2.3 Older persons as caregivers 70
5.2.3.1 The well-being of older caregivers 70
5.2.3.2 The well-being of older care recipients 71
5.2.3.3 Promoting more positive attitudes towards
older persons 71
5.3 The need to diversify long-term care policies
5.3.1 Identifying the right mix of long-term care options
for each country 72
5.3.2 Community services 74
5.3.2.1 Rehabilitation services and the management
of chronic diseases 74
5.3.2.2 Care/case managers 74
5.3.2.3 Home visits 74
5.3.2.4 Sheltered housing 75
5.3.2.5 Benefits for caregivers 75
5.3.3 A word about institutional care 76
5.4 Organizing services 77
5.4.1 Staffing issues 78
5.4.2 Consumer choice 80
5.4.3 Coordination of health and social services 80
5.4.4 Protecting the rights of older persons 81
5.5 Protecting older persons from abuse and neglect 82
5.6 Financing long-term care 84

Section 6 Promoting social inclusion and political participation

6.1 The “long route” to power 88
6.1.1 Older voters 88
6.1.2 Voting and influence 89
6.2 The “short route” to power: advocacy and participation 90
6.2.1 Involving older persons in consultations at all
levels of decision-making 90
6.2.2 Improved citizens’ monitoring schemes 92
6.2.3 Working with pressure and interest groups 93
6.3 Raising the general profile of older persons 94

Annex I Publications on ageing produced within the
United Nations System 97

Annex II Directory of ageing resources on the Internet 105

v

Contents (cont’d)

Boxes

1 The Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-First Century:
facilitating evidence-based implementation of the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing 10
2 Considerations in assessing social policies and programmes
3 Mainstreaming ageing in Uganda 16
4 Examples of regional and international cooperation
from Latin America 17
5 Rural ageing in developing countries: a quest for policy solutions 23
6 Using indicators properly 26
7 Promoting the National Age Programme in Finland 28
8 Tracking age discrimination in recruitment 30
9 Global age-friendly cities guide 33
10 Meeting the needs of older consumers: examples from
Japan, Germany, and the United States of America 34
11 How poor are the elderly? 41
12 Social pensions and older persons 43
13 Implementing cash transfer projects 49
14 Health services in Argentina, Chile and Peru 58
15 HIV/AIDS and older persons 60
16 Helping grandmothers to help mothers: an innovative mother
and child health programme in Senegal 64
17 The United Kingdom’s National Service Framework
for Older People 65
18 Training programmes for older caregivers 71
19 Home visits for prevention 75
20 A comprehensive and integrated system of health and aged
care services (Australia) 81
21 Preventing the abuse of older persons in the United States 83
22 Long-term care policies in Japan and Germany 84
23 Participation in New Zealand 91
24 Older persons influencing health policy in the United Kingdom 92
25 Empowering older persons in India 93
26 “Third age” education in China 95

vi

Contents (cont’d)

Tables

1 Indicators of population ageing, selected countries 3
2 Different approaches to development and their relevance
to older persons 20
3 How understanding risk promotes effective social
protection strategy development 40
4 Collecting data on the supply of different long-term care options 73
5 The population aged 60 and above as a percentage of the total
population and as a percentage of the voting population,
selected countries, 2000 and 2020 89

vii

Acknowledgements

The Guide to the National Implementation of the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing was prepared by the Division for Social Policy and Development of
the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs with the assistance of
a group of distinguished academics and practitioners working in the field of ageing.
The publication represents the culmination of activities carried out in connection with
the Expert Group Meeting on Policies on Ageing at the National Level: Challenges of
Capacity Development, organized by the Division for Social Policy and Development
in cooperation with the International Institute on Ageing (Malta) and held in Sliema,
Malta, from 13 to 15 June 2007.

Preparation of the Guide was conceptualized and directed by Sergei Zelenev,
Chief of the Social Integration Branch, Division for Social Policy and Development,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Important inputs were also provided by
others within the Division, including Isabel Ortiz, Senior Interregional Advisor;
Alexandre Sidorenko, Senior Social Affairs Officer; Robert Venne, Social Affairs
Officer; and Elena Mashkova, intern.

Written contributions were provided mainly by Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, Reader
in Social Development, School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia,
United Kingdom; Tracey McDonald, Professor of Ageing, Faculty of Health Science,
Australian Catholic University (ACU National); Ghazy Mujahid, Advisor on
Population Policies and Development, UNFPA Country Technical Support Team
(CST) for East and South-East Asia, Thailand; and Charlotte Nusberg, Senior
Information Specialist, AARP, United States.

Detailed comments and valuable contributions were received from Nikolai
Botev, Advisor on Population and Development, UNFPA CST Bratislava, Slovakia;
Carola Donner-Reichle, Director, Department of Social Development, InWEnt
Capacity Building International, Germany; Maria Amparo Cruz-Saco, Professor of
Economics, Connecticut College, United States; François Farah, Chief, Social
Development Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia, Beirut; Amanda Heslop, independent consultant, United Kingdom;
Faith Innerarity, Chief Technical Director, Ministry of Labour and Social Security,
Jamaica; Lidija Kozarcanin, Head of the Department for Research and Development,
Institute for Social Protection, Serbia; Vuyelwa Nhlapo, Deputy Director General,
Integrated Development Branch, Department of Social Development, South Africa;
Ann Pawliczko, Senior Advisor, UNFPA, New York; Nelida Concepción Redondo,
Researcher, National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC), Argentina; Libor
Stloukal, Population Policy Officer, Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division,
Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, Rome; Joseph Troisi, Director, International Institute on
Ageing, Malta; Jean-Philippe Viriot Durandal, Senior Lecturer in Sociology,
University of Paris 5, Strasbourg, France; Ronald Wiman, Development Manager,
Division for Social Services, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare

ix

and Health (STAKES), Finland; and Asghar Zaidi, Director of Research, European
Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Austria.

The annexes were prepared by Robert Venne (Division for Social Policy and
Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs) and Charlotte Nusberg
(AARP). The text was edited by Terri Lore.

Invaluable technical support was provided by Guillerma Dumalag of the
Division for Social Policy and Development.

x

Introduction

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), adopted in
2002, constitutes a key global policy document concerned with the implications of
population ageing and with the well-being and active participation of older persons at
all levels. The present Guide offers national policy makers practical suggestions for
the implementation of MIPAA. The scope of the Madrid Plan is rather broad,
covering a variety of topics and incorporating 239 separate recommendations; this
Guide addresses the most crucial areas requiring particular policy attention. For more
detailed background information on all the issues, readers may refer to the complete
text of MIPAA.1

The Guide takes two broad approaches towards actualizing MIPAA: the
development of effective age-specific policies that facilitate the mainstreaming of
older persons’ concerns into all aspects of development and policy-making; and the
application of a holistic intergenerational life-course approach that emphasizes equity
and inclusiveness for all age groups. Within the present context, this involves
including older persons in policies and policy-making in all relevant life domains
rather than designing policies for or about older persons.

The Guide is primarily intended for use by national focal points responsible
for developing and implementing national policies on ageing, including those
deriving from the Madrid Plan, but it may also be of use to stakeholders such as the
following:
• Other policy makers at different levels in a wide range of government
departments (including those responsible for health, finance, environment,
transport, education, family planning and labour);
• Older persons in general;
• Civil society organizations representing older persons or addressing issues
relevant to this population group;
• Representatives of regional and international agencies working in all areas of
development and policy-making, including donors and sponsors;
• Providers of care and services for older persons.

Enhancing living conditions for older persons is a top development priority
everywhere, and evidence indicates that nations around the globe are strengthening
their commitment to collective action within this context. Therefore, the Guide seeks
to provide useful information for all countries regardless of the level of socio-
economic development.2 Because older populations and the circumstances they face
1
See http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/secondworld02.html.
2
The terms “developed countries” and “developing countries” are gross overgeneralizations and do not reflect the
complexities or variations characterizing national development indicators. Users are advised to think carefully
about their own national contexts.

around the world are widely diverse, the Guide offers neither a single, specific
blueprint nor a universal “toolkit” for implementing MIPAA, though reference is
made to a range of instruments that may be helpful in some cases, and annex I lists
sources of further information on various instruments. A selection of online resources
on ageing is presented in annex II.

The Guide is intended both to provide a critical framework for the design of
policies and procedures that can be used by policy makers, programme developers
and stakeholders in the policy arena; and to offer general advice on ways MIPAA
principles and recommendations may be put into action.

Key dimensions of the framework include:
• Consideration of all policy areas, not only those explicitly relating to older
persons, and the use of an integrated human development approach;
• Acknowledgement of the extent to which older persons are integrated with
other community groups and are affected by policies intended to address
issues relating primarily to such groups. This is required to formulate
strategies that support intergenerational cohesion;
• Eliminating negative attitudes and discrimination towards older persons by
ensuring that they are not at a systematic disadvantage. This dimension
promotes acceptance and a welcoming environment for older people;
• Recognition of the diversity in older populations and other community groups;
• The effective use of data and other empirical evidence to support policy
development, review and implementation.

The Guide comprises a framework section, five sections relating to specific
areas of concern, and two annexes listing resources that may be of interest to users.
Section headings are as follows:
• Section 1: Conceptual framework for national strategies for implementing the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing;
• Section 2: Promoting a harmonious relationship between development and
demographic change;
• Section 3: Making social protection work effectively for older persons;
• Section 4: Taking population ageing into account in health policy;
• Section 5: Exploring long-term care in different settings;
• Section 6: Promoting social inclusion and political participation for older
persons;
• Annex I: Publications on ageing produced within the United Nations System;
• Annex II: Directory of ageing resources on the Internet.

2

Section 1
Conceptual framework for national strategies for implementing the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing

1.1 Who are older persons?

The standard policy development approach is to assign all those aged 60 or
above the status of “older persons”. While attractively simple, such an approach can
be misleading. Table 1 provides data relating to the 60-plus age marker for three
different countries, including variations in the probability of surviving to age 60 and
beyond. Essentially, because the connotations and implications of “sixty plus” vary
widely between and even within countries, care must be exercised in undertaking
intercountry and intracountry comparisons.

Table 1. Indicators of population ageing, selected countries
Japan India Senegal
Percentage of the population aged 60+
(2007) 27.9 8.1 4.9

Life expectancy at birth (years) 86.4 66.7 58.4
(2005-2010) (women) (women) (women)

79.1 63.2 55.8
(men) (men) (men)

Life expectancy at age 60 (years) 28.1 18.9 17.1
(2005-2010) (women) (women) (women)

22.3 16.9 16.0
(men) (men) (men)

Healthy life expectancy at age 60 (years) 21.7 11.4 10.7
(2002) (women) (women) (women)

17.5 10.8 9.9
(men) (men) (men)

Percentage of the population expected to 96.1 76.6 63.2
survive to age 60 from birth (women) (women) (women)
(2005-2010)
91.2 69.6 58.6
(men) (men) (men)
Sources: Calculated from data provided in the following: United Nations Population Division, World
Population Ageing 2007 (Sales No. 07.XIII.5); and World Health Organization, World Health Report
2004: Changing History (Geneva: 2004).

The increased presence of older persons within a population indicates policy
successes in the areas of public health, education and social stability and is therefore
an outcome to be celebrated. Ageing is a gradual process characterized by variations
between individuals and groups. The conceptual understanding of old age is strongly
influenced by sociocultural factors. Therefore, while national data based on a “sixty-

3

plus” definition may provide an objective point of reference, it is wise to maintain a
degree of flexibility in identifying a country’s “older population”, taking into
consideration the local context. Such an approach has practical implications:
• In countries such as Japan, some policies and activities might be more
appropriately aimed at individuals aged 70 and above rather than at those in
the 60-plus group;
• In countries such Senegal, similar provisions might be considered for people
who are younger than 60 years of age;
• It is important to recognize that there are many across the globe who are
denied the fundamental human right of access to a reasonable lifespan,
including survival to old age.

The older population is as diverse as any other age group, and in
implementing MIPAA this diversity must be acknowledged and accommodated. The
nature and extent of diversity among older persons vary within and between
countries. The most obvious differences are likely to be linked to gender, ethnic or
tribal affiliation, urban-rural residence, economic status, health and functional
capacity, and levels of education and literacy. Aggregated demographic data at the
national level can mask regional disparities within countries; detailed analysis is
therefore required to prevent the inadvertent marginalization of any population group.

Social inequities may be inevitable, and Governments generally institute
mechanisms to correct situations in which the economic system fails to produce what
is considered an acceptable outcome in social or political terms. Socio-economic
disparities can be taken into account in setting policy directions so that no group,
including older persons, is systematically disadvantaged.

Governments have a responsibility to assess age-related risks and to provide
protection against such risks. Income support, health-care services, and provisions for
long-term care are among the comprehensive policy responses required to address
disability, dependency, and other factors and conditions associated with ageing.

Government policies and regulations may be adopted to address perceived
public risks; decisions within this context may represent a response to political
pressure. Demands on Governments to regulate risks are growing around the world,
with the regulatory agenda reflecting a greater emphasis on anticipated risk than on
actual risk.

Many Western countries encourage competition, reasoning that market forces
effectively provide consumers with more choices and ultimately ensure that goods
and services remain affordable. The ability of older persons to compete in such an
environment is sometimes limited; if socio-economic systems are not set up to
accommodate the needs of the ageing population, intergenerational competitiveness
for resources and control over policy processes may result.

4

In developing policies and promoting participation, care must be taken to
ensure that all older persons are equally represented. Old age is just one element of
diversity or identity that intersects with other characteristics such as gender and
culture. Therefore, age should not be examined in isolation, but rather as part of a
more complex picture.

1.2 The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing:
a comprehensive agenda for an ageing world

The United Nations has long promoted a reconceptualization of the role
played by older persons in society, and of how the challenges of adjusting to an
ageing world, including improving the quality of life of older persons, can be met. It
has aimed, through its work, to showcase the ways in which older persons are agents
of change and deserve to reap the benefits of progress and development.

The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing provides a bold new
agenda for addressing both the challenges and the opportunities associated with
ageing issues in the twenty-first century. Through MIPAA, Member States have
committed themselves to pursuing policies aimed at enhancing the participation of
older persons in society as citizens with full rights, including the right to age with
security and dignity. For the first time, Governments have agreed on the need to link
ageing to other frameworks for social and economic development and human rights,
recognizing that ageing will be the most dominant aspect of the demographic
landscape in the present century. Governments are increasingly recognizing that
promoting and protecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the
right to development, are essential for the creation of an inclusive society for all ages.

MIPAA emphasizes the need to integrate the evolving process of global
ageing with the larger process of socio-economic development, calling for an
examination of policies on ageing from a developmental perspective. This emphasis
reflects a contemporary view of ageing and older persons, focusing on equal
treatment, empowerment, and respect for basic human rights.

MIPAA incorporates two core concepts:
• A development approach to population ageing through the mainstreaming of
older persons into national and international development plans and policies
across all sectors;
• An intergenerational life-course approach to policy that stresses equity and
inclusiveness of all age groups across all policy areas.3

3
The life-course perspective represents an analytical framework geared towards highlighting the
dynamic components of human lives, institutions and organizations, supporting an integrated policy
approach that goes beyond a specific life phase and covers the whole life course. For more detailed
information, see Ute Klammer and Saskia Keuzenkamp, Working Time Options over the Life Course:
Changing Social Security Structures (Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and
Working Conditions, 2005).

5

Ageing cannot be viewed separately from social inclusion, gender
advancement, economic stability, and poverty issues. As societies continue to grow
older, ageing issues will have an increasing impact on economic and social welfare
systems and on the lives of families and communities.

Responding to these emerging realities, the United Nations has called for “a
society for all ages”. Such a move represents recognition of demographic changes
towards an ageing world and of the profound impact these changes are having, and
will continue to have, on society. The concept of a society for all ages is rooted in the
Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, adopted in
Copenhagen in 1995. At the World Summit, Member States envisioned a “society for
all” in which “every individual, each with rights and responsibilities, has an active
role to play”;4 achieving this goal represents the fundamental aim of inclusive social
policies. With the integration of an age dimension into a society for all, the approach
becomes intergenerational and holistic, whereby “generations invest in one another
and share in the fruits of that investment, guided by the twin principles of reciprocity
and equity”.5

Many countries already have a range of policies and initiatives that target their
older populations. These are being extended, expanded, and in some cases redefined
as governmental and other agencies become increasingly aware of the broad impact
and implications of population ageing. In some cases, older persons may already
receive a larger share of public spending than most other age groups because they
benefit both from general services and infrastructure and from age-specific funding.
In other cases, the older persons receiving the most funding are those who are ill and
dependent. A third scenario prevails in many developing countries, where
government spending tends to be heavily concentrated among older persons at the
higher end of the socio-economic spectrum (particularly those with a history of
formal sector employment), while spending on poor older persons remains very low,
regardless of their level of need. The proportion of older persons receiving intensive
health and aged care varies from one country to another.6

When formulating policies relating specifically to ageing, it is important to
draw a clear distinction between older persons who require health care and treatment

4
United Nations, World Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development, chapter 4,
paragraph 66 (available from http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/wssd/agreements/poach4.htm).
5
United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, youthXchange (website), Carrying the Torch: Shaping Tomorrow, “Demographic
change: toward a society for all ages” (available from http://www.youthxchange.net/main/
demographicchange.asp).
6
In Australia around 6 per cent of those aged 75 years or above are in residential aged care, which
accounts for the majority of aged care funding, and another 4-5 per cent receive subsidized support
within their own homes or communities; the remaining 90 per cent receive little of this funding.
Simply because they are stereotypically labelled “older persons”, however, the relatively healthy,
independent majority risks being lumped together with those who are ill or dependent. (This analysis is
based on information provided in Australian Health and Ageing System: The Concise Factbook, March
2005, published by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing).

6

services and those who do not. It must be remembered that such services need to be
equally accessible to all members of society.

In many countries and cultures, older persons and ageing may be viewed
negatively if labour force participation is considered the keystone of social and
economic development. Where older persons are regarded as a group that does not
participate directly in productive processes, they may not be seen as equal members
of their communities. As a consequence, they might not enjoy opportunities equal to
those of other age groups, especially in cases where public policy priorities are
oriented towards the needs of the working population.

Such perceptions have important implications and consequences for the well-
being of older persons all over the world. They reinforce the tendency to exclude the
older population from social, economic and political decision-making processes and
can constitute the basis upon which older persons are denied employment
opportunities.

The situation of older persons in developing countries and some economies in
transition is especially difficult. Economic, social, cultural and political changes
occurring in these countries often have negative implications for older persons; within
such contexts, feelings of alienation are more likely to emerge, and old-age social
support and protection systems may weaken or collapse. In some developing
countries population ageing is less pronounced, and older persons may receive little,
if any, attention from policy makers. In such situations, the main challenge will be to
raise the profile of population ageing in positive ways that accentuate the benefits to
all of having older persons participate actively in the community (see section 6).

In Western countries with changing dependency ratios, social policy has
sometimes framed ageing in terms of anticipated problems and demands on social
security systems. While living longer is considered a personal issue, the costs of
providing services and support for those who need it are often presented as an
economic burden on society simply because there is a need to improve the
affordability and sustainability of pension systems or alternative schemes. This
narrow approach to conceptualizing older persons and the needs arising from
successful ageing may reflect the personal attitudes and values of policy makers.

This Guide seeks to confront such views and propose alternative approaches
in line with the MIPAA philosophy. As the most fundamental requirement for change
involves eliminating negative attitudes and stereotypes associated with older persons,
the Guide advocates the following:
• Viewing population ageing as a natural and positive outcome of development
and believing that older persons can contribute in many ways to the well-
being of their societies;

7

• Welcoming and respecting older persons’ participation in all spheres
(including productive employment) and recognizing the potential benefits
accruing from their wisdom and experience.

Mass media can have a profound impact on social attitudes. Images glorifying
youth and reinforcing negative stereotypes of older persons can leave the latter group
marginalized. Older women in developing countries, who are already more vulnerable
to political, social and economic exclusion than others, are perhaps the most seriously
affected by media trends reinforcing the idea that the role and value of older persons
in modern society are negligible.

People may be socially and/or economically disadvantaged at any stage of
their lives. Many find themselves in impoverished circumstances because they are,
for various reasons, unable to access adequate health care, education and employment
opportunities, and social support services. Institutions set up to maintain law and
order often fail to protect disempowered groups of all ages from the predatory
behaviour of criminals. Clearly, a range of variables must be considered in
developing social policy so that the most vulnerable members of society are
protected, and unintended consequences are anticipated and avoided.

Policy makers must begin talking to, rather than about, older persons, listening
to their assessment of their needs rather than guessing what services or resources they
might require.

A policy emphasis on “ageing” represents a positive move away from the
focus on “aged care” service structures towards a growing responsiveness to the real
needs of people who are living longer and who remain connected and integral to their
communities.

From a policy perspective, ageing must be regarded as a lifelong process that
begins at birth. Age-adjusted policies and programmes that encourage workplace
flexibility, lifelong learning, participation, and healthy lifestyles, especially during
periods of transition (such as those occurring between childhood, youth, early
adulthood, midlife and later life), can influence choices that have a cumulative
impact. Clear priorities for old-age policies are in many ways represented by the
challenges facing today’s youth, who may have to reinvent themselves again and
again in fast-changing societies, and who will need to cultivate healthy lifestyles,
flexibility and foresight, continually upgrading their work skills and maintaining
supportive social networks. An intergenerational approach to ageing is beneficial for
society, providing an integrated policy framework and allowing the entire life
trajectory to be considered in the context of policy analysis and evaluation. A society-
wide phenomenon, ageing affects local and global patterns in areas as diverse as
labour and capital markets, government pensions, social services, and traditional
support systems.

8

Focal points7 and other stakeholders should undertake activities designed to:
• Confront negative stereotypes and promote acceptance of ageing as a normal
part of living;
• Identify and address age-related discrimination in all areas of policy and
regulation;
• Provide older persons with real opportunities to share their ideas and opinions,
encouraging them to use their voices in ways that will ensure they are heard
by policy makers and community leaders;
• Facilitate the formulation of policies that promote self-sufficiency and the
strengthening of capabilities rather than dependency by ensuring that criteria
for access to services and support are focused more on health promotion and
social inclusion than on illness and functional decline;
• Focus attention on the causes of vulnerability and social exclusion among
older persons and the prevention or elimination of these factors.

1.3 Focal points on ageing: some specific functions and responsibilities

In the face of competing demands and obligations and often insufficient
human and financial resources, many countries have established focal points on
ageing within various ministries dealing with social issues. The success of such focal
points rests on their capacity to work with a wide range of government offices, to
mainstream ageing issues into other relevant policy processes, and to collaborate with
a variety of stakeholders. Focal points cannot function effectively without political
support at the highest levels. A competent and devoted national focal point on ageing
with clearly defined responsibilities can and should have a say within the formal
government framework, effectively lobbying policy makers on issues pertaining to
older persons and participating in the setting of priorities and the allocation of funds.
In addition to engaging in advocacy, a focal point can serve as a coordinator, a
repository of information, a spokesperson on ageing matters, and a link between the
Government and civil society. The role and functions of focal points should be clearly
defined upon their establishment to avoid confusion and a duplication of efforts.
Obstacles to success among focal points often relate to the lack of a compelling
interest in ageing, ignorance of relevant issues at the national level, and financial
resource insufficiency.

A number of countries have established independent advisory bodies such as
committees or commissions composed of representatives from academia, the private
sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address ageing issues and the
concerns of older persons. These bodies are typically charged with the task of
assisting or advising Governments in developing and implementing policies and
programmes; they can also serve as watchdogs for government policy-making since

7
Focal points on ageing are public sector offices charged with promoting and protecting the rights of
older persons.

9

the needs of older persons are often overlooked in top-down approaches to
governance. Advisory bodies are responsible for translating a wide range of facts,
observations and opinions into policy recommendations, for evaluating and assessing
the likely impact of proposed policies and suggesting possible changes, and for
facilitating the close and regular monitoring of policy implementation at the local or
community level.8 Within the present context, it is important to emphasize the
essential role of academic institutions and research centres in supporting the
evidence-based design, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes on
ageing (see box 1).

Box 1. The Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-First Century: facilitating evidence-
based implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing

The Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-First Century is both a document and an ongoing
project aimed at providing a solid scientific foundation for policy action on ageing, including
evidence-based implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA). The
content and structure of the Research Agenda are set up to support the policy recommendations of the
Madrid Plan and are linked to the priority areas identified therein. Simultaneously, the Research
Agenda encourages researchers to pursue studies in policy-related areas of ageing where the findings
may have practical applications.

The Research Agenda identifies major priorities, critical research areas, key methodological issues,
and requirements for implementation and follow-up. The most challenging yet promising priorities for
policy-related research on ageing are given precedence in order to facilitate MIPAA implementation.
The primary objective is to help policy makers, planners and researchers channel limited resources into
the areas of greatest need and potentially produce the most fruitful results. The diversity in societies at
different levels of demographic, social and economic development is recognized in the Agenda.

The Research Agenda is a joint project of the United Nations Programme on Ageing and the
International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. It was developed through a series expert of
consultations and presented at the Second World Assembly on Ageing in Madrid in April 2002. The
United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution 57/177 of 18 December 2002, welcomed the
adoption by the Valencia Forum of the Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-First Century. In
its resolution 60/135 of 16 December 2005, the General Assembly called upon Governments to consult
and utilize the Research Agenda “as a tool for strengthening national capacity on ageing for the
implementation, review and appraisal of the Madrid Plan of Action”.

Note: For the complete text of the Agenda see http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/researchagenda.html.

1.4 The scope of age-related policy planning and implementation

As emphasized in the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, older
persons must be full participants in the development process and share fully in its
benefits. The following suggestions can be used as a guide for reviewing planned and
existing policies and programmes:
• Assess existing policies for service gaps, determining, for example, the extent
to which the diverse needs of the older population have been taken into
account as they relate to age, gender, socio-economic status, family status,

8
For more information refer to United Nations, “Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing:
report of the Secretary-General” (A/61/167 and A/62/131).

10

health, geographical location, and other relevant factors. Reviews need to be
conducted without bias, and conclusions should be drawn based on rigorous
data and analysis;
• Where gaps are identified, consider whether any existing programmes would
remedy the situation if they were enhanced and provided with more resources;
• Other, more cost-effective options that meet the needs of older persons may be
implemented, perhaps in stages to ensure their economic sustainability and
ongoing effectiveness.

Box 2 highlights additional factors requiring consideration in reviews of
policies and their impact. Most countries have social policies in place for older
persons, but the effectiveness of existing programmes may be limited by problems
relating to one or more of the following:
• Programme coverage. Some programmes focus on a particular segment of
society, concentrating, for example, on the urban formal sector while
neglecting the informal and/or rural sectors. It is important that equity in the
distribution of resources be a key element in determining the focus and extent
of programmes at the outset;
• Policy design. Programmes designed long ago may not have assigned priority
to equity or efficiency in relation to target groups and their needs.
Anachronistic policies can be avoided through regular policy review. Policies
should be reviewed every two to three years to maintain currency and identify
emerging gaps;
• The provision and distribution of programme funding. The challenge for
developing countries is to avoid replicating programmes that seem to work in
developed country contexts but would be inappropriate or ineffective in other
settings. The opportunity cost of implementing expensive programmes with
limited scope can be quite high. For instance, a large hospital might be
established in a capital city, but distance considerations and a poor transport
infrastructure render its health services inaccessible to most of the target
population. A decision such as this must be considered within the context of a
country’s overall priorities, which include meeting the often urgent needs of
the non-urban and remote populations.

1.4.1. Ensuring that older persons’ priorities are included in national development
strategies and sectoral plans

Where gaps have been identified and rigorously investigated, decision makers
in the social security, social welfare, health, labour, civil works and/or other
ministries can be approached with relevant new information and presented with
options for policy change. Fiscal capacity considerations and/or implementation
difficulties may limit the uptake of new policy options in some countries. Therefore,
proposals must be evidence-based and contain implementation suggestions (including

11

staging and timeline details). Where it is necessary to respond more urgently to
clearly defined areas of need, evidence-based arguments will need to be made.

Box 2. Considerations in assessing social policies and programmes for older persons

Factors that should be considered in assessing various aspects of social policies and programmes for
older persons are listed under the respective headings below.

Social impact of programmes
• The number of older persons covered by a programme or policy and the distributional impact
on different population groups in a particular country (identified in terms of gender, socio-
economic status, family status, health status, and geographical location);
• The adequacy of the benefits deriving from efforts to address identified needs or risks relating
to older persons;
• Criteria that can be used in prioritizing the allocation of funds (the extent of coverage or
urgency of issues, for example).

Cost-effectiveness of programmes
• Programme beneficiaries and benefits (cost-effectiveness in coverage of target groups);
• The cost of a programme or policy in comparison with the costs of other programmes or
policies, and the comparative effectiveness of similar programmes or policies;
• Programme administration costs as a percentage of total costs and in comparison with
administration costs for other programmes;
• Evidence of long-term social benefits and positive externalities associated with a programme.

Governance issues related to programmes
• The capacity of local authorities to implement and deliver programmes efficiently;
• Oversight of staff and other resources to ensure the efficient use of programme allocations;
• The availability of mechanisms that allow and encourage citizen participation and ensure
equitable responsiveness to their concerns.

Sustainability and affordability of programmes
• The affordability of a programme now and in the future based on projections of costs, revenues
and benefits;
• The alignment of a programme with the Government’s medium-term sectoral plans and
anticipated changes in allocations linked to shifts in development priorities. Medium-term
expenditure frameworks (MTEFs) may offer an alternative;
• The need to investigate other possible sources of funding if a financing gap exists;
• The role of international transfers through general budget support and Sector-Wide
Approaches (SWAps) as an increasingly important mechanism for financing social
programmes for older persons.

Source: Adapted from Isabel Ortiz, “Social policy”, National Development Strategies: Policy Notes Series
(New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, June 2007).

12

1.4.2 Securing budgetary allocations

The following should be considered within the context of securing budgetary
allocations:
• Perceptions held by policy makers about ageing societies can influence
resource decisions and prompt fears that demands may outweigh the capacity
to meet them. The key, in dealing with competing demands, is to establish
clear priorities so that limited resources can be directed to cost-effective
interventions that are likely to have a significant impact. The opportunity cost
of funding any programme can be measured by assessing the comparative
value of other programmes that, as a result, cannot be funded. Factors to be
taken into account in evaluating the trade-offs within and across sectors
should include programme development costs, cost-effectiveness, regulation,
and sustainability;
• International aid is a possible source of external financing for low-income
countries, provided macroeconomic stability is not compromised by debt;
grants and concessional assistance are preferred options, particularly if they
are provided within the contexts of budget support and Sector-Wide
Approaches (SWAps);
• Fees and cost-recovery mechanisms were expanded in the 1980s and 1990s
but have proved to be inappropriate in some contexts. Most programmes,
particularly those targeting the poor, require some redistribution of wealth,
especially if such programmes provide “safety net” services. According to the
United Nations Children’s Fund and World Health Organization, user fees
generally account for a very small portion of health budgets (rarely more than
5 per cent); however, they have been shown to have a negative impact on
impoverished groups, who cannot afford to purchase health services;
• Financial commitments associated with each programme, including future
liabilities, must be evaluated to ensure that they can be met. This is
particularly important for pensions and health services, which must be
organized carefully and responsibly by Governments as part of the
redistribution of wealth.

Securing budget allocations usually involves negotiations with the Ministry of
Finance, planning agencies, and other relevant authorities. Because of the competitive
nature of the proposals put forward by the different ministries participating in the
budgetary process, it can be difficult to draw attention to ageing-related programmes.
Strategies for promoting older persons’ issues and agendas might include engaging
civil society organizations, donors and the media in public discussions of budgetary
allocations for social spending, or referring the matter for public expenditure review.
Thematic budgets showing the distributional effects on older persons may be useful in
garnering support.

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1.4.3 Programme implementation arrangements

When the initiation or expansion of a social programme is being considered, it
is important to identify the human and material resources and infrastructure required
for successful implementation. Particular attention should be given to the following:
• The implementing agency must have sufficient staff with appropriate skills,
clear plans and procedures for programme execution, and access to the
necessary equipment and transportation;
• A programme is feasible only if older persons are able to access the service(s)
provided. Steps should be taken to determine whether high transport costs,
language barriers, a lack of documentation or information, or other obstacles
are likely to restrict accessibility, and remedial action should be taken;
• Quality management systems need to be in place so that feedback can be
received from programme clients. Complaint-handling processes should be
accessible, trustworthy and transparent; oversight can be provided by
ombudsmen or similar authorities;
• Initial consideration should be given to existing social services that may be
able to support the operation of a new programme if provided with additional
government assistance. If this option is not feasible, alternative delivery
mechanisms can be explored.

There are four main delivery mechanisms for social service provision:
• Public sector entities such as central line ministries and local government
authorities have been shown internationally to be effective in achieving
expanded coverage, poverty reduction and social inclusiveness;
• Private sector or market-based entities have proved capable of efficient and
effective service delivery to a range of socio-economic groups;
• NGOs and charitable institutions have been established and/or subsidized by
Governments to provide community-based or targeted services, particularly to
the most vulnerable populations;
• A combination of these three options may be warranted in some contexts; for
example, private and charitable sector operators may form partnerships for the
optimal delivery of certain services.
Each mechanism has its limitations. Where public-private partnerships are
established, care must be taken to ensure that the programme design is workable,
regulatory requirements are clearly identified, and potential threats to sustainability
are anticipated as far in advance as possible. Programmes carried out by all providers
require close monitoring to ensure that the purpose for which the programme is
funded remains central to the programme’s purpose.

14

In developing policies on age mainstreaming, the following questions must be
considered:
• Are the diverse needs within the older population (relating to age, gender,
socio-economic status, family status, health, and geographical situation) taken
into account?
• Does the proposed policy promote the inclusion or perpetuate the exclusion of
older persons vis-à-vis the rest of the population?
• What are the long-term policy perspectives and how do they affect and
support people throughout their lifespan?

1.5 Age mainstreaming: a central plank of the Madrid International Plan of
Action on Ageing

MIPAA emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming both as a means of
realizing the objectives of the Plan of Action and as an end in itself. In its broadest
sense, the process of mainstreaming could involve consideration of all aspects of
diversity related to age, with as much attention given to young children, youth and
younger adults as to older persons.9

Mainstreaming the concerns of older persons into the development agenda
essentially entails assessing the implications for older persons of any planned action,
including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a
strategy for making older persons’ concerns and experiences an integral dimension of
the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in
all political, economic and societal spheres. It basically involves moving away from
targeting older persons as a separate, marginalized group towards integrating policy
approaches to ageing across all sectors.

Successful mainstreaming should ensure the comprehensive social integration
of older persons deriving from the realization and protection of their rights, the
recognition of their value to society, and guarantees of social justice and equal
opportunities. It may sometimes involve integrating a particular issue into all aspects
of social, political, economic and cultural life. A key argument for supporting this
approach is that anything that improves the circumstances of older persons will
benefit all of humanity both now and in the future.

A participatory, bottom-up approach that involves older persons in policy
development and implementation ensures that their concerns are identified and
mainstreamed more effectively.10 Issues such as income, employment, education, and

9
More detailed information on mainstreaming the concerns of older persons into the development
agenda is available on the United Nations Programme on Ageing website
(http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/mainstreaming/positionpaper.pdf).
10
For more information, refer to United Nations, “Guidelines for review and appraisal of the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing: bottom-up participatory approach” (available from
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/MIPAA/GuidelinesAgeingfinal13%20Dec2006.pdf).

15

health care are particularly important to older persons and might therefore be assigned
priority in the mainstreaming process. Successful mainstreaming requires the
following: (a) the collection and analysis of data relating to the living conditions of
older persons; (b) awareness-raising, advocacy and education regarding ageing issues;
(c) indicators of development for policy review and appraisal; (d) assessment of the
impact of current laws and programmes targeting older persons; (e) the
mainstreaming of older persons’ concerns into new legislation and policies that may
affect them; (f) budgetary provisions for addressing ageing concerns; and (g) national
coordination and international cooperation to advance the mainstreaming process.

Box 3. Mainstreaming ageing in Uganda

Understanding ageing issues is a prerequisite for developing capacity for mainstreaming. The
entry point can be any sector with national prominence. In Uganda, mainstreaming the concerns of
older persons grew out of work in the health sector and was initially facilitated through the
Ministry of Health. In 2003, a cross-ministerial, multisectoral working group was formed and
charged with mainstreaming ageing into health and nutrition policy. The group was led by the
Ministry of Health but included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of
Finance Planning and Economic Development, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social
Development, and two local NGOs. Among other things, the group reviewed existing sectoral
policies, including the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, to identify gaps and entry points for the
inclusion of ageing concerns and conducted a health and livelihood survey of older persons in six
districts.

Review and research findings were shared across departments. Attached to these findings were
policy recommendations relating not only to health and nutrition but also to HIV/AIDS, social
protection, water provision, training, and local government. The Government of Uganda has
designated this programme part of its national implementation of MIPAA. The exposure of the
working group members to ageing issues and their participation in reviewing policies outside their
sectors created a body of experience on ageing across departments and sectors.

Source: HelpAge International (information available from http://www.helpage.org/).

1.6 Strengthening regional and international cooperation

MIPAA underscores the need for enhanced, targeted cooperation in the field
of ageing. Regional and international collaboration and the exchange of ideas and
expertise can create unique opportunities for integrated social policy development,
particularly in developing countries.

Through cooperation and exchange, Governments can share successful
experiences and enhance efficiency in policy development. Regional cooperation is
particularly appropriate when countries in the same geographical area are facing
similar challenges that might be best addressed through the collaborative examination
and design of strategies and policies.

16

Box 4. Examples of regional and international cooperation from Latin America

Cross-border cooperation relating to the collection and sharing of evidence indicating “what works”
in ageing-related fields and to the identification and application of best practices is occurring in Latin
America at the level of intergovernmental organizations and within the context of other multilateral
efforts. For example, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (the Andean Community) are working
together to strengthen and harmonize their social security systems. The countries that make up the
South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) have produced an important labour and social
declaration and have set up arrangements covering reciprocal social security entitlements and joint
health and safety inspections. Alternativa Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América, or ALBA
(which includes Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela), has developed some regional
social policies to address urgent health problems, illiteracy, and emergency relief requirements among
its member countries; legislative priorities that are to be addressed in the near future relate to the
production of goods for mass consumption, housing, salaries, pensions, utilities, and support for the
rights of women, Afro-descendents and indigenous populations. The Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) has developed regional agreements on social security and health.

A number of regional cooperation projects focus specifically on ageing issues. In 2004/05, the
ministers of health of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Canada were involved in an international
cooperation project relating to integral services for dependent older persons. This technical cooperation
programme, coordinated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), provided a forum for
exchanging country experiences, which led to the development of a common regulatory framework
aimed at unifying the goals and activities undertaken by each Southern Cone nation.

International research projects have been undertaken in different parts of the region. Among the
most noteworthy are the following: a project on the social exclusion of dependent persons living in
long-term care institutions, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and PAHO and
carried out by national teams from Argentina (ISALUD Foundation), Chile (Catholic University of
Chile) and Uruguay (Catholic University of Uruguay); empirical investigations in cities in Brazil and
Argentina within the framework of the World Health Organization’s Global Age-Friendly Cities
Project; and the pioneering cross-national research project known as SABE (Survey on Health, Well-
Being and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean), supported by PAHO and conducted in seven
cities in the region. SABE has been used extensively in the preparation of policy documents
throughout the region and has provided a core dataset as a basis for MIPAA implementation.

In 2005 and 2006, government, NGO and media representatives, researchers and professionals from
several South American countries participated in the National Alliance for Caregiving’s planning
activities leading up to the Pan American Conference on Family Caregiving. The Conference, held in
Miami, Florida, from 29 November to 1 December 2006, introduced family caregiving issues into the
policy agendas of most South American countries.

The National Institute of Statistics and Census in Argentina and the National Institute of Statistics in
Chile have produced monographs and sets of indicators relating to older persons using data from the
most recent national census results.

The ECLAC Sessional Ad Hoc Committee on Population and Development is monitoring the
regional strategy for MIPAA implementation across Latin America.

Sources: Bob Deacon, Isabel Ortiz and Sergei Zelenev, “Regional social policy”, UN DESA Working Paper No.
37 (New York: United Nations, June 2007); and Nélida Redondo, “National capacity development in the field of
ageing in South America”, a paper prepared for the Expert Group Meeting on Policies on Ageing at the National
Level: Challenges of Capacity Development, Sliema, Malta, 13-15 June 2007.

17

International support has been provided for technical assistance programmes
aimed at increasing national capacity-building. The Division for Social Policy and
Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has
been implementing a capacity-building project aimed at integrating older persons in
development goals and frameworks through the implementation of the Madrid Plan.
The overall approach involves promoting the integration of an ageing perspective into
national development frameworks. In recent years, regional commissions such as the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) have provided
technical support for MIPAA implementation at the national level.

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the
common strategic framework for the operational activities of the United Nations
System at the country level, providing a collective, coherent and integrated United
Nations response to national needs and priorities within the framework of the
Millennium Development Goals and commitments emanating from international
conferences and summits and major United Nations conventions. Efforts should be
made to ensure that issues relating to older persons and the need to implement
relevant actions within the context of MIPAA are adequately reflected in the
UNDAF.

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Section 2
Promoting a harmonious relationship between development and
demographic change

The global increase in human longevity is one of the most impressive
achievements in recent history. Nonetheless, the negative effects arising from the
ageing of human societies are widely feared. Thanks to the alarmist and largely
reactionary nature of debates on ageing and development, a negative paradigm on
population ageing has emerged. In this paradigm, later life is often associated with
dependency, vulnerability, an inherent lack of capability, and poor quality of life.11
This paradigm ignores the diversity that characterizes older persons and dismisses
their contribution to the well-being of society. The perception of older persons as
burdensome must be revised. There is little evidence from historical data of the 1990s
or from aggregate data on changes in spending as a share of GDP among countries
registering growth in the 65-plus age group to support any consensus on increased
health costs associated with ageing. In fact, as a result of better general education,
astute health policy, and improved medical technology, people are not only living
longer but are reaching “old age” later in life.12

With recognition of the differences in ageing experiences as a point of
departure, the role of public policy is to build the capacities of and promote
opportunities for older persons to contribute to society and to be included in social
life in the broadest sense. It is fundamentally wrong for any society to define its
development solely in terms of economic performance and efficiency while
neglecting to acknowledge the critical importance of those interactions and
interlinkages between key elements of society that ensure balance and cohesion.

2.1 Linking into wider development agendas

Local and global thinking about development evolves over time. It is essential
that trends and priorities in wider development policy are well understood so that the
opportunities they generate may be exploited. In the past, development was mainly
thought of in terms of economic progress. In recent decades, however, new
approaches have emerged with different implications for older persons (see table 2).
Within the context of these and other evolving approaches, concerns about the impact
ageing and economic performance have on one another represent only a small portion
of the range of variables that warrant consideration.

11
Peter Lloyd-Sherlock (editor), Living Longer: Ageing, Development and Social Protection (Geneva:
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 2004).
12
Peter Sheehan, “Health costs, innovation and ageing”, Working Paper No. 9, Pharmaceutical
Industry Project on Equity, Sustainability and Industry Development (Melbourne: Centre for Strategic
Economic Studies, Victoria University of Technology, August 2002), pp. 5-6 (available from
http://www.cfses.com).

19

Table 2. Different approaches to development and their relevance to older persons
Approach Definition Some implications for
mainstreaming
Economic Promoting structural changes that will Enabling older persons to realize their
development foster long-run economic growth. full economic potential and removing
or reducing the need to adopt policies
that promote dependency in later life.
Sustainable “Development that meets the needs of Ensuring that current development
development the present without compromising the does not harm the well-being of future
ability of future generations to meet cohorts of older persons.
their own needs.”a
Human “Creating an environment in which Including older persons in human
development people can develop their full potential development, including education and
and lead productive, creative lives in training opportunities and promoting
accord with their needs and interests.”b good health.
Poverty Reducing the number of people living Understanding the causes and
reduction on very low incomes is the first of the consequences of poverty in later life.
Millennium Development Goals and is
the principal objective of international Mainstreaming older persons into the
development agencies such as the Millennium Development Goals.
World Bank.
Sources: aWorld Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission), Our Common Future
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987); and bUnited Nations Development Programme, “Human development
reports: the human development concept” (available from http://www.hdr.undp.org/en/humandev/).

When designing overall policy agendas, Governments and other stakeholders
must consider their impact on the well-being of individuals at all stages of the life
cycle. Policies that, for example, support safe and rewarding working conditions,
promote healthier lifestyles, and ensure friendly and enabling environments for all
age groups reflect a life-course perspective that will ultimately benefit everyone.

It is important to mainstream older persons into national development agendas
and to ensure that inclusive social policies are part of the wider development
process.13

2.2 Ageing as an opportunity for development: winning arguments and
changing minds

The phenomenon of demographic ageing generates both threats and
opportunities for human society; the outcome depends on how early and how well
population ageing issues are integrated into development agendas and related
policies. As implied previously, certain negative beliefs and assumptions about
ageing prevail within the public discourse. These are largely based on unfounded
perceptions that need to be empirically challenged and revised. The few countries that
have carried out extensive research on the links between ageing and development

13
For more information on this subject see the United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs’ forthcoming “Social policy guidance note”, which focuses on more comprehensive social
policies.

20

have come to the conclusion that ageing is not a threat.14 Nonetheless, the view that
older persons constitute a millstone around society’s neck persists and is often
associated with the following:
• Discrimination against older persons in the workplace and in other contexts;
• Policies that assume the incapability or incapacitation of older persons and
effectively serve to increase or reinforce their dependency in later life;
• The exclusion of older persons from decision-making, both generally and in
areas that directly affect their well-being;
• The failure to recognize the important contributions older persons have made
and continue to make, and the concomitant failure to build upon those
contributions;
• The failure (even in wealthier countries) to promote the well-being of all
groups of older persons, including the very poor, those at risk of abuse, those
belonging to ethnic minorities, and those with limited education.

Sadly, these prejudicial beliefs and actions have a cumulative effect on older
persons, leading them to internalize negative attitudes about themselves and often
resulting in their withdrawal from society.

In contrast, positive views about the value of older persons and their
participation in society increase the potential for progress and contribute to more
effective and extensive mainstreaming. To change unconstructive attitudes, the
following should be emphasized:
• Population ageing is a natural outcome of socio-economic development;
• Older persons are a resource for continuous economic growth;
• Population ageing can easily be integrated into development agendas and
related policies.

Focal points are advised to do the following:
• Review and assess existing evidence and, where necessary, conduct further
research;
• Develop persuasive, evidence-based arguments that challenge negative views;
• Debunk public claims made about any “burdens” imposed by ageing
populations and focus on the rights older persons share with other age groups,
including the right of equal access to socio-economic opportunities;

14
In some settings, the potential opportunities are starting to be acknowledged; the United Kingdom
House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs, in “Aspects of the economics of an ageing
population” (vol. 1—report, 5 November 2003, pp. 14-15), states that “the extent of potential
interaction between demographic structure and the economy is vast. … We conclude that population
ageing does not pose a threat to the continued prosperity and growth of the United Kingdom economy”
(see http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/ldselect/ldeconof/179/179.pdf).

21

• Identify elements of legislation, policies, discourse, and discrimination that
are founded on unsupported negative characterizations of older persons;
• Select a limited number of key issues upon which to focus relevant efforts;
• Facilitate the formation of stakeholder alliances to develop particular
interventions in key areas. The composition of stakeholder groups will vary
according to the area being addressed;
• Work more generally with key opinion makers (such as the media and
publishers of school textbooks) to reinforce elements of the national culture in
which old age is viewed positively.

2.3 Poverty reduction and older persons

Over the past decade, poverty reduction has been a central concern of global
development policy. In low-income countries, two key poverty-reduction frameworks
are the Millennium Development Goals and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers;
the situation of older persons is not directly addressed in any of the former, and most
of the latter make little if any reference to their needs. There is a risk that older
persons will be marginalized unless efforts are made to address their specific
concerns in policy documents at both the national and global levels. In developed
countries, it is important to distinguish between absolute poverty (usually linked to an
income poverty line) and relative poverty (usually linked to average earnings for all
age groups in a particular country).

Older persons need to become a more visible target of development
programming if the international development goal of halving the number of people
living in absolute poverty by 2015 is to be achieved. Giving greater attention and
priority to older persons will enhance their well-being and that of their families and
contribute to the wider processes of development.

In some developing countries and economies in transition, poverty reduction
strategies identify older persons as a target group and include specific measures for
alleviating poverty among the ageing members of society. However, a lack of funding
often prevents the implementation of such provisions, and many older persons
continue living below the poverty line. In a number of countries, older persons
residing in rural areas constitute one of the most vulnerable segments of society (see
box 5).

Poverty reduction among older persons should not be regarded solely as a
concern of developing countries; poverty can have a devastating impact on the older
residents of developed countries as well. Targeted social policies can be vehicles for
positive change in all national contexts.

22

Box 5. Rural ageing in developing countries: a quest for policy solutions

As a result of declining fertility levels and advances in medicine, nutrition, and technology, the
ageing of society is occurring quite rapidly in developing countries. Many of these countries do not
have the resources or policy experience to address ageing-related issues effectively. The ageing of rural
societies is often expedited by the migration of rural youth and young adults to cities for employment
and the return of older persons to rural areas upon retirement. Because the social service infrastructure
is relatively weak and geriatric support virtually non-existent in most rural areas across the developing
world, older individuals are likely to face serious difficulties if their families do not commit to
safeguarding their well-being.

Population ageing gives rise to major social and economic challenges that, if not addressed properly,
can threaten efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development. Research conducted by
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in various rural settings reveals the
following:
• Rural ageing places an enormous burden on scarce household resources and community
services;
• Older persons in rural areas are often in poor health after a lifetime of hard physical labour and
frequently suffer from high levels of stress and uncertainty about the future;
• Older rural residents are particularly vulnerable to poverty and malnutrition, as they are often
incapable of making independent use of productive resources such as land and water;
• Older persons in rural areas tend to be dependent on their families and/or neighbours,
particularly when they have no earned or pension income, savings, or access to remittances;
• The emigration of young adults and the high rates of AIDS-related mortality among certain age
groups have altered the demographic structure of rural households and communities. Growing
numbers of older persons are acting as heads of households, farm managers, and guardians of
young children—all at a stage of their lives when they might once have expected to be receiving
care themselves.

In communities short of young workers, older residents must look after crops and livestock. In many
cases, they are unable to farm effectively on their own, and there is no possibility of hiring labour or
using animal power or mechanized equipment. Older persons often have relatively little formal
education and are frequently discriminated against in terms of access to rural credit facilities,
agricultural extension services, and supplies such as modern farm implements and improved seeds and
fertilizers. Older women, including widows, are often denied access to agricultural land, with negative
consequences for their economic and social well-being. Factors such as these can reduce the
agricultural productivity of an area, leading to higher overall levels of poverty and malnutrition.

While population ageing needs to be addressed at multiple levels, the situation of older rural
residents is particularly urgent. Developing countries often have sizeable rural populations, but very
few have effective policies on rural ageing. The following policy mix might answer many of the
challenges arising within this context:
• Eliminating discrimination against older persons (especially widows and other older women) in
terms of access to and control over agricultural resources;
• Encouraging and enabling older rural residents to continue working, producing food, and
earning an income when they are able to do so;
• Fostering a culture in which individuals are encouraged to accumulate personal savings during
their prime working years to serve as a resource base in old age;

23

Box 5. (cont’d)
• Developing viable public schemes—such as the provision of social pensions and specialized
health and nutritional assistance—to reduce poverty among older rural residents;
• Maintaining and enhancing traditional systems of family and community support for older
persons.

Interesting opportunities often emerge in connection with rural population ageing. Many older rural
residents have extensive knowledge and experience and can serve as invaluable sources of information
on traditional agricultural practices, natural approaches to healing and health maintenance, and coping
with various challenges in food production. Their intergenerational role is crucially important,
particularly when they are charged with caring for and guiding young people whose parents have
moved to cities or have died prematurely. Since population ageing trends in rural areas (and the aspects
and effects of this process) are certain to continue in developing countries for years to come,
agricultural and rural development will be increasingly dependent on the contributions made by older
persons. Policy makers must find better ways to ensure that older rural women and men live free from
economic hardship and are able to lead healthy, productive lives.

Source: Libor Stloukal, “Rural population ageing in developing countries: issues for consideration by FAO”
(Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, April 2004) (available from
http://www.fao.org/sd/dim_pe3/pe3_040401a1_en.htm).

Supporting labour market participation among household members is a critical
component of poverty reduction efforts. In Namibia and some other African
countries, providing a household with a social pension allows certain of its members
(especially women) to pursue educational and employment opportunities. Four out of
five countries in Southern Africa that provide social pensions (including Lesotho, one
of the poorest countries in the world) are making better progress than other countries
with regard to the Millennium Development Goal targets of halving poverty and
hunger, increasing rates of primary school completion, and achieving gender equality.

When designing poverty reduction strategies, it is important to acknowledge
that poverty among older persons has an impact on other family members and
therefore constitutes an intergenerational issue. Poverty at the household level—
particularly when the primary caregivers are very old—remains one of the key factors
contributing to the lack of early childhood development and malnutrition.15 Poverty
reduction is essential for empowering people of all ages and strengthening
intergenerational solidarity. The public and private sectors should work together to
develop the financial sector and support sound micro-pension (savings and work-
related) schemes in order to protect older persons and their dependants from poverty.

2.4 Contributing to society: creating opportunities and eliminating barriers

Ageing is often characterized as a process involving a socio-economic
transformation in which those who were once productive become non-productive or
dependent. In reality, most older persons continue to participate actively in society,
contributing to their households, to the lives of younger family members, and to their

15
Chronic Poverty Research Centre, Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05 (available from
http://www.chronicpoverty.org/resources/cprc_report_2004-2005_contents.html).

24

communities in ways that cannot be measured in monetary terms. Rather than
producing commercial goods and services, they may provide services of recognized
social value; many older individuals are involved in counselling, mentoring, child
care, peer care, end-of-life care, and other volunteer activities, and a significant
number serve as role models through their political participation and community
leadership. Financially unremunerated endeavours such as these provide substantial
human and economic benefits, but they generally remain unrecognized in national
and even local analyses of development factors.

National policy priorities should include encouraging active participation by
older persons in social and economic life, wherever possible, and promoting their
contributions in whatever forms they may take. To achieve the desired outcome, it
will be necessary to challenge any negative paradigm of ageing that depicts older
persons as a burden and ignores the vital role they play in their communities and
societies.

Certain factors may limit or preclude participation by older persons. In order to
better understand the opportunities and constraints existing in a particular country, it
might be useful to analyse the processes involved in encouraging or discouraging
older persons from participating and determine the extent to which they are already
engaged in economically and socially productive activities.

Using available data on older persons’ contributions

A small number of countries have already conducted surveys focusing on
older persons’ employment and other contributions. Focal points should make an
effort to determine whether these surveys are robust, representative, and cover the full
range of potential contributions.

Standard surveys of economic activity and labour market participation provide
an indication of general trends but are likely to understate older persons’ real
economic contributions for the following reasons:
• Some surveys assume that all pensioners are, by definition, economically
inactive;
• Research from some countries suggests that older workers are over-
represented in the informal economy, and rates of labour participation in this
sector tend to be underreported in many standard surveys;
• Surveys usually focus on income-producing work, overlooking other
economic contributions. Research from developed countries shows that older
persons are disproportionately represented in the voluntary sector. Other
contributions include unremunerated housework, caregiving, and the
provision of accommodation to younger family members.

Household surveys represent a good alternative or complement to labour force
surveys. Depending on their detail and design, they may identify some contributions

25

not recorded in labour surveys. One disadvantage is that household survey data are
less likely to be age-disaggregated and may require careful analysis by a trained
statistician.

Developing surveys of older persons’ contributions

Assessments of older persons’ contributions can take many different forms,
ranging from small-scale exploratory research to large quantitative surveys.16 The
range of information that can be collected is also very broad and might include, for
example, data on preferences and on actual participation in paid and unpaid work (see
below). Focal points must clearly identify the main purpose of a survey or research
project and determine whether it is necessary to represent the entire older population
or to focus on one or more subgroups.

Box 6. Using indicators properly

The demographic dependency ratio (DDR) is a widely used indicator that provides information
about the age distribution of a population and can be a helpful tool for understanding population
change. However, references to “dependency” within such a context are inaccurate and can lead to the
erroneous assumption that all older persons are entirely unproductive and dependent. Clearly, great
care must be taken in interpreting and analysing dependency ratios. Some cautionary notes include the
following:
(a) DDRs come in different forms; children up to the age of 14 or 15 may be lumped together
with older persons over the age of 60 or 65, or the two groups may be measured separately. A clear
distinction must be made between the total dependency ratio and the old-age dependency ratio. The
total dependency ratio may, for example, disguise the fact that the child dependency ratio is declining
at the same time that the old-age or elderly dependency ratio is increasing;
(b) DDRs are based on the assumption that all individuals between the ages of 15 and 64 make an
economic contribution. Using available data, focal points should assess how true this is for their own
countries, since many people of working age may remain in education or be unemployed;
(c) DDRs are also based on the assumption that older persons make no economic contribution.
Again, focal points should determine how true this is for their countries. Assessments will require the
review and analysis of existing data, a re-examination and cross-referencing of available evidence, and
possibly the collection of additional information through, for example, interviews, focus groups or
questionnaires.

Issues to be explored in relevant surveys might include the following:
• How do patterns of economic engagement vary across the older population?
Gender gaps in labour force participation and earnings may be very different
between the older and younger populations—and even among diverse groups
of older persons. In some developing countries a significant proportion of very
old people continue to work and represent a highly vulnerable subgroup;
• Are older persons employed in appropriate activities? In poorer countries they
may be engaged in labour that is physically demanding and hazardous to their

16
It may be helpful to refer to international surveys of older persons’ working preferences and behaviour (such as
the SHARE survey, available from http://www.share-project.org).

26

health. Focal points may find the concept of “decent work” developed by the
International Labour Organization useful within this context;
• What are the work preferences of older persons? Some may wish to work but
face a range of age-related barriers (see below). Equally, some of those who
are working may wish to stop, change jobs, or engage in a different type of
work but are having difficulty making the transition;
• What can be learned about the wider contributions of older persons to society,
including volunteer activities?

2.4.1 Policies to promote employment for older persons

In the past decade, many countries have become aware of new challenges
emerging as a result of population ageing and are giving greater policy attention to
the ageing of the workforce, focusing particularly on the age structure of the working
population. Positive change can be managed through the implementation of
appropriate policies and measures, including those aligned with the following goals:
• Providing suitable working conditions, as well as employment opportunities,
for an ageing workforce;
• Maintaining and promoting the health and working capacity of workers as
they age;
• Developing the skills and strengthening the employability of older workers.

The broad policy aim should be to ensure that older workers who wish to stay
in their jobs or find new employment may do so.

Extending working lives is important both for financing national social
protection systems and for preventing poverty in old age. It assumes particular
significance for women, many of whom have spent their lives as caregivers, and for
those who have been engaged in physically demanding and/or low-paid work.

Challenges relating to the ageing of the workforce are being addressed in a
number of countries. Concerns about the sustainability of pensions, economic growth,
and the future labour supply have stimulated a range of policy processes and
recommendations to support the goals of longer working lives and later retirement.

The European Union has been addressing issues relating to the ageing labour
force since 1990. Increasing the employment participation rate for older workers was
identified as a key priority in the Lisbon Strategy adopted in 2000. Many European
countries have since designed specific national policies and different measures to
promote new values and improve working conditions and rates of employment among
older workers (see box 7).17

17For more information, refer to the following reports: European Union, Social Protection Committee, “Promoting
longer working lives through better social protection systems” (available from

27

Box 7. Promoting the National Age Programme in Finland

Finland has experienced the same demographic shifts as most other European countries and has been
forced to deal with its rapidly ageing workforce. The Finnish Government has made it a point to
address the difficulties faced by older workers, who have traditionally been excluded from the labour
market in spite of their extensive skills and experience.

In 1996, a special committee set up to look into the situation issued a report on increasing the
employability potential of older workers. Its recommendations served as a basis for the National Age
Programme, 1997-2001. Carried out cooperatively by various ministries and social partners, the
Programme included training, organization, information and research projects as well as a system for
monitoring the impact of these activities. Some of the major objectives were to enforce regulatory
amendments and to modify social values and attitudes so that the economic contributions made by
older workers would be seen in a more positive light. Another aim of the programme was to raise the
average retirement age.

Training, information and legislation were important features of the Programme. Employers were
encouraged to retain older workers, and best practices in the management of an ageing workforce were
disseminated nationally. In order to raise awareness of the dangers associated with the shrinking of
Finland’s workforce, special seminars were held to educate top management and personnel
departments. The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health instructed managers on what companies
could do to keep older workers healthier through counselling and the implementation of lifelong
learning programmes. On the pension-benefit side, Finland also made early retirement more costly for
companies, requiring that they pay 80 per cent of early-retirement benefits. As a result of these
policies, the average retirement age is rising, and the proportion of those aged 55-64 in the workforce
has jumped from 36 to 50 per cent.

A key to Finland’s policy success was the collaboration between government bodies at different
levels, including the ministries of social affairs, health, labour, and education and the government-run
Institute of Occupational Health, with its close connection to industry.

Another key element was the strong emphasis on the concept of age management. The goal was to
persuade Finnish companies of the benefits accruing from good management practices adapted to each
period of their employees’ working lifespan (from labour force entry to exit). Policies also encouraged
companies to devise programmes that would improve workers’ health, skills and knowledge on an
ongoing basis.

In parallel, the pension system was reformed; early-retirement schemes were eliminated, and the
minimum retirement age was increased from 53 to 57 years. During the most recent stage of pension
reform, the Government began rewarding workers staying on the job longer, boosting pension benefits
by as much as 40 per cent for those willing to delay retirement until age 65 or longer.

Source: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (available from
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/).

Policies promoting the employment of older workers must be linked to the
revision of pension and early exit schemes, which in their present form may bar or
discourage older persons from remaining in salaried employment. Focal points should
consider these effects as part of their review of formal social protection schemes

ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_protection/docs/working_longer_en.pdf); and United States General
Accounting Office, “Older workers: policies of other nations to increase labor force participation” (February
2003) (GAO-03-307) (available from www.gao.gov/new.items/d03307.pdf).

28

(addressed in greater detail in section 3). In countries where generous early retirement
benefits are common, employment rates for older workers tend to be low. When
developing national policy, it is important to consider the compatibility of pension
legislation with the desirability of having people work beyond the statutory
pensionable age.

Some countries, such as Australia, Finland and Japan, are taking a more
flexible approach to pensions and retirement. Focal points should ensure that policy
makers are aware of international experiences and are willing to consider developing
similar strategies if they are compatible with national priorities. Data on older
persons’ work preferences (see above) may be used to support such efforts.

2.4.1.1 Age discrimination

Research from developed countries already dealing with the ageing of the
workforce shows that where ageist attitudes are prevalent in the workplace,
unjustified age discrimination becomes a common practice. Age discrimination
against older workers can occur across all employment practices and processes,
including recruitment, promotion, training, development, and redundancy.

In most developing countries there is a paucity of data on age discrimination.
Where such data are scarce there may be a need to conduct surveys of attitudes and
experiences, bearing in mind the subjectivity of responses and the limitations inherent
in the data collected. The following approaches may be used to obtain the necessary
information:
• Questioning employers about their recruitment practices; in some countries,
many enterprises will not employ older persons, even if the State offers them
financial incentives to do so;
• Assessing employer attitudes by comparing responses to curricula vitae where
age is not specified to those where it is. In research carried out in some
developed countries, this technique has been successfully used to demonstrate
the extent of discrimination;
• Talking to older workers about their own experiences with different forms of
discrimination, perhaps drawing questions from similar surveys of sex
discrimination.

Negative attitudes about age may also be found in the voluntary sector. For
example, older persons may be barred from leadership roles in civil society
organizations on the basis of their age. If age discrimination is seen to be occurring,
these organizations and the national or international donors supporting them should
be pressured to address the situation.

29

Box 8. Tracking age discrimination in recruitment

A model for identifying discriminatory practices and their magnitude may be constructed based on
the French “discrimination barometer”, a mechanism established for the regular monitoring of
discrimination in recruitment. Various indicators constitute a framework for analysing and tracking the
evolution of discriminatory behaviour within different sectors, job types, and even regions. The general
approach is to compare the results of an employment interview for a reference candidate (a man aged
28-30 years with a typically French name, for instance) with those for other types of candidates.

Recent surveys have shown that age bias is the most prevalent form of discrimination. A male
candidate aged 48-50 years is three times less likely to receive a positive response from a potential
employer (and seven times less likely if applying for an executive position) than a male candidate
between the ages of 28 and 30. Employment discrimination linked to disability or ethnic origin appears
to be less common than that associated with age.

Source: Observatoire des Discriminations, Baromètre 2006 (available from http://www.egalites.net).

Many older persons who have never been formally employed are denied
opportunities for socio-economic participation in a number of other areas; in
developing countries in particular, they may not be eligible for loans and financial
services or for land and property ownership. Some large microcredit schemes
automatically bar older persons from taking out loans on the grounds that they are
“not creditworthy”. Governments and NGOs need to tackle discrimination in all these
areas in order to enhance opportunities for older persons to make an economic
contribution.

In addition to collecting data on age discrimination, focal points and other
stakeholders should:
• Promote the establishment of a supportive legal framework for cases of age
discrimination, taking cues from successful legislation on gender, racial,
disability-related and other types of discrimination in employment;
• Raise the profile of age-based employment discrimination among key
stakeholders, including older persons’ groups, labour unions, labour ministries
and employers’ associations;
• Sensitize employers and educate them about the need for long-term workforce
planning and the positive contributions older workers can make within the
workplace;
• Consider specific policy interventions to end old-age discrimination.
Examples from developed countries include age discrimination legislation,
employment subsidies, awareness-raising activities, and targeted training
programmes. There is no consensus about which approach is the most
effective; selecting the best option(s) for a country requires careful
consideration.

30

2.4.1.2 Other barriers

Pervasive negative stereotypes about the capacities of older persons can be a
serious barrier to their participation in society. It is often asserted, for example, that
older persons do not have the appropriate skills for many forms of economic
activity.18 This may be true in some cases and not in others. In developing countries,
many older persons lack literacy skills and a formal education. In both developed and
developing countries, the skills retained by older workers may have become obsolete.
Where this is the case, a key objective in age-friendly policy is ensuring that older
persons have as many opportunities as other age groups to acquire or develop new
skills and competencies. Two arguments supporting the allocation of resources in this
area include the following:
• Eliminating discrimination enhances the potential economic contribution of
older persons. It is wasteful not to tap into the potential of the expanding older
population;
• Illiteracy represents an infringement of older persons’ rights and serves as a
barrier to many different forms of participation and citizenship that could
further enhance social cohesion and productivity.

It is necessary to ensure that older persons are given equal access to training
and continuing education opportunities (including student grants and loans). This will
require focal points and other stakeholders to liaise with officials from the ministries
of education and labour and other State institutions in their countries.

People of all ages have the capacity to learn new skills and undergo personal
and professional development if appropriate training is made available. Older persons
may require financial and psychological support to undertake retraining and move to
employment more suited to their individual interests and capacities.

Many countries have discovered the benefits of retaining older persons in the
labour force. Doing so on a meaningful scale requires the design of appropriate
lifelong learning policies that encourage the continuous updating of skills and work
capacities and enable workers to remain productive and competitive in the labour
market until their later years.

Poor health in later life can be another important barrier to economic
participation. When age bias is apparent in health policy (see section 4), action should
be taken to emphasize the potential economic benefits of improved health in later life.

Incentives must be created that encourage employers to make the workplace
age-friendly and to support older workers experiencing health problems. Innovative
employers are able to work around cases of “poor health” by exploring job redesign
or providing part-time job opportunities.

18
Age- and gender-specific literacy data for all countries are routinely published by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

31

2.4.2 An enabling work environment and transportation system and the concept
of universal design

Older persons with physical, sensory or cognitive impairments may be
excluded from economic and social participation because of environmental,
architectural or other physical barriers, such as a lack of wheelchair access. These
barriers may exist in the workplace or within the public transport system (where
trains and buses do not allow low-level entry, for example). Focal points may wish to
review disability mainstreaming initiatives to ensure that older persons’ concerns are
not overlooked.

A wide variety of assistive devices may enhance the capacity of older persons
to participate in the workplace and beyond. These may range from relatively simple
items such as age-friendly agricultural implements to more sophisticated instruments
such as adapted computer keyboards and software.

It is important to avoid policies that frame ageing and disability as related
concepts. While disability is sometimes experienced by older persons, assumptions
about disability accompanying ageing should be discouraged. The fact is that older
persons usually operate at a functional capacity normal for their age. Problems may
arise if individuals with greater functional capacity than that of older persons use it to
disadvantage those who are less physically robust.

Creating a friendly urban environment is important for enabling older persons
to stay active. To achieve such a goal, the needs and perspectives of older inhabitants
can be mainstreamed into the policies and activities of government departments
concerned with transport and housing, for example. There has been almost no
research on transportation-related challenges faced by older persons in poorer
countries, where both public and private transport infrastructures are less well
developed. In many countries transportation has received more attention in disability
mainstreaming initiatives than in ageing initiatives. Given that older and disabled
persons experience many of the same difficulties with regard to transportation, it may
be useful to work with entities involved in disability mainstreaming to ensure that
older persons’ concerns are included in, but not fused with, disability concepts.
Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide, published by the World Health Organization
(see box 9), includes an age-friendly transportation checklist that may be used as a
frame of reference for policy development and advocacy within this sector.

It may be possible to promote the concept of universal design, or “design for
all”, at a national level.19 This involves taking the specific needs of older persons into
account when designing products and services that will be used by them. “Design for
all”, if adopted as a general principle, helps to ensure that environments, products,
services and interfaces of all types enhance to the quality of life of people of all ages
and abilities.

19
The American Society of Interior Designers website provides a list of seven principles guiding
universal design (see http://www.asid.org/leadership/Platform+Issue+-+Design+for+All.htm).

32

Box 9. Global age-friendly cities guide

Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide is a recent initiative undertaken by the World Health
Organization to increase age sensitivity. Thirty-five cities in 22 countries participated in the study,
including Istanbul, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, Rio
de Janeiro, Shanghai and Tokyo, with all continents represented. The Guide can be used by every city,
regardless of its current level of age-friendliness, to monitor and improve any aspect of urban life for
older persons.

As indicated in the Guide, there are a number of easy ways to make a city more age-friendly.
Affordable measures that can be implemented expeditiously by any city include lowering
transportation costs, providing special customer service such as separate queues, holding public events
at convenient times, ensuring the availability of courteous and helpful service providers, promoting
and supporting the development of job opportunities for older persons, and providing clear information
about health and social services.

The Guide represents the culmination of one of the first research projects on ageing across culturally
diverse countries and cities done from an active ageing and public health perspective. Older persons
themselves participated actively in the project, making decisions on what an age-friendly city was or
could be. About 1,500 older individuals described the advantages and disadvantages associated with
eight aspects of city living: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation,
respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, information and communication, and
community support and health services. Older persons’ concerns and ideas were complemented by the
views of some 750 caregivers and service providers.

Note: For more information see
http://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf.

2.4.3 Older consumers

Older persons make key contributions to development not only through their
participation in the labour force, caregiving, and volunteer activities, but also in the
capacity of consumers.

In many developed countries substantial business opportunities are emerging,
particularly in the service sector, to meet the needs of the ageing population (see box
10). Older persons are more likely than the members of other age groups to be
homeowners, offering additional opportunities. Studies from Japan and the United
States have highlighted the importance of spending by older persons in sustaining
aggregate demand, which in turn strengthens the overall performance of the economy.

33

Box 10. Meeting the needs of older consumers: examples from Japan, Germany, and the
United States of America

Some assistive products have been developed by Japanese companies for frail and care-
dependent older persons. One device currently on the market measures a user’s blood pressure and
temperature and then transmits the results to a local health database; a local medical service
provider intervenes if anything seems amiss. Another product line consists of interactive robots
that can talk, sing and play quiz games with older persons to alleviate loneliness. Other robots have
been designed to assist older persons at a later stage of ageing with physical functions such as
bathing or lifting.

During the 2006 Senior Citizens Day festivities in Germany, a computer for older persons was
introduced that featured a larger font for improved readability and offered older users the option of
listening to e-mail messages rather than reading them.

Age-appropriate housing has been expanding in the United States and other developed
countries. This kind of housing offers older persons who are dependent on wheelchairs or other
devices maximum accessibility and mobility. It also incorporates features that can be modified
depending on the health status of the occupants of individual units. Retirement communities
provide an age-adequate living environment in which residents may enjoy complete independence
or receive levels of support ranging from light assistance to comprehensive care. These retirement
communities have transformed the age profile of entire states; Arizona and Florida, for example,
are now among the oldest American states in demographic terms.

In poorer countries older age groups may not have such a significant impact
on consumption trends. Here, the key issue may be reducing poverty and ensuring
that older persons’ basic consumption needs are being met.

Focal points and other stakeholders should focus on the following:
• Promoting communication between private companies and older consumers to
ensure that the consumption needs and preferences of the ageing population
are being satisfied;
• Ensuring that private and public enterprises are effectively monitored and
regulated so that all older persons receive a fair deal as consumers. Action
should be taken to determine whether older persons enjoy the same degree of
consumer protection as other age groups and whether they encounter any
particular obstacles in availing themselves of such protection. Older
consumers must be given the opportunity to make well-informed choices
about goods and services and be able to hold businesses accountable when
things go wrong;
• More specifically, making sure that contracts, advertisements, sales
techniques and warranties do not confuse, frighten or mislead older persons,
and that older consumers are given adequate time to consider and reconsider
their contractual undertakings;

34

• Ensuring that poorer and more vulnerable older consumers, in particular, are
not overlooked and discriminated against. It is important to ascertain, for
example, whether older persons living in remote rural areas or poor urban
neighbourhoods have access to a range of retail products at competitive prices,
and whether insurance arrangements unfairly discriminate against certain
groups of older persons;
• Paying particular attention to older persons as consumers of health and care
services (see sections 4 and 5 for more detailed information).

Ageing is a privilege and a societal achievement. It is also a challenge that
will affect all aspects of society in the twenty-first century. Addressing this challenge
successfully requires the combined efforts of the public and private sectors in the
development and application of effective approaches and strategies.

35

Section 3
Making social protection work effectively for older persons

3.1 What is social protection?

Social protection is a broad and complex concept that has been interpreted
differently across countries. However, the following is true in most national contexts:
• Short- and long-term social contingencies or risks are covered through
programmes for regular health care, long-term health care, pensions, family
allowances, unemployment, professional training, poverty reduction, social
services and assistance, and advocacy for the rights of vulnerable groups;
• The programmes are administered, funded, and delivered by the public and/or
private sectors and/or civil society organizations;
• Conventional regulated programmes are based on the insurance mechanism
that characterizes social security as well as market-based insurance schemes
and the payment of contributions. Other forms of traditional social protection
include the provision of informal or unregulated care and support by
immediate and extended families and communities;
• Some programmes involve the transfer of financial and non-financial
resources to groups considered poor and vulnerable;
• Objectives extend beyond poverty prevention to include protection against
key risks and the protection of social rights through laws and regulation.

Traditionally, direct social protection for older persons has taken the form of
retirement pensions or similar schemes involving income support. Grandparents who
have become the main caregivers for children and youth may receive cash transfers
that provide or supplement family income if certain conditions are met, such as
children attending school, receiving immunizations, and visiting health-care providers
regularly. Older persons can be directly or indirectly affected by virtually all social
protection programmes, even those targeting other groups; in many developing
countries, for example, indigent residents of all ages may be eligible for cash
transfers.

Older persons often constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in society
and face risks other than the loss of income, including frailty, discrimination, neglect,
and even harassment. These risks may be reduced through various social protection
strategies, including long-term health-care support, close oversight, and co-residence
with family members or friends. For these reasons, it is important to regard old-age
social protection as more than just the development of pension programmes.

In most nations, social protection encompasses the following: a system of
social security funded through contributions from employers, workers and the
Government; public health-care and other public-led social assistance programmes;

36

and support schemes that target vulnerable populations and are aimed at poverty
reduction. Its components include the following:
• Social insurance, designed to mitigate the negative effects of major social
risks (including poor health, old age, disability and unemployment);
• Social assistance financed out of general public revenues, such as conditional
or unconditional transfers of cash or goods, subsidies, housing assistance or
price support mechanisms;
• Other support schemes such as food security programmes, social funds, and
disaster prevention and management.

These traditional forms of social protection are complemented by market-
based instruments such as insurance policies that can be purchased individually or by
employers, informal arrangements among family members to support persons in need,
and the action of civil society through community-based organizations. These
interventions should be included as elements of the system of social protection of any
country. Often, however, they are neither acknowledged nor supported by
Governments.

Depending on the specific risks and needs of the older population in a
particular country and the quality of the national infrastructure in the implementation
of social protection legislation, a customized combination of social protection policies
might provide the necessary security. However, pensions and social transfers are still
likely to be considered the primary forms of social security for older persons in many
countries. Some countries have introduced basic, non-contributory pensions for older
residents; such initiatives must be administered appropriately and their impact on
contributory pension programmes assessed, with minimum pensions guaranteed, to
ensure that they do not contribute to the weakening of partially and fully funded
pension schemes that rely on personal savings for retirement.

In developing countries in which a relatively low proportion of the labour
force operates within the formal sector, policy makers and other stakeholders face the
difficult challenge of designing effective instruments for long-term savings, including
savings for retirement. Often, a substantial portion of the family income is spent on
the younger members through investments in education or real estate, for example, in
the expectation that these children and youth will later reciprocate by providing their
ageing parents with financial and other types of support. In many developing
countries that have adopted private, fully funded individual accounts, the specific
features of the labour market have become major obstacles to increasing coverage;
those who have been contributing consistently to their individual savings accounts,
however, have seen their balances increase and have benefited from the relatively
high rates of return over time.

Human rights are important in the context of social protection. Transfers and
other forms of social assistance should be regarded as a legal right, with measures
taken to promote awareness of entitlements and facilitate access to benefits.

37

Awareness of rights preserves the dignity and enhances the participation of the
poorest people, while also strengthening relations between citizens and the State. A
rights-based approach20 in framing public policy provides a normative base for
development. In such a context, older persons are seen not simply as needy
individuals requiring assistance, but as citizens with rights and entitlements. The State
and society at large have an obligation to ensure the respect, protection and promotion
of human rights.21

3.2 Identifying key risks and responding with appropriate social protection

Older persons may be susceptible to risks that are directly associated with age,
including frailty, the loss of earned income, and certain forms of illness. They are also
exposed to risks that may affect the population in general, such as crop failures or
flooding. Although older persons may not be the only group facing these more
general risks, they are often particularly vulnerable to them. For example, older
persons with special care needs will be especially affected by family and household
disruptions following large-scale emergencies and natural disasters. Similarly,
economic downturns and inflationary processes will disproportionately affect
pensioners and other vulnerable groups.

It is important to identify specific risks faced by older persons and their
families. Understanding the nature of these risks facilitates the design of effective
social protection interventions. Table 3 provides some examples of the strategies
various countries have adopted to address such risks. Because the range of risks is
quite diverse, it may be necessary to maintain an eclectic approach to research and
data collection and a flexible approach to policy-making.

Older persons’ organizations and other concerned NGOs should be involved
in identifying risks and developing appropriate policy responses. Such bodies are
likely to be particularly aware of the different groups comprising the older population
and of the diverse challenges they face.

In any examination of current and potential country-level interventions, the
following should be considered:
• Which groups of older persons (and which groups within the general
population) are most affected by the risks these interventions target?
• Do these interventions make the best use of available institutional structures
(be they government agencies, community groups, or private companies)?
• How do these interventions contribute to positive ageing for all older persons?

20
Defined as explicit recognition of the full range of human rights reflected in binding national and
international agreements.
21
For more detailed information see Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,
“Report on the application of the Regional Strategy for the Implementation in Latin America and the
Caribbean of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing” (LC/L.2749[CRE-2/3]), pp. 31-42.

38

Table 3. How understanding risk promotes effective social protection strategy development

Risk Response

Poverty Research in Thailand indicated that older This led to the establishment
persons living alone in rural areas of a limited national pro-
experienced especially high levels of gramme for the provision of
economic vulnerability. targeted emergency grants.
Excess mortality Epidemiological research in the United These findings prompted the
Kingdom found that that winter deaths development and implementa-
among older persons were significantly tion of a programme providing
higher in the British Isles than in other winter fuel payments for older
countries with similar climates. Further persons.
research identified poorly heated homes
as the key reason.
Increased demands With the rapid rise in the number of Foster care grants were
for grandparenting children and youth orphaned as a result of introduced to support extended
AIDS in South Africa, older persons are family care providers,
increasingly assuming guardianship of including grandparents. Legal
their grandchildren and often find it recognition of the caregiving
difficult to bear the attendant financial role of grandparents is being
burden. Traditional social protection has supported within this context.
mainly been targeted at mothers.
Funeral costs Surviving spouses and other family Informal funeral associations
members may be economically are prevalent in rural districts
vulnerable and therefore unable to pay of countries such as Ethiopia
funeral expenses, which can be and Tanzania. In some cases,
substantial in many developing countries. they have diversified their
activities and provide a range
of micro-insurance and micro-
credit services.
Neglect Because of increasing economic Laws have been enacted and
pressures, older persons may be neglected institutions such as the
by their offspring, even in cases of Tribunal for the Maintenance
intergenerational co-residence. of Parents in Singapore have
been established to ensure
filial piety through legal
means.
Catastrophic health The Medisave national health insurance An additional insurance fund,
spending programme in Singapore failed to provide MediShield, was created
comprehensive protection for older specifically to deal with high-
persons or other groups, as high-cost cost illnesses. However,
treatments for major or chronic illnesses coverage remains limited for
were inadequately covered. persons under 65, and
premiums rise quite sharply
with age.

3.3 Addressing poverty risk and income insecurity in old age

A lower standard of living—and in some cases impoverishment—deriving
from reduced labour market participation is a key risk faced by almost all older
persons. As their socio-economic status declines, some older individuals are
compelled to accept poorly paid employment. The risk of income reduction in later
life has led all countries to establish income maintenance programmes for older

39

persons that typically involve the provision of a pension. Publicly supported pensions
can be earnings-related (dependent on wage levels and years of work) or universal
(based on age and residency, not contributions).

In some developed countries State pensions ensure old-age income security
for a significant proportion of the population, while in developing countries relatively
few have access to retirement pensions. Statistics published by the International
Labour Organization indicate that the vast majority of the world’s working-age
population do not have the kind of pension protection that will allow them to deal
effectively with health, disability and income risks in old age. Substantial numbers of
older persons are currently in this situation and must rely on work and on their
families and communities for income and other forms of support. Limited job
opportunities, low wages, and physical impairment can seriously affect the earning
power of those seeking employment. Circumstances such as these are not conducive
to long-term income security and increase the risk of poverty among older persons.

Countries with formal pension systems have been more successful in reducing
old-age poverty. In rural north-eastern Brazil, the proportion of households in which
older persons were receiving a pension rose from 55 per cent in 1981 to 89 per cent in
2001; during the same period, the proportion living below the official poverty line fell
from 65 to 35 per cent.

Box 11. How poor are the elderly?

Older persons are often poor, but just how poor are they? Measuring poverty among the older
population can be a challenge, as empirical data are often scarce, and those that are available are
generally not comparable across countries or regions because different conceptual and methodological
approaches have been used for data collection and analysis.

There is no consensus on whether old age is predictably associated with poverty and should
therefore be targeted on a categorical basis for social assistance. Some studies from Europe and Latin
America show that the situation of older persons is broadly representative of that characterizing the
population as a whole,a whereas surveys from Africa indicate that, in 9 out of 15 countries, households
with older members are more likely to be poor.

There may be significant disparities between rural and urban populations and among different ethnic
groups. Every effort should be made to obtain accurate poverty data on older persons, taking into
account their diverse circumstances.

It is also important to keep in mind that poverty estimates derive largely (or even exclusively) from
income data; factors such as variations in basic consumption needs between different age groups are
rarely considered in assessing the economic situation of older persons. It is sometimes claimed that
consumption needs are lower for older persons than for other age groups, but the opposite is usually
true; the costs of household heating and buying essential medications, for example, can be particularly
high for older individuals. All needs-related variables must be taken into account before an accurate
picture of the economic circumstances of older persons can be obtained. Consideration should be also
given to whether older persons are provided essential services at full market cost or at subsidized rates.

Source: a Edward Whitehouse, “How poor are the old? A survey of the evidence from 44 countries”, Pension
Primer Paper No. 1 (Washington, D.C.: World Bank, 2000).

40

A major challenge for every country is to ensure that pension programmes
have the capacity to provide all older persons with effective support both now and
into the future. In some developing countries, important pension reforms have been
undertaken but no provisions have been made for guaranteed minimum payments,
rendering older persons (especially women) particularly vulnerable to poverty.
Special attention should be given to those who are likely to be placed at a
disadvantage by any mandated scheme.

It may be asserted that in countries with good levels of coverage by formal
pension systems or old-age public transfer programmes, older persons are less
affected than the rest of the population by relative poverty. In many developing
countries, particularly in regions such as Africa or Latin America, only salaried
workers in the formal employment sector or in some specific professions are eligible
for pension benefits, leaving large segments of the population vulnerable to financial
insecurity in their later years.

In countries with low rates of occupational or retirement pension coverage,
other social policy instruments may be brought into play to ensure that older persons
have access to cash and/or in-kind assistance. Social pension programmes, which
provide small cash grants to poor older persons not usually covered by contributory
schemes, may represent a particularly attractive option for middle- and low-income
countries (see box 12). Such schemes are known to have improved the economic
situation of older persons in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, and other countries. Existing
social pension programmes that do not provide adequate income or coverage may
need to be expanded. Such schemes can be financed in different ways, including
through general taxation, special levies on specific activities or sectors, or the
imposition of an earnings-based “solidarity” tax or contribution by those participating
in employment pension programmes.22

Governments need to design social protection schemes that can be carefully
monitored in terms of costs and outcomes. A flexible, pragmatic approach should be
maintained so that any necessary adjustments may be made to these schemes.

Remittances from migrant workers abroad constitute an important source of
funds for families, helping them to meet their consumption needs. The proportion of
remittances sent to parents and grandparents at home varies. Evidence indicates that
remittances may create opportunities to build retirement funds and other forms of
long-term savings.

22
United Nations, World Economic and Social Survey 2007: Development in an Ageing World (Sales
No. E.07.II.C.1).

41

In order to ensure that sound decisions are made with regard to income
provision for older persons, the following questions should be considered within each
country context:
• Is the poverty rate higher among the older population than among the rest of
the population?
• What level of social protection do contributory schemes provide for older
persons?
• Are the types and levels of social assistance benefits provided for older
persons appropriate and adequate?
• Should non-contributory pensions be means-tested and restricted to the most
vulnerable older persons, or should they be provided as part of a universal
scheme covering the entire older population?

Box 12. Social pensions and older persons

Social pensions have attracted increased attention from policy makers in recent years and are
sometimes linked to wider social protection programmes through which poor households receive
limited cash transfers. New schemes have been introduced in a range of countries, including
Bangladesh, Bolivia and Zambia. It is essential that research be carried out to establish the
effectiveness of such programmes in these distinctive settings.

A number of developing countries, notably Brazil and South Africa, have been operating large-
scale non-contributory pension schemes for their older populations. In South Africa it is estimated
that almost 2 million people receive social pensions, at a total cost of around 1.4 per cent of GDP.
In Brazil, social pensions provide for around 5 million older persons, costing about 1 per cent of
GDP. Both schemes pay older persons US$ 3 a day on average.

Not surprisingly, research has shown that these pensions have had a significant impact on
poverty and economic vulnerability among beneficiary households. In Brazil, poverty among rural
recipients of social pensions stands at 3.5 per cent but would be as high as 51 per cent in their
absence.*

There is evidence that the impact of social pensions is not limited to older persons but extends to
their households and families. In addition to providing income, social pensions may produce a
range of indirect benefits, including improved health and educational status among younger
household members. In Bolivia, higher caloric consumption and lower school drop-out rates have
been observed among rural households benefiting from the universal pension programme. In South
Africa, social pensions have been shown to mitigate the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on
pensioner households.

Source: *United Nations, World Economic and Social Survey 2007: Development in an Ageing World (Sales
No. E.07.II.C.1).

3.3.1 Means-tested transfers

In practice, most national social schemes are means-tested; by restricting
eligibility for benefits, Governments can control expenditures and ensure that
everyone has an adequate income later in life. Narrow targeting is often used to

42

provide support for older persons who are particularly vulnerable, such as widows or
older individuals living with their grandchildren.

It is argued that narrow targeting of the older poor allows Governments to
reduce poverty more effectively and at a lower cost than in broadly targeted
programmes. However, narrow targeting often has hidden costs, and once these are
factored in, the most finely targeted policy may not have any more effect on poverty
than a broadly targeted one.23

Another difficulty arises in targeting the poorest. In countries at the lower end
of the socio-economic spectrum older persons often live with their families, and an
equitable distribution between household members might not be achievable.

To address the most urgent concerns within the present context, the following
is recommended:
• Reasonably reliable “short-cut” assessments need to be carried out
simultaneously with more rigorous and costly evaluations, as existing data and
methods of analysis are inadequate and do not provide an accurate picture of
programme costs and benefits;
• Targeted schemes should be designed so that incentives for promoting self-
sufficiency and escaping poverty are not undermined or destroyed.

3.3.2 Universal pensions

Age and citizenship constitute the only eligibility criteria for universal social
pension programmes—unlike retirement pension schemes, which require previous
labour market participation and include a contributory component. One example of a
universal social pension programme is that implemented in Namibia, where every
citizen becomes eligible for benefits at age 70, regardless of occupational status.

The benefits of social pensions for older persons include the following:
• They ensure food security and can facilitate access to other forms of social
protection, including health services. In South Africa, a net positive
impact on women’s health was observed among those receiving such
pensions;24
• They redistribute income more equitably between men and women.
Women often live longer but tend to be more vulnerable than men in their
later years, in part because they have less access to contributory pension
benefits and may face discrimination in terms of property and inheritance
laws;

23
Dominique van de Walle, “Targeting revisited”, World Bank Research Observer, vol. 13, No. 2 (Washington,
D.C.: World Bank, 1998).
24
A. Case, “Does money protect health status: evidence from South African pensions”, first draft of National
Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 8495 (2001).

43

• The self-confidence of recipients increases as their status within the
household improves; this is particularly true for older women.

It may be asserted that universal pensions are not affordable for poor countries
with limited public budgets; however, research and analysis indicate that the majority
of developing countries, including most low-income countries, have sufficient
budgetary resources to implement a scheme offering benefits equivalent to the
international (extreme) poverty line.25

Other concerns that have been raised about the possible negative effects of
universal social pensions relate to work incentives and saving behaviour, reductions
in intergenerational transfers, and the opportunity costs of this policy vis-à-vis other
social policies.

A particular concern is that universal pension entitlements are often limited to
individuals aged 70 years or above, yet many of the poorer groups in society may not
reach this age. Nepal has a universal scheme, but the minimum age requirement of 75
is seen as excessively high in relation to life expectancy in that country. Similarly, in
Viet Nam, universal social pension recipients are only eligible for benefits up to the
age of 85. One alternative might be to lower the age of entitlement while also linking
benefit provision to some form of poverty assessment; such an approach would likely
enable social pension programmes to reach those older persons most in need.

3.4 Key issues of concern

In recent years, pension systems across the world have been the subject of
increased policy debate, and many have been targeted for reform. In a number of
developed countries, the focus has been on ensuring the sustainability of pension
programmes in the light of demographic trends and on adapting pension systems to
longer life expectancies. In many developing countries, a key concern is that pension
systems be financed equitably to provide for all older persons. In the ongoing
discourse, the roles of the public and private sectors have been critically discussed,
with reforms reflecting important political decisions. Some countries have created
new private pension systems with defined, mandatory contributions and fully funded
individual savings accounts, while others have introduced parametric reforms in their
traditional pay-as-you-go systems that increase the retirement age and standardize
benefits that were excessively generous for certain professional groups. In many
developing countries, long-term savings instruments have been added to the financial
opportunities offered by microfinance institutions.

It is impossible to fully appreciate the implications of these issues without a
comprehensive understanding of the various pension schemes operating in a country.
Close attention must be given to the most detailed provisions of public schemes,
employer programmes, individual retirement plans, and other types of pension

25
United Nations, World Economic and Social Survey 2007: Development in an Ageing World (Sales
No. E.07.II.C.1).

44

arrangements, as seemingly minor technical changes can have a potentially
significant impact on the welfare of older persons who rely on pension payments.

Key issues requiring consideration in the design and monitoring of pension
policies are highlighted below.

Social inclusion
• What proportion of the present workforce is currently enrolled in pension
schemes? What is the corresponding enrolment rate among older persons?
• What are the key features of groups who are not enrolled? Are women or
older migrants underrepresented in pension programmes? If so, to what
extent? How are individuals working in the non-organized/informal sector
protected?
• Can coverage of future cohorts of older persons be predicted based on current
levels of inclusion in pension schemes?

Entitlements
• Are all older persons fully aware of their entitlements? How is the relevant
information provided to them?
• What is the age of retirement, and how does it vary between different schemes
and different groups? What are the grounds for these variations? Are they
equitable?
• What is the anticipated life expectancy beyond retirement for different groups
of pensioners? Are more wealthy recipients unfairly advantaged?
• Other than age, what factors influence retirement? A minimum period of
contribution? Falling below a means-tested threshold?
• Where means testing is applied, is the determination of eligibility carried out
fairly and without compromising older persons’ dignity?
• Are retirees barred from continuing to work for pay?

Benefits
• Do current and projected pension values cover the real living costs of older
persons and their families? Have the pension benefits of widows been taken
into consideration?
• How are benefits calculated? As a percentage of the final salary, indexed with
average wage levels or the cost of living?
• Are benefits calculated accurately and paid out on time?

45

Financing
• Is financing sustainable so that the needs of both present and future cohorts of
older persons can be met?
• Are older persons unfairly affected by policy decisions emanating from
concerns about pension system sustainability—for example, by changes in
retirement ages or by altered eligibility for certain benefits?
• Are pension fund managers and administrators accountable to all
stakeholders? Are all relevant concerns and developments communicated
regularly and transparently in a way the public can understand, and is
reference made to both current and future pension system prospects?

Disbursements
• Are social transfers regular and predictable? Is there a developed financial
system (with bank branches everywhere that allow the use of electronic
cards, for example) to ensure that older persons have easy access to their
pensions on a monthly basis to cover their basic needs?
• Is the banking system sufficiently developed to support monthly transfers? If
not, Governments may opt for yearly payments (as does the Bono Solidario,
or Bonosol, programme in Bolivia), semi-annual payments (perhaps using
postal services to transfer funds, as is often done in India), or even the use of
microfinance institutions. NGOs, schools, health centres or other established
community institutions may be used for pension disbursement in remote
locations (such as those in Mozambique and Zambia).

More generally, focal points will need to determine how pension systems are
established and who sets the rules. This can sometimes be an obscure process; it may
be difficult to differentiate between political expediency and economic imperatives. A
key objective is to ensure that all stakeholders are well informed and are able to
participate in pension policy development and reform.

The following actions are required to ensure that older persons are effectively
engaged in, and benefit fully from, all aspects of the process, from the development
of pension policy to the receipt of secure benefits:
• Ensure the formal representation of older persons and pensioners in all
decision-making bodies. Such representation should reflect the diversity of the
older population in a particular country;
• Encourage the production and dissemination of information about pensions in
forms that will be easily understood by the entire population. Appropriate use
can be made of the media;
• Train organizations representing pensioners and older persons in technical
areas such as pension finance and management so that they are able to
effectively engage with policy makers;

46

• Enact legislation to protect the rights of individuals vis-à-vis private pension
funds, such as those offered by employers or sold commercially by financial
institutions.

3.5 Mainstreaming concerns of older persons into pension and social security
programmes

Since older persons are usually the main beneficiaries of pension and social
security programmes, it is sometimes assumed that their concerns are automatically
mainstreamed within these contexts. The fact is that many older persons are ill-
informed about pension policy, poorly served by it, and exert little influence over it.

In many developed countries almost all older persons are pensioners, and the
great majority of pensioners are older persons. However, this situation is starting to
change as a result of early retirement and increases in the age at which old age begins.

In many developing countries the overlap between old age and pensioner
status is less clear. First, only a small proportion of the older population may be
receiving a pension; older persons (especially women) who have experienced a
lifetime of poverty and limited participation in the formal labour market are unlikely
to be pensioners. Second, there are pension schemes for specific groups, such as
senior civil servants, that allow workers to retire well before the age of 60.

In the developing country scenario, a key issue for those attempting to
mainstream older persons’ concerns into pension policy development and
administration is whether older persons without pensions have a stake in the pension
system. It is often claimed that they do not, since they may not have made direct
financial contributions to a pension fund. However, there are several important
counter-arguments:
• Not all “contributory” pension programmes are funded entirely by worker
contributions; financing may be obtained through a variety of direct and
indirect channels;
• Some older persons may have made contributions to one or more pension
funds during their working lives, but not enough to entitle them to pension
benefits;
• The formal economic sector often benefits from informal activities (such as
unpaid caregiving), so it may be asserted that informal workers indirectly
contribute to formal pension schemes.

Pensioners may have a special interest in the operation of pension funds;
however, focal points should ensure that all older persons, including non-pensioners,
are represented.

47

Box 13. Implementing cash transfer projects

The Government of Uganda recently began collaborating with other Governments, donors, NGOs,
research institutions and international agencies to develop a pilot cash transfer programme to inform
the development of social protection measures aimed at poverty reduction. The Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development, which spearheads the Social Protection Task Force, and the Ministry
of Finance, Planning and Economic Development are the State entities most actively involved in this
initiative.

With support from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), the
Chronic Poverty Research Centre and the Ugandan centre for Development Research and Training put
together a proposal for a pilot cash transfer scheme for the Government to consider. The proposal
recommends that the programme target those individuals most vulnerable at the community level. To
enrich the discussion, HelpAge International worked with the Social Protection Task Force to convene
a panel of experts to explore the possibility of incorporating a “categorical transfer” component in the
programme and to support the piloting of a social pension scheme within this framework should such
an option prove feasible.*

The Government and the main donor (DFID) are keen to include older persons in national poverty
reduction responses and support the inclusion of a social pension pilot in the cash transfer scheme
under development. Older persons are recognized as a vulnerable group, and the Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development has struggled to mainstream ageing into policies that affect them.
Throughout this process, important evidence has been shared on the cost, implementation,
administration, and political support of both vulnerability and categorical transfer schemes. To further
build capacity in these areas, the Government of South Africa has invited the Ugandan Task Force to
attend a training course conducted by the Economic Policy Research Institute on the design of cash
transfer programmes.

The inclusion of a social pension scheme in the proposed cash transfer programme in Uganda
represents an important project with the potential to inform other such initiatives in the region.

*The African Expert Panel on Social Protection in Uganda was held in Kampala on 15 and 16 March 2007.
Panelists included representatives from the Governments of Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and the United Kingdom, as
well as experts from the South African Economic Policy Research Institute, International Labour Organization,
Ugandan centre for Development Research and Training, Uganda Reach the Aged Association (a national NGO),
and HelpAge International.

3.6 Families and social protection

Certain cultures place a high value on the care of elder relatives. Families and
households are an important source of informal social protection for older persons,
especially in developing countries; in many cases, such support can be more
substantial than that formally provided by the State. This is reflected in the lower
proportions of older persons living alone or in institutions—and is sometimes given
as a reason for not developing extensive pension programmes. Unfortunately, the
personal and financial security that families have traditionally provided for their
ageing members in many societies is no longer guaranteed; in fact, it is likely to
decline with changes in family size, social attitudes, and economic circumstances.

Although co-residence is typically associated with the provision of financial
support for older persons, research shows that the relationship between living

48

arrangements and informal social protection is not straightforward. Where affordable
housing is limited, living together is less likely to be a matter of choice. In some
situations, overcrowding may compromise older persons’ privacy and increase their
vulnerability to abuse. It cannot be assumed that sharing a household automatically
guarantees an older person social protection by family members. These relationships
must be explored through qualitative surveys in a variety of settings before any
conclusions can be drawn.

It is also important to assess the relationship between households and formal
social protection policies. An older person’s pension income may be shared with
other members of the family; in such cases, the direct financial benefit for the
targeted beneficiary is diluted, though this disadvantage may be offset by the older
person’s improved status within the family and his or her increased access to other
resources and support. The dynamics of this situation may be affected by gender; for
instance, an older woman may be more likely than an older man to share pension
income, and cultural factors may determine the impact this has on her status within
the family.

49

Section 4
Taking population ageing into account in health policy

4.1 Ensuring equitable access to adequate health services

4.1.1 Starting points

Most national constitutions acknowledge that all age groups have the right of
equal access to health services. However, the reality is that budget limitations and the
scarcity of public resources compel all countries to establish health-care priorities. A
major goal in policy development and review is to ensure that vulnerable or
disempowered groups such as older persons are treated fairly and without
discrimination in any resource prioritization framework.

To understand the challenges emanating from the health sector it is first
necessary to identify the nature of the health-care system. Essentially, interrelated
agencies in both the public and private sectors are set up to provide services to people
who need them, including older persons. In order to identify services of special
relevance to older persons and to address those policies relating to such services, key
points of entry to the health-care system need to be found.

As in other areas of mainstreaming, an essential starting point is to establish
an effective focal point—namely, a government office with appropriate expertise,
strong “upstream links” to key figures within the Government and international
bodies, and solid “downstream links” to champions of change in key institutions at
both the local and national levels.

Challenging negative attitudes policy makers and health professionals may
have towards older persons represents the first step in any effort to ensure the fair
distribution of resources. There is evidence that age discrimination lies at the heart of
many resource allocation and service access decisions in the health sector.26 Part of
this discrimination relates to the perception of older persons as being less
economically productive than younger people and therefore somehow less worthy of
professional care and resources.27 Another factor is simply age itself; older persons
may not receive adequate medical treatment because they are seen to be approaching
the final years of their lives, and questions arise regarding the relative cost and
effectiveness of any health intervention.

26
One example might be the exclusion of older persons from tests and experiments on new drugs,
resulting in a lack of information on their impact on older persons.
27
See the report by Tracey McDonald entitled “For their sake: Can we improve the quality and safety
of resident transfers from acute hospitals to residential aged care?” (September 2007) (available from
http://www.agedcareassociation.com.au).

50

The following are important basic considerations when designing health-care
policy for older persons:
• Fair access to health services is a fundamental human right. National
constitutions do not discriminate between age groups. Policies that do not
guarantee all segments of the population equitable access to health resources
can be challenged on both ethical and legal grounds;
• Investing in health maintenance for older persons may reduce their need for
care and enable them to continue to contribute to society. Policies that prevent
disease and disability and promote health and well-being benefit all age
groups. Healthy ageing begins in pregnancy and childhood.

The changes older persons experience in their physical and mental abilities are
part of the normal ageing process. Preventive measures and medication can help them
adapt to these changes and enjoy a decent quality of life despite the inevitable frailty
that comes with advanced age. One of the dangers inherent in interpreting normal
physiological changes as medical conditions is that growing old is perceived as a
deficiency when in fact it is occurring just as it should after a long life. Promoting
public acceptance of the idea that older persons are comparatively frail but can
benefit from health maintenance and illness prevention strategies challenges negative
stereotypes and encourages the belief that they deserve equal access to health
services. There is great value in undertaking educational and awareness-raising
campaigns aimed at health sector professionals to help eliminate any tendency
towards prejudicial stereotyping.

Population ageing poses new challenges for the health sector. One of these
challenges relates to the epidemiological transition currently under way in developing
countries, in which the predominance of acute infectious diseases is giving way to the
predominance of chronic diseases often associated with the ageing process. In order
to plan for their future health-care needs, including increased demand for specific
services among the growing older population, countries need to establish appropriate
indicators and to initiate targeted epidemiological studies on the evolving health
situation within their population.

4.1.2 Data sources and collection strategies

4.1.2.1 Epidemiological data

Epidemiological trends vary from country to country and are far from
uniform. Robust epidemiological data are increasingly available for developed
countries but remain relatively scant for developing countries. In any examination of
relevant international developments and reports, the following should be borne in
mind:
• There are important variations in the health status and profiles of older
persons in different countries (see table 1 in section 1). It should not be
assumed that trends in one country are directly comparable with those in

51

others. However, information from other countries does provide a useful place
to begin thinking about what may be happening in the country in which the
focal point operates;
• Older populations are diverse, and health profiles of older persons vary
significantly even within countries. These differences may be based on factors
or characteristics such as sex, culture, religion, level of education, occupation,
geographical location and/or socio-economic status.

Possible sources of useful epidemiological data are identified in the
subsections below.

Existing age-disaggregated data

Age-specific epidemiological data can provide an indication of the level of
priority certain health problems should be accorded. In some countries, for example,
infectious diseases may be particularly prevalent and have the potential to cause
serious harm to vulnerable groups, including older persons.

Many smaller countries have not yet begun building a national
epidemiological database, but for those countries that are in the process of doing so, it
is important to ensure that the data are gathered and analysed correctly. In assessing
the quality of epidemiological data, the following must be considered:
• Is the sampling rigorous?
• Are the data based on self-reporting? Several problems are associated with
this approach, the most notable one for older persons being that they may not
declare the full range of their health problems for various reasons;
• Do the data come from a clinical assessment? Assessment tools and scales
used by clinicians are drawn from a range of sources; it may be worthwhile to
identify which assessment tools were used and whether these have been
independently validated. If they have, and all clinicians are using the same
tool(s), comparisons can be made and assumptions drawn from the results.

General data

Demographic and health surveillance systems in many developing countries
and public health observatories in a number of developed countries may provide
extensive health-related data but not in an age-disaggregated format. Sources such as
these provide some background and baseline information against which it may be
worthwhile to conduct local surveys to establish what is happening with a particular
group, location, or health occurrence. Even in developed countries it is difficult to
arrange for aggregate data to be age-disaggregated; it often takes several years before
even basic demographic data are available from the national census.

52

Ongoing data collection

Health systems routinely collect data on key incidents, service utilization, and
disease prevalence, among other variables. Surveys usually include age as a variable,
and it is possible that other variables associated with the care of older persons could
be included if required. A strategy for gathering evidence to support the development
of health policy for the ageing population might be to identify key surveys and have
the variables of greatest interest included in subsequent reporting processes.

New surveys targeting older persons

Surveys can be undertaken by health services or by universities or other
entities commissioned to investigate specific areas of interest. Survey developers can
select from a range of approaches according to the type of information sought. There
are many different methods available, but they usually fall into one of two major
categories, as elaborated below.

Quantitative surveys on older persons’ health constitute one approach.
Statistical data analysed descriptively and inferentially can provide a firm basis upon
which arguments can be mounted for the reallocation of resources—for example,
where some groups are shown to be disadvantaged by certain processes or events.
This type of analysis is invariably required in support of submissions recommending
the distribution of financial resources. In deciding on whether to pursue a quantitative
survey approach, it is useful to consider the following:
• Developing, testing, distributing, collecting, collating and analysing the
surveys can be both expensive and time-consuming, so the process as a whole
must be driven by a clear purpose. For example, this type of analysis
constitutes an essential factor in recommendations and decisions relating to
the distribution or reallocation of resources;
• Statistical data presented without reference to the context in which
respondents are operating can be misleading, as it is virtually impossible to
interpret or assess results with any precision when all aspects of the situation
are reduced to numbers.

Qualitative approaches are frequently used to complement quantitative
approaches, providing the context so valuable in interpreting statistical findings.
Combining the two approaches can effectively strengthen the voice of the ageing
population within the policy arena, as elaborated in the following:
• Providing older persons and their families with opportunities to express their
own views with regard to priorities and services enables them to gain a better
understanding of policy processes and to participate in health policy
development;
• Identifying case-study exemplars can add weight to policy submissions and
debates. Personal accounts relating to intended and unintended consequences
of policies can be persuasive in the policy development process.

53

4.1.2.2 Data on health services

In most countries, health expenditure accounts for a substantial proportion of
GDP. It is therefore not surprising that sophisticated systems have been put in place
to account for this funding, including data systems designed to monitor the efficiency
and effectiveness of all aspects of health service provision. In many instances, access
to data is limited to protect the privacy of patients and ensure confidentiality.
Operating within this framework, researchers and others charged with examining
health service data to obtain information on or relating to older persons must be
systematic and thorough. One approach is to divide the task conceptually into supply
and demand categories.

Data on the supply side reflect the range and quality of services available for
older persons. Ideally, there should be a positive correlation between this information
and the epidemiological profile of the population; however, this may not always be
the case.

A thorough audit of the health sector is the first step. This involves gathering
information on the following:
• Public, private and other service providers, including traditional healers;
• Large hospitals and mid-sized clinics as well as primary care providers such
as community medical practitioners, nursing clinics, and therapists;
• Levels of staffing and staff skills in each of these types of services, and
approximations of the types of cases and services involved;
• Systems available to facilitate the provision of medications as well as medical
supplies and equipment.

Services and activities of particular relevance to older persons can be
identified from the range of services and personnel available, providing some
indication of whether the allocation of resources is based on equity or other criteria.
Ideally, where the older population is relatively large, there should be evidence that
health services have been tailored to their needs as identified in the epidemiological
profile, with a system in place to address the types of health problems they have or
are expected to develop. Part of this service “customization” would include ensuring
that clinicians and others have appropriate skills in the areas of aged care, health
promotion, mental health, rehabilitation, chronic illness, geriatric medicine and
psycho-geriatrics.

In some countries, information on the supply of health services may
inadequate, insufficient or inaccessible. Should this be the case, it is best to proceed
as follows:
• Focus on health issues and services that are in any way connected to health
conditions known to occur most frequently within the older population;

54

• To the extent possible, identify services and activities of particular relevance
to older persons. Most health services are mainstreamed, rarely catering
exclusively to the older population; rehabilitation and palliative care services,
for instance, are also meant to benefit younger age groups.

The demand side of health services comprises older persons’ access to,
utilization of, and satisfaction with health processes and outcomes. It may be that a
complete picture of demand for services can only be assembled from data gathered
directly from older persons, perhaps as part of a comprehensive household survey of
their well-being and living conditions.

In countries in which access to health services may be limited owing to high
costs, geographical considerations, a lack of medical insurance, or other factors, focal
points might investigate whether older persons at least have access to medications.
Field studies among older persons will reveal whether barriers exist that interfere with
their access to various types of health-care services and medicinal drugs.

4.1.3 Predicting future health demand

Various types of data may be used to generate projections of the future health-
service needs of the population. The evolution of health demand is expected to vary
considerably from one country to another depending on demographic trends.
Countries in which the ageing population is becoming increasingly dominant will
experience a decline in infectious diseases along with a progressive increase in non-
communicable or chronic diseases. This dynamic will create new challenges in terms
of health-care service requirements. Health systems might need to undertake
extensive, ongoing reforms to accommodate the changing needs of the population and
to ensure the appropriate management of an ever-widening range of medical
conditions. Health expenditure and policy priorities must be firm enough to allow
careful plans to be drawn up for achieving both short- and long-term health service
goals.

Population ageing and increased health spending do not necessarily go hand in
hand. Projections of future health costs for an ageing population are very uncertain;
much depends on how health service systems are designed, managed and financed.28
In endeavouring to predict future health service demand it is necessary to carefully
examine the following:
• The structure of the health system and the way health-care services are
provided to older persons;
• The way in which the health-care system is financed in both the public and
private sectors, and how these sectors interact in service provision;
• The possibility of developing special programmes for older persons, in
particular those geared towards health promotion and maintenance.
28
Most studies concur that population ageing would likely be directly responsible for an increase in
public health expenditure of approximately 1 to 3 percentage points of GDP over several decades.

55

Key to the success of any country’s health services is the skill base within the
health sector. There is a worldwide shortage of qualified physicians and nurses, and
these sought-after professionals are increasingly leaving their native lands to pursue
better career opportunities abroad. Countries that have acknowledged the shortfall in
medical personnel and the attendant health challenges and implications might find it
useful to identify their current and anticipated human resource needs within the health
sector and to collaborate with the education and training sectors to ensure that
sufficient numbers of qualified health professionals are available to meet domestic
demand. Planners must identify strategies for attracting and retaining doctors and
nurses. It is essential that the changing age profile of a country be taken into account
when evaluating the potential for producing sufficient numbers of clinicians and other
professionals to meet evolving health service needs.

In many countries, geriatrics and care approaches for older persons are not
well developed. Clinical staff often lack specific knowledge of age-related health
issues and the expertise necessary for optimal service provision. A number of
universities and training institutions have introduced geriatrics and gerontology into
their medical and academic programmes, but much remains to be done to build the
essential foundations for effective elder care.

4.1.4 Tackling inequalities in access to health services

One important factor limiting older persons’ access to health services is cost.
Some countries have a universal health insurance system financed through payroll
taxes, and private health insurance may be available as well; other countries use
different approaches to fund health care. In all countries, there must be a system in
place to ensure that adequate health coverage is provided for the entire population,
including older persons.

Often identified as a group with complex needs, older persons are particularly
vulnerable to inequitable treatment within the health system. Where discrimination is
observed, systems designed to eliminate the risk of unfair treatment should be set up.

4.2 Policies, initiatives and reforms

The health sector is highly complex; contributing factors include the
following:
• The vast array of agencies involved—especially in developing countries,
where NGOs, donors, and the traditional sector are often prominent;
• The diversity of policy goals across local, national and international agendas
and the variety of service delivery systems, particularly if the health sector is
substantially decentralized. In decentralized systems, health-care approaches
may be tailored to the needs and interests of a particular area, but local
variations can create particular challenges for mainstreaming.

56

Box 14. Health services in Argentina, Chile and Peru

Argentina was a pioneer in the field of ageing, incorporating a declaration in support of the rights of
older persons in its 1949 national constitution. Homes for older persons were established throughout the
country, and a law was passed that provided social pensions to vulnerable and excluded residents over
the age of 60. Changing priorities in subsequent decades led to reversals in social policy, and the
important progress made in the development of social protection schemes for older people was
suspended. Recently, however, in an effort to create programmes that will advance the goals of the
Madrid Plan, Argentina has adopted a number of key initiatives to strengthen health and long-term care
for older persons and ensure their right to an active life. The Ministry of Social Development has
designed four educational programmes that will enhance the effectiveness of health professionals, social
workers and community leaders, and of caregivers and other individuals whose careers, occupations,
family situations or vocational interests involve interaction with older persons. These initiatives include
a two-year postgraduate programme in gerontology, a programme for the prevention of abuse and
harassment, a programme focusing on social volunteerism, and a national programme aimed at
improving residential care for older persons. In 2006, the Consejo Federal de los Mayores was
established to mainstream the collaboration of older persons, their representatives, and local
governments in the definition, implementation and assessment of public policy affecting the well-being
of this population group. Access to health care for older persons is provided through the social security
system. Price discounts on medications are far-reaching and freely available to people without resources
or with prevalent chronic diseases. A number of programmes were instituted in 2002 to meet the basic
needs of older persons, including Remediar, which supplies free generic medications.

In Chile, a system of universal health-care access with explicit outcomes (AUGE) was established as
part of the country’s health-care reform programme. This system covers 56 areas of health care, 39 of
which pertain to older persons who are beneficiaries of the public insurer (FONASA) or private insurers
(ISAPRES). Coverage of pathologies also includes pharmacological treatments. Beginning in 2006, co-
payments were eliminated under the public health-care scheme for persons older than 60. Health policy
for older persons is geared towards preserving their functional capacity. The main policy goals include
maintaining or recovering physical, psychological and intellectual autonomy and preventing mortality
when causes of illness or infirmity are known. The Ministry of Health administers a number of
programmes that support the rehabilitation and treatment of older residents. Older persons who are
disabled are visited by health professionals in their homes (approximately 60,000 beneficiaries), and
those who are poor receive a social pension of approximately US$ 38 per month. Older persons who
can transport themselves visit community centres that offer primary medical attention. During this
monthly visit, they receive food packages provided under the Golden Years programme and are given a
physical check-up as per guidelines specifically validated for Chile under the framework of a technical
cooperation project with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

In Peru, a similar programme for disabled older persons is run by EsSalud, the public social security
institution. PADOMI, an office of EsSalud, administers a residential health-care programme that
benefits approximately 30,000 disabled pensioners (persons aged 65 or over) in metropolitan Lima and
its districts; these individuals represent 1.8 per cent of the 65-plus population. The programme was
initially created for disabled persons at least 80 years of age, but in the past few years, it has expanded
its coverage to include persons aged 65 and over. These individuals are visited monthly by one
physician and twice a month by a certified nurse (visits may be more frequent depending on the
condition of the patient). One of the goals of PADOMI is to educate families and caregivers about
patient health conditions and incorporate them into the health team.

Sources: Alicia Kirchner, La Bisagra: Memoria, Verdad, Justicia, Organización Social (Ministerio de Desarrollo
Social de la Nación Argentina, Septiembre 2007); Government of Chile, “Aplicación en Chile de la estrategia
regional de implementación para América Latina y El Caribe del Plan de Accion de Madrid sobre el
envejecimiento, documento resumen” (Santiago: Servicio Nacional del Adulto Mayor, Octubre 2007); and María
Amparo Cruz-Saco, “In opposite directions: demographic transition and old-age pensions in Peru”, Apuntes, No.
58/59 (segundo semestre 2008).

57

It is understood that not all health policy initiatives are directly concerned
with older persons or make reference to direct or indirect consequences for this group.
Nonetheless, it is wise to begin all initiatives with the assumption that any policy—
even one targeting another group such as mothers and children—can have an
important impact on older persons, their families, and their communities.

4.2.1 Identifying policy initiatives

Focal points should begin by identifying existing policy initiatives that have
been especially influential in their own countries. In recent years, several important
developments have occurred in global health policy that have guided local and
national policy developments. Not all of these initiatives are complementary, and the
health sector may already be working to reconcile divergent priorities emerging from
national and international sources. It may be wise, where possible, to work within
current policy frameworks rather than promoting the development of new or parallel
frameworks.

Examples of influential policy initiatives are provided below.

Health sector reform

Health sector reform—a package of measures aimed at improving financial
and organizational efficiency within the health-care delivery system—involves the
following:
• Decentralizing services and management;
• Establishing cost-recovery mechanisms such as user fees for specified
services;
• Changing hospital management processes;
• Prioritizing cost-effective interventions and targeting services to those who
most need them.

Health sector reform is likely to have a significant impact on older patients.
Careful consideration should be given to factors such as the following:
• Management incentives to reduce average periods of hospitalization may
jeopardize the well-being of older patients, who often require longer recovery
periods;
• Approaches to monitoring service efficiency need to be age-friendly. One of
the most widely used cost-effectiveness tools, the disability-adjusted life year
(DALY), places an intrinsically lower value on the health of older persons
than it does on “economically and socially productive” age groups.

58

Disease-specific programmes

Some initiatives target particular health conditions. For example, the sixth
Millennium Development Goal focuses on combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and
diseases such as tuberculosis. Some disease-specific (or “vertical”) programmes
receive more political priority and resources than do others.

Box 15. HIV/AIDS and older persons

In some countries it was initially assumed that the older population would not be seriously affected
by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as sexual activity within this group was believed to be quite limited. This
supposition was reflected in the exclusion (until recently) of individuals over the age of 50 in the
routine collection of international data on HIV/AIDS prevalence. Research findings are now
challenging these ideas. In a recent study from the United States,a for example, 73 per cent of those
aged 57-64 years, 53 per cent in the age group 54-74, and 26 per cent of those between the ages of 75
and 85 reported having been sexually active in the preceding 12 months.

Many doctors do not test older persons for HIV during routine check-ups and may miss some cases.
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS can be mistaken for pains associated with normal ageing. Another
complicating factor is that older persons are less likely to discuss their sex lives and drug problems
with their doctors. In spite of these diagnostic challenges, there is growing evidence that HIV/AIDS
prevalence within the older population (including those recently infected and those who have received
treatment and are surviving into their later years) is far from negligible.

Older persons are often excluded from disease prevention campaigns. A recent survey in Cambodia
organized by HelpAge Internationalb showed that members of the older generation were ignored in
HIV/AIDS campaigns and knew less than younger generations about most diseases. It is important to
raise awareness among older persons, as many of them may be caring for infected family members.

Studies from both developed and developing countries reveal the extent to which older persons are
indirectly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic; financial hardship, guardianship responsibilities, and
the illness and death of a child or grandchild are only a few of the challenges older adults may face in
these circumstances. Recently, the focus in both research and policy has shifted to the role of
grandparents as caregivers for children and youth orphaned by AIDS. However, this is just one of
many ways in which the epidemic may affect older persons. Much depends on the local context; in
former socialist countries, for example, where fertility rates are much lower, the care of young family
members whose parents have died as a result of HIV/AIDS is likely to be of secondary concern.

Sources: a S.T. Lindau and others, “A national study of sexuality and health among older adults in the U.S.”, New
England Journal of Medicine, vol. 357, No. 8 (2007), pp. 762-774; and b HelpAge International, “The impact of
HIV/AIDS on older people in Cambodia” (2007) (available from http://www.helpage.org).

Key issues to consider include the following:
• Which health programmes currently receive the most political support and
resources?
• Do the targeted conditions affect older persons, and if so, how? Remember
that older persons may be affected in indirect ways (such as through the death
or illness of another household member), as well as more directly;
• Are older persons mainstreamed into most health programmes? Programmes
may be of potential relevance to older persons, but this potential may not be

59

realized if only younger age groups are targeted. In box 15, this tendency is
explored as it relates to HIV/AIDS.29
• Do programmes deflect attention and divert resources away from health
conditions of particular relevance to older persons? Available data show that
even in low-income countries, older persons experience higher rates of
mortality from chronic conditions such as stroke, heart disease and cancer
than from infectious diseases, yet these conditions (along with mental health
problems) are still assigned low priority globally and on many national health
policy agendas.

4.2.2 Specific care issues

4.2.2.1 Primary health care and health promotion

Primary health-care schemes in most developed countries are paying
increasing attention to older persons and their needs. In the majority of developing
countries, however, primary health care remains largely focused on other groups,
such as mothers and young children, or on providing care for acute episodic
conditions rather than on the chronic care needs specific to older persons. The World
Health Organization has formally acknowledged the critical role primary health-care
centres play in the health of older persons worldwide and has emphasized the need for
these facilities to be accessible and adapted to the needs of older populations.30

A key objective for each country is to identify affordable primary health-care
interventions for conditions that occur frequently within the older population.
Examples might include offering diabetics nutritional advice and providing aspirin for
persons with cardiovascular disorders.31

High rates of morbidity in old age are often related to the lack of early
detection of serious health conditions and diseases (such as colon cancer). Older
persons are often diagnosed and hospitalized in the advanced stages of disease,
making treatment more difficult and the results of any intervention less certain.
Providing free tests and health examinations to older persons and mounting
campaigns for the early detection of diseases such as cancer can reduce morbidity and
mortality and help contain health-care costs. France, which offers free biennial
mammogram screenings for women between the ages of 50 and 74, is one of a
number of countries that have successfully implemented early detection campaigns
and report positive results.
29
Valuable resources relating to HIV/AIDS and ageing were produced in connection with the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Policy Workshop on HIV/AIDS and Family Well-being, held in
Windhoek, Namibia, from 28 to 30 January 2004 (see www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04.
pdf); and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Policy Workshop on HIV/AIDS and
Family Well-being in South and Southeast Asia, held in Bangkok from 6 to 9 December 2005 (see www.un.org/
esa/socdev/family/Publications/workshop_aids_asia.pdf).
30
It may be useful to review the World Health Organization guide entitled Towards Age-Friendly Primary Health
Care (2004) (available from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241592184.pdf).
31
See World Health Organization, Keep Fit for Life: Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Older Persons (available
from www.who.int/nutrition/publications/olderpersons/en/index.html).

60

The primary health-care approach encourages a shift in policy focus away
from expensive, curative interventions towards health promotion and disease
prevention. It also promotes the development of linkages between formal service
providers and wider community structures. A well-developed primary health-care
infrastructure can help bridge the divide between agencies concerned with health care
and those focused on broader social services and welfare support.

Primary health-care centres, to which people can self refer, play a critical role
within the health-care system. It is estimated that 80 per cent of front-line health care
is provided at the community level. Most preventive health care and screening for the
early detection and management of disease, as well as the bulk of ongoing health
management, care and treatment, takes place in the primary health-care setting.

The World Health Organization suggests adopting a life-course approach to
active and healthy ageing, which is defined as “the process of optimizing
opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life
as people age”.32 Health promotion, including interventions targeting earlier stages in
the life course as well as specific interventions for older persons, can contribute
significantly to improved health in later life. Research findings indicate that
continuing to exercise, obtaining adequate nutrition, and avoiding falls, for example,
have a strong positive influence on older persons’ health. Despite such evidence,
health promotion remains a relatively low priority in many countries—especially in
terms of resource allocation. Greater success in influencing resource allocation for
health promotion can be achieved by developing alliances with advocacy groups
pursuing similar goals, and by educating decision makers and health professionals
about the proven benefits of health promotion for older persons.

It may be beneficial to move beyond standard approaches to health promotion.
Research has shown the positive effects of a variety of practices on health and
longevity. For example, steps might be taken to encourage or facilitate the creation of
sports associations that reach out to persons of all ages.

4.2.2.2 Mental illness

Although considerable progress has been made in identifying and
understanding mental health problems in older persons, much remains to be done in
terms of strengthening the knowledge base and developing appropriate health
responses. In many countries, relatively little is known about mental illness within the
older population, and those affected may experience social exclusion or be denied
access to relevant health services. In some African countries, older persons with
mental diseases are believed to be involved in witchcraft and are progressively
excluded from community life and even murdered in certain cases. Campaigns
designed to raise general awareness of mental health issues could improve the lives of

32
World Health Organization, Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO/MNH/NPH/02.8) (Geneva:
2002), p. 12.

61

older persons and their families; particular attention should be given to depression,
which is reversible, and the dementia syndromes, including Alzheimer’s disease.
While not reversible, many dementias can be treated, and caregivers should be given
the information they need to provide the best possible care.

Older persons with progressive dementia symptoms may require increased
personal assistance with everyday activities such as washing, bathing and dressing.
The use of day centres where care and therapeutic activities are provided represents
one cost-effective solution for meeting the needs of such individuals. These centres
may be run by local health authorities, social services or voluntary organizations, and
may include facilities to provide respite for caregivers.

Policy should be focused on the provision of comprehensive support, which is
likely to necessitate the training and education of health professionals and family
caregivers. The most effective mental health services are usually:
• Comprehensive in terms of scope, with a holistic or “bio-psycho-socio-
cultural” approach to assessment, treatment and management;
• Staffed by competent and knowledgeable health professionals;
• Supported by informed families and communities;
• Tailored, flexible and responsive to individual needs (culturally appropriate
and delivered at home or in other convenient settings, for example);
• Provided by a multidisciplinary team.

4.2.2.3 Palliative care

Palliative health-care services have grown increasingly important in
developed countries over the past few decades, though it appears that more attention
has been devoted to end-of-life care for people with AIDS than for older individuals.
Palliative health services for older persons tend to be less available in developing
countries than in developed countries. A key issue for poorer nations is whether
essential drug protocols include key palliative care drugs such as morphine.

It would be useful to identify the types and extent of palliative care services
provided by State and non-State agencies and by individuals; hospice care, hospital-
based services, and support for caregivers should be addressed within this context.
Key concerns relating to the development of appropriate palliative care include the
following:
• Whether older persons are less likely than younger people to receive palliative
care;
• Whether older persons are more vulnerable to the inappropriate withdrawal of
life-sustaining therapy and the withdrawal of fluids in order to hasten death.

62

A review of end-of-life care policies and protocols should indicate whether
the rights and dignity of older persons are being respected. This review should also
include a careful examination of approaches to ethically complex issues such as
assisted suicide.

4.2.2.4 Reproductive health care

Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-
being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all areas relating to the
reproductive system and its functional processes. Although this aspect of health care
focuses primarily on women in their reproductive years, it is also concerned with
disorders of the reproductive system in older women. Regular health monitoring is
particularly important in this field, as exposure to various sexual and reproductive
health risks can have long-term consequences. It has been shown, for instance, that
the health of an older woman is strongly influenced by high fertility during her
reproductive years and the access she has had to reproductive health services
throughout her life.

Reproductive activity can affect older persons in a number of other ways. For
example, high levels of fertility may reduce the capacity of households to meet the
care needs of older persons, and looking after multiple grandchildren can prove
increasingly burdensome with advancing age.

In some cultures, older persons can influence the reproductive behaviour of
younger generations (see box 16).

Box 16. Helping grandmothers to help mothers: an innovative mother and child health
programme in Senegal

The Christian Children’s Fund, an international NGO, recognizes that grandmothers constitute
an important source of information on breastfeeding and nutrition for new mothers. Several years
ago, the Fund developed a pilot nutrition education intervention to strengthen their role, organizing
group discussion sessions in which grandmothers, community leaders and pregnant women
participated. The intervention was highly effective, leading to significant improvements in
nutritional and breastfeeding practices in the target villages and strengthening grandmothers’ self-
esteem and community networks. Despite the success of this scheme, older persons remain largely
excluded from maternal and reproductive health programmes in Senegal and other countries.

Sources: Judi Aubel and others, “Strengthening grandmother networks to improve community nutrition:
experience from Senegal”, Gender and Development, vol. 9, No. 2 (2002), pp. 62-73 (available from
http://www.grandmotherproject.org/); and Judi Aubel and Douangchan Sihalathavong, “Participatory
communication to strengthen the role of grandmothers in child health”, Journal of International
Communication, vol. 7, No. 2 (2001), pp. 76-97.

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4.2.3 Mobilizing resources, engaging in advocacy and building partnerships

Once priority interventions have been identified, it is important to ensure that
they are highlighted in key policy documents affecting the health sector as a whole.
Relevant policy instruments may include the following:
• National health plans, which are available for most countries but tend to be
more comprehensive and detailed in developed countries;
• Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps), adopted by some developing countries
with high levels of dependence on donors and NGOs. The aim within the
health sector is to coordinate and prioritize interventions across various State
and non-State agencies and to pool funds to support particular projects;
• Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), sections of which explicitly
address health policy.

Box 17 provides an example of a priority intervention strategy established for
the health sector in the United Kingdom. In this case, the interventions were
developed as part of a wider service framework. This model of prioritizing
interventions may prove helpful in establishing links between different interventions
and in providing an overall rationale for any strategy being developed.

Box 17. The United Kingdom’s National Service Framework for Older People

The National Service Framework for Older People, established in 2001, is a “10 year programme
of action linking services to support independence and promote good health, specialized services for
key conditions, and culture change so that all older persons and their caregivers are always treated
with respect, dignity and fairness”.

The Framework was developed by policy makers and academics in consultation with older
persons, caregivers and health professionals. As well as setting general service standards, the
Framework addresses key health issues affecting the older population, including strokes, falls and
mental illness. Objectives are focused, costed and time-bound. For example, all general hospitals
treating stroke victims were to conform to national standards by setting up specialized stroke services
by April 2004. Certain provisions are controversial; some leading geriatricians have criticized the
National Service Framework for emphasizing the need to reduce hospitalizations of older persons.

Source: United Kingdom, Department of Health, National Service Framework for Older People: Executive
Summary (March 2001) (available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/05/82/95/04058295.pdf).

Alliances are needed between agencies with key responsibility for developing
health protocols and those setting priorities for health service provision. In the United
Kingdom, for example, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides
guidance to the National Health Service about the appropriateness and affordability of
new and existing medicines and treatments. In this way, NICE has considerable
influence on the range of services provided by the State and on how those services are
distributed.

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Mainstreaming activities need not be limited to the public sector; the
voluntary and private sectors play key roles in the health systems of all countries and
need to be included as well. The “private sector” may comprise a very diverse group
of health providers, including the following:
• Small clinics;
• High-tech hospitals;
• Private health insurers;
• Pharmaceutical companies;
• Traditional healers.

In poorer countries, limited State provision of health services often obliges
residents to rely primarily on private and traditional service providers. In developed
countries, private companies often target richer groups with promises of higher-
quality care. Steps should be taken to bridge the gap between public and private
health care, creating an area of overlap in which private, profit-driven enterprises in
the health sector are given opportunities and incentives to promote public health. One
policy initiative that might be particularly beneficial would involve partnering with
pharmaceutical companies in order to make drugs more accessible for the poorest
segments of the population, including older persons.

Whatever the situation, it is important that the capacity of the private sector be
mobilized to the best advantage of all older persons. This may involve the following:
• Ensuring that private providers are adequately informed about older persons’
needs and preferences, and about ways in which they can work closely with
the public sector;
• Assessing how well the private and voluntary sectors are regulated and
whether they help meet the needs of all older persons, regardless of their
socio-economic status, race, sex, age, religion, or cultural background.

Most importantly, as in all areas of mainstreaming, efforts are needed to
ensure that older persons are kept fully informed of the activities of service providers
and are encouraged and given opportunities to participate in the development of
policies relating to health service provision. One strategy would be to organize
discussion forums and disseminate information through representatives of older
persons from diverse backgrounds. Above all, older persons’ concerns and priorities
should be treated as a starting point for focal point activities, and not as an
afterthought.

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Section 5
Exploring long-term care in different settings

5.1 Starting points

Long-term care may be broadly defined as material, instrumental and
emotional support provided formally or informally over an extended period to
individuals in need, regardless of age. The need for long-term care is greatest among
older persons with chronic health problems and younger people with permanent
disabilities. The residential dimension of long-term care, including alternative forms
of housing and long-stay accommodation, is especially critical.

In some countries, families traditionally bear the responsibility of providing
adequate care for all dependants; in such settings, government intervention remains
minimal, and commercial long-term care facilities are rare. In other countries, some
services may be available, but only in urban areas, and only for wealthier families.
Where wide-ranging long-term care services are already in place, concerns sometimes
arise regarding the capacity to meet demand and the financial sustainability of care
services as the number of frail older persons increases.

In every country, it is often the spouse or other family members who provide
the bulk of long-term care for older persons, irrespective of living arrangements.
Living alone, which is common in developed countries, does not mean an older
relative is experiencing family neglect, nor does co-residence with adult children and
grandchildren in developing countries guarantee adequate care. The nature of family
support provided in developing countries may differ in fundamental ways from that
provided in developed countries; physically demanding, hands-on care is typically
required in the former, while in the latter, where extensive public services are often
available, emotional and psychological support are of primary importance. Family
support is usually consistent with the wishes of older persons themselves, who
generally prefer to remain at home for as long as possible, surrounded by familiar
people and possessions.

The need for long-term care increases with age. In developed countries, most
individuals aged 85 years and over report having one or more functional limitations.
Chronic disabling conditions may appear at an earlier age in developing countries,
where working conditions are harder and lifelong poor health more prevalent. Many
of these chronic conditions are preventable or manageable through behavioural
changes or improvements in sanitation and other environmental conditions.

Long-term care is more likely to be provided by women than by men.
Caregiving responsibilities can place women at a disadvantage; those providing full-
time care may be denied the opportunity to enter the labour force and earn an income
to meet their own current and old-age needs. It is also known that women are more
likely than men to be alone in the last part of their lives and are therefore less likely to
have a spouse to care for them if they become ill.

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Government involvement in the organization and maintenance of long-term
care has become an essential component of the care economy. State neglect of long-
term care needs can exact high socio-economic costs, including the following:
• Reduced participation by women in the labour force because of caregiving
responsibilities;
• A growing preference among women to remain single in cultures where
marriage means taking on the role of caregiver for parents, in-laws, children,
and other relatives;
• The neglect or abuse of older persons by family members who feel trapped in
the role of caregiver;
• Premature or inappropriate placement of older persons by families in
residential care or other institutions, including “long-stay” wards of hospitals.

The public, private, and religious/charitable sectors all have a role to play in
providing long-term care. The regulation and coordination of long-term care services
across different sectors is vitally important to their overall success.

In formulating or reviewing long-term care policy, the following key
questions need to be addressed:
• If there is a national long-term care policy, how is it being implemented, and
what provisions exist for determining and monitoring the quality of services?
• If there is no national long-term care policy, are there relevant policies at the
regional, district and/or local level? Do they ensure that appropriate services
are available both for older persons and for younger people with disabilities?
• Are there comprehensive national or local databases of long-term care
providers and services?
• Is long-term care well coordinated across government, private, faith-based and
voluntary organizations and other agencies?
• Is long-term care provision managed well in terms of being supported by a
sustainable financing strategy?
• Do long-term care services provide care, treatment, support and protection for
older persons while also respecting their lifestyle and care preferences?

5.2. Assessing levels of need for long-term care

5.2.1 Needs and preferences

5.2.1.1 Inferring need from general data on the age structure and status of
the older population

For conditions such as dementia-causing diseases, there is a close relationship
between age and prevalence that does not appear to vary significantly across

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countries. In such cases it is possible to estimate current prevalence and predict future
prevalence using simple age data. For most forms of disability, frailty, and limited
functioning, however, the link with chronological age is not as direct; other factors,
including education, gender, and socio-economic conditions, may also have an
important impact.

5.2.1.2 Surveys of functional capacity

Surveys need to incorporate an age breakdown of the target population and
data on functional abilities. Steps must be taken to ensure that data on levels of
functioning—such as the ability to eat, bathe, dress, make simple meals, and secure
basic provisions—are being collected for the country. It is important that these
surveys be methodologically valid and reflect the diversity of younger and older
populations that may need long-term care. Research in which older persons
themselves are involved as active participants could also provide valuable insight into
their long-term care preferences. Once data are collected and analysed, it is critical
that the findings be communicated to policy makers and other key stakeholders.

5.2.1.3 Surveys of older persons’ preferences

Data on care and lifestyle preferences should not be considered reliable or
robust unless they genuinely reflect the views of older persons (rather than cultural
expectations or decisions made by younger relatives). Because of the particular
challenges associated with data collection and interpretation in such surveys,
participatory research approaches may be useful.

The research currently available from developed countries indicates that older
persons’ long-term care preferences and priorities include maintaining close contact
with children, remaining at home or “ageing in place”, retaining a sense of
independence, and having the freedom to choose care arrangements from a range of
options.

5.2.2 The capacity of family caregivers

It is often asserted that families are able to provide adequate long-term care
for almost all older persons, particularly in developing countries; however, there is no
firm evidence to support such a claim. Cultural imperatives regarding the fulfilment
of filial obligations can obscure the fact that some families are, for various reasons,
not capable of caring for older relatives. In situations such as these, viable alternative
arrangements may need to be made. One issue worth researching further is whether
certain categories of older persons are particularly vulnerable to exclusion from
family care.

Data on living arrangements are not necessarily the best indicator of the need
for care. As suggested previously, residing alone may reflect a preference for
independent living rather than social isolation, while being part of a large household
does not necessarily guarantee good care. It is impossible to obtain a clear picture of

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what is occurring in a particular setting unless quantitative data on household
structures and living arrangements are considered in conjunction with the findings of
qualitative and other research on family support, including the stresses experienced
by family caregivers. This combined information can be used to help identify trends
with specific relevance for different groups of older persons in a particular country.
Examples of trends that require further investigation include the following:
• The increasing numbers of very old people living alone, since this could
signal vulnerability unless long-term care services are available;
• Rapid changes in the family structure owing to factors such as rural-urban
migration, HIV/AIDS mortality, and rapid socio-economic change, all of
which can undermine the capacity of households to provide adequate care for
dependent family members;
• Increasing numbers of aged married couples living alone, which leaves older
spouses with major caregiving responsibilities at a time in their lives when
their own health may be deteriorating;
• Growing numbers of older persons left to rear orphaned grandchildren
because of parental deaths from HIV/AIDS, war, famine or substance abuse.

5.2.3 Older persons as caregivers

In all countries, older persons play an important role in the care economy,
looking after the well-being of other older persons, young grandchildren, and sick or
disabled family members. The care provided by older women is especially critical,
though the contributions of some older men should be acknowledged as well. There
are several issues relating to care provision by older persons that need to be
considered.

5.2.3.1 The well-being of older caregivers

Like most other informal caregivers, older persons may willingly accept
caregiving responsibilities because of their emotional ties to the care recipients. In
some cases, however, older persons may be given little choice, such as when their
children die or migrate, leaving behind grandchildren. Caregiving can place a
particularly heavy physical, emotional and financial strain on older persons. In
Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, up to 60 per
cent of orphaned children live in grandparent-headed households. In Thailand, older
persons care for about two thirds of young adults who are terminally ill with AIDS,
and almost half of all orphans live with their grandparents.

As older persons live longer, caregiving tasks will increasingly fall upon the
shoulders of spouses who are themselves quite old and fragile. The stresses and
burdens of care provision may accelerate the deterioration of the spouse’s own health.
Are policies are in place to support older caregivers? If so, how effectively do they
address their needs? Policy should focus simultaneously on meeting the personal
needs of older persons and on strengthening their effectiveness as caregivers.

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Box 18. Training programmes for older caregivers

HelpAge International and its partners have designed three- to five-day training programmes
targeting older persons who provide care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Participants acquire
skills that will allow them to deal with opportunistic infections, basic hygiene and nutrition
requirements, feeding and bathing responsibilities, repositioning patients in bed, and the emotional and
psychological needs of care recipients.

Trained older persons not only care for their own children but also provide advice and support to
others in the community. They make referrals to tuberculosis clinics and other services using
information supplied during the training programmes. Caregivers receive kits containing painkillers,
cleaning detergents, linens, gloves, and other items to supplement their care work.

This initiative creates an avenue for HelpAge International and its partners to link up with key
organizations that promote home-based care work, such as State ministries of health, Red Cross
societies, and other non-governmental and faith-based organizations; these entities support the
programmes with skills and sometimes the replenishment of the care kits. As a result of its experience
with targeted training programmes, HelpAge International advocates the development of inclusive and
sensitive home-based care standards and guidelines to address the needs of older caregivers.

Source: Amleset Tewodros and Tavengwa M. Nhongo, “Innovative programmes that address the impact of
HIV/AIDS on older persons in sub-Saharan Africa”, Journal of Aging & Social Policy (August 2006).

5.2.3.2 The well-being of older care recipients

Many older persons receive care from other older persons, including their
spouses, offspring or neighbours; the children of older persons, who may themselves
be members of the older population, are increasingly taking on care responsibilities in
four- or five-generation extended families. In many countries, this trend is likely to
accelerate owing to both reductions in the supply of alternative caregivers (as women
of working age increasingly engage in salaried employment and as the population of
relatively healthy older persons expands) and increased demand for care (as rising
numbers survive to extreme old age). Extended longevity for both sexes means that
greater numbers of older spouses will be struggling to take care of each other as they
grow more frail and become increasingly vulnerable to illness and disability. Health
problems in the dominant caregiving spouse may have a negative impact on both
spouses.

5.2.3.3 Promoting more positive attitudes towards older persons

The contribution of older individuals to the care economy often goes
unrecognized. Drawing attention to the crucial role they play as caregivers may
increase the value society places on older persons. In countries with a high prevalence
of HIV/AIDS, increased attention is being directed towards older persons caring for
their orphaned grandchildren. Actions that might be taken to acknowledge and
effectively support the efforts of older caregivers include the following:
• Recognize and acquire a better understanding of the role older persons, and
particularly older women, play as caregivers;
• Ensure that older caregivers have access to HIV/AIDS-related information
and training;

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• Develop policies and programmes to respond to the identified needs of older
persons and their families; for example, provide for the education of orphaned
children and the material and economic needs of affected families and
households.

5.3 The need to diversify long-term care policies for older persons

Traditionally, long-term care policies have focused exclusively on the
provision of institutional care (in nursing homes or residential hostels) when an older
person has no family or when family members are unwilling or unable to provide care
at home. Increasingly, however, decision makers in many countries are incorporating
a range of options within the long-term care policy framework, recognizing that a
combination of residential and domiciliary or home care can allow older persons to
remain with their families for longer periods. Long-term care policies should support
interventions that help older persons live comfortably within a community either
independently or with their families; for example, health maintenance services could
be made available for both frail and active older persons.

A key challenge is to devise a range of long-term care strategies to ensure that
effective and flexible combinations of support services are available and that older
persons and their caregivers are offered real choices. Appropriate services provided
along a continuum of care and support can maximize the independence and minimize
the dependence of people as they grow older and more frail. Table 4 features
examples of commonly applied long-term care strategies, which range from simply
providing information to offering institutional and residential alternatives.

Given the realities of family care in both developed and developing countries,
as well as the need for countries to provide sustainable long-term care services, it
makes very good sense to support family caregiving arrangements for older persons.
The experience of developed countries is that the provision of formal services does
not reduce family caregiving; in fact, many of the services in table 4 involve some
measure of family support.

5.3.1 Identifying the right mix of long-term care options for each country

The extent of residential, family and community care provided for older
persons varies across countries. There is no set formula indicating how much of a
particular type of care is required per 100 people aged 65 or over. Comparing the
overall supply and distribution of long-term care in different countries within a region
might prove useful. If differences are large, focal points might discuss the reasons for
their occurrence with their counterparts in these countries; this could strengthen the
arguments of focal points when long-term care policy is developed in their countries.

Inadequacies in long-term care provision can result in lengthy hospital stays
for older persons. It is now widely recognized that older persons do not fare well in
hospitals; the longer the stay, the greater the risk of health deterioration. Appropriate
long-term care arrangements could mean improved health and reduced costs.

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Table 4. Collecting data on the supply of different long-term care options

Care option Basic data More advanced data
Long-term • Geriatric beds per 100 • Average length of stay in
Institutional hospitalization people aged 65+ hospital (disaggregated
care • Average length of stay in by age group)
hospital (total • Reason for
population) hospitalization
Nursing homes • Places per 100 people • Location of providers
aged 65+ (rural/urban)
• Eligibility criteria • Cost of provision
• Type of provider (State,
private, NGO, other)
Residential homes • Places per 100 people • Location of providers
(hostels) aged 65+ (rural/urban)
• Eligibility criteria • Cost of provision
Sheltered housing • Places per 100 people • Location of providers
Care in the (assisted living aged 65+ (rural/urban)
community facilities, board and • Cost of provision
care homes, • Type of provider (State,
warden housing, private, NGO, other)
extra care homes,
collective housing,
foyer logement)
Day centres • Number of centres • Percentage of people
(senior centres) • Range of activities aged 65+ who attend
frequently, occasionally
or never
• Location of providers
(rural/urban)
Home visits • Percentage of people • Location of providers
• Health workers aged 65+ receiving visits (rural/urban)
• Home help • Budget • Cost of provision
• Amount and type of care
Short stay/ • Places per 100 people • Location of providers
respite care aged 65+ (rural/urban)
• Cost of provision
• Amount and type of care
Rehabilitation • Types of services offered • Location of providers
services • Budget (rural/urban)
• Cost of provision
Welfare benefits • Number of benefits • Percentage of
for caregivers • Value of benefit(s) beneficiaries aged 65+
• Nature of entitlement(s)
Other policies of • Nature of policy
relevance

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If community care options are limited, the only alternative for older persons
may be to accept premature placement in hospitals or residential care. In developed
countries, only those with the most debilitating health problems are eligible for
nursing home placement. Some countries require a review by an interdisciplinary
team before nursing home residency can be considered. In many developing
countries, it is destitute older persons who are forced into institutional care, whether
they have serious health problems or not. Focal points need to determine whether this
is an appropriate option given long-term care resource limitations.

5.3.2 Community services

People the world over generally prefer to remain at home and maintain their
independence for as long as possible. Adequate primary care and community-based
service networks are key to the realization of these goals.

5.3.2.1 Rehabilitation services and the management of chronic diseases

There is strong evidence that rehabilitation services can significantly improve
the functional capacity of older persons, especially after a stroke or a bone-fracturing
fall. Services may include physiotherapy, the modification of living environments
and/or counselling. Therapies such as strengthening postural stability to improve
balance and the effective medical management of chronic conditions such as diabetes
and lung disease, which can lead to disability, are equally important. The availability
and quality of these services for older people should be assessed, and the key role
they can play in the long-term care mix should be emphasized. All are likely to
improve the quality of life of older persons and reduce overall long-term care costs.

5.3.2.2 Care/case managers

An important long-term care function is performed by care or case managers,
who can inform older individuals and their families about appropriate services and
help monitor care provision over time. They can also play a critical role in
coordinating care where service systems are fragmented.

5.3.2.3 Home visits

Different types of home visits can greatly benefit older persons. Community
nurses and health aides are trained to provide a range of appropriate health and care
services. Home help aides usually assist with household chores such as cleaning or
meal preparation, though in some countries they are qualified to carry out simple
health tasks as well. Health visitors can play a very important role in the early
detection of health problems and in identifying household safety hazards such as
scatter rugs or electrical wires over which older residents can trip.

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Volunteers may be mobilized to make friendly visits to older persons living
alone in the community to help prevent the isolation and loneliness that can lead to
depression and early death.

Box 19. Home visits for prevention

In Finland, a case management and service coordination model “packages” the services of various
stakeholders and providers to meet client needs. The model comprises needs assessment, service
planning and resourcing, advisement, care coordination, and advocacy. In several municipalities this
has become the standard approach to supporting and facilitating home-based care and services for
older persons.

In the town of Jyväskylä, for instance, all residents aged 70 years or over receive an initial visit from
a day-centre worker or manager. This visit may activate one or more services provided by various
stakeholders and/or the setting up of services that may be activated later as particular needs become
acute. Social work, rather than a medical or nursing approach, informs this model; the purpose is to
activate needed services and, in doing so, to empower older persons. All services provided are backed
up by an interdisciplinary team, and the model is supported by an Internet database (seniori-info) and
public awareness campaigns. Evidence indicates that preventive home visits constitute a successful
intervention.

Source: Finland, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Strategies for Social Protection 2015: Towards a Socially
and Economically Sustainable Society (Helsinki: 2006).

5.3.2.4 Sheltered housing

Sheltered housing schemes take many forms and are largely confined to
developed countries. Essentially, they offer shelter plus some services, including one
or more daily meals and various personal care options. They represent a compromise
between independent living and residential care and are provided by public, private,
religious/charitable and voluntary sector operators. Informed awareness of these
schemes will contribute to the development of appropriate national policies.

5.3.2.5 Benefits for caregivers

Family caregivers must receive ongoing support if they are to remain effective
in this role. Research in the United States has shown that targeted services can help
reduce stress among caregivers and enable them to maintain a healthy and supportive
environment for older dependants longer than might otherwise be possible.

Many developed countries offer financial and other benefits to informal
caregivers to compensate them in some small way for their loss of income-generating
opportunities. Benefits may include tax exemptions or credit towards pensions. As
noted previously, the majority of caregivers are women whose absence from the
labour force to fulfil caregiving responsibilities may result in the lack of adequate
provision for their own later years. Some developing countries offer care-related
benefits for child care but not for the care of frail older persons.

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5.3.3 A word about institutional care

Although long-term care services are widely available in developed countries,
only around 4-6 per cent of the population aged 65 years and over are in residential
aged care. The average age of entry into high-care facilities is usually around the mid-
eighties.

In many countries, institutional care carries a social stigma and is considered a
last resort by older persons and their caregivers. Nursing homes and other forms of
institutional care are usually viewed as the polar opposites of family care. However,
they should be seen as part of a continuum; there are times when nursing home
placement is the only recourse. It is important that policy makers understand the need
for these services and the role they can play in the long-term care mix. While
institutional care should be considered only after family and community care options
have been exhausted, its role in the continuum of care is still very important. There
may be a point at which the demands and stresses on formal and informal caregivers
become too great. Families attempting to provide all levels of care for older persons
risk fragmentation and a deterioration in the health of all concerned.

Nursing homes that are well-regulated and well-monitored provide a high
level of residential care; they constitute the most intensive form of institutional care,
with qualified health professionals available at all times. Lower-care residential
services, sometimes known as hostels, provide a significant amount of support and
protection for older persons experiencing mental confusion or physical difficulties
such as incontinence. Families that try to provide these levels of care at home often
find that they do not have the skills or resources to prevent or deal with malnutrition,
injuries, or the manifestations of physical or mental deterioration.

It is important that developing countries avoid repeating the mistakes of the
more affluent countries that simply built numerous institutions for older persons
while failing to consider how preferred options such as home-based or community
care might be further developed and strengthened. In many cases, community care
offers an effective compromise, with options all along the independence-assistance
continuum. Even where institutionalization is the only alternative, adapting to the
local culture is likely to produce better results than strict adherence to previously
established patterns. Homes organized around a village community concept, for
example, may be much more welcoming than hospital-style nursing homes.33

Some of the key issues focal points might wish to explore relate to access:
• How do older persons access residential care services?
• How is eligibility for residential aged care determined? Are certain groups of
older persons given priority on the basis of care needs or other factors?

33
For more detail, refer to United Nations, “Follow-up to the International Year of Older Persons:
Second World Assembly on Ageing”, report of the Secretary-General (A/62/131).

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• In accessing residential aged care, what advantage (if any) do older persons
who are “well” have over those who are very frail or chronically ill?
• To what extent is residential care limited to the destitute?
• How effective is the system of referral and the communication of essential
information between the different health and aged care agencies involved?
• Is information about alternative services widely available?
• What eligibility criteria are appropriate in a particular country for entry into
residential aged care?

Other issues requiring careful consideration relate to the capacity and quality
of services provided by different institutional care providers:
• What provisions exist for the regulation, inspection and accreditation of
residential aged care facilities?
• Is the staffing situation such that the care and treatment needs of residents are
fully met? If not, can the deficiencies be identified and remedied?
• Have satisfaction surveys been conducted among the residents? Are they
representative, robust and reliable? Are they acted upon by service providers?
• What happens when service providers do not comply with relevant standards
and regulations?
• Is information on quality and satisfaction shared with consumers so that they
can make informed decisions about care options?
• Are the rights and responsibilities of older persons openly discussed and
agreed upon by all concerned?

Nursing homes, hostels, and other forms of residential care are integral to the
local community. There should be no sharp divisions between institutional,
community and home-based care; services can be supported across several agencies.
For instance, in-home services such as meal deliveries can be organized by residential
aged care providers, and day centres for older persons living at home may be located
on the grounds of aged care facilities where occupational therapy and other
rehabilitation services are provided.

5.4 Organizing services

In organizing long-term care services it is first necessary to become familiar
with the full range of services offered and to identify their focus and quality and their
capacity to meet the diverse needs of the older population. If these combined service
resources can be assessed in relation to current and predicted levels of demand, there
is a possibility that comprehensive coverage and economies of scale can be achieved.

If a country has sizeable racial, ethnic or religious minorities, the focal point
may wish to consider tailoring long-term care services to their needs so that they

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regard the services as culturally acceptable. Sensitive care can be provided for
minority groups through ethno-specific services. However, caution should be
exercised to ensure that this approach does not contribute to ethnic isolationism or
discourage mainstream contact with other groups in society.

It is important to identify the differences in urban and rural circumstances and
to adapt care provision to local needs. Delivering long-term care services in rural
areas is particularly challenging and requires flexibility and innovation. Here focal
points may wish to consider tapping into existing outreach resources such as
agricultural extension and health workers, mail service providers, and community
volunteers. In Scandinavian countries, for example, rural postal workers serve as an
early warning system for problems affecting isolated older persons.

Existing services should be built upon wherever possible. By multi-skilling
health workers so that they are able to take on the additional responsibilities of
assessing the well-being of older persons and providing basic counselling or simple
treatment, there is a chance that older persons will receive appropriate support sooner
than might otherwise be the case. Maternal and child health workers, for example, are
in a position to assess older persons who are sole, primary or secondary caregivers for
children in the knowledge that their well-being is critical to the well-being of their
young charges.

5.4.1 Staffing issues

A strong and adequately trained long-term care workforce is critical to the
well-being of frail older persons. However, the relatively low wages (stemming from
mandated limits on service subsidies and user payments) and low occupational status
associated with long-term care in many developed countries can discourage qualified
workers from entering the field. Staff shortages exist practically everywhere in
developed countries and are projected to increase as the number of older persons in
need of such care grows.34 Shortages of skilled workers can jeopardize the well-being
of older persons whether they are living at home or receiving some form of
institutional care.

A common response in many developed countries has been to look overseas
for health professionals and other long-term care workers. Often, registered and
licensed practical nurses are willing to leave their home countries and relocate
elsewhere because of higher salaries, better working conditions, and the prospect of
greater safety or respect for themselves and their families. Some accept positions in
nursing homes as care workers or serve as live-in workers in older persons’ homes
while they wait for their professional qualifications to be recognized by their host
countries or work to obtain additional qualifications that may be required for
certification.

34
See, for instance, Kristin Smith and Reagan Baughman, “Caring for America’s ageing population: a
profile of the direct-care workforce”, Monthly Labor Review (United States Department of Labor,
September 2007), pp. 20-26.

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In some instances, migrant care workers face formidable cultural and
linguistic barriers in their host countries. Since much long-term care is hands-on, the
ability to communicate appropriately with older residents is critical to the quality of
their care. Some countries, including Australia, administer an English language and
cultural awareness test to immigrants who want to work and live there.

The globalization of the long-term care workforce presents both risks and
opportunities for source and destination countries. A number of key questions should
be considered by labour-sending and labour-receiving countries in the development of
policies on the recruitment of qualified and unqualified health-care workers from
abroad.

Questions to be considered by destination countries include the following:
• Should immigration eligibility policies for unqualified workers be liberalized
to mitigate long-term care workforce shortages?
• Can migrant workers be used effectively to address the diverse care needs of
ageing populations in developed countries?
• To what extent are foreign long-term care workers, especially those providing
in-home care, operating illegally in developed countries? Those working
outside the formal employment system may be vulnerable to exploitation,
including long hours, low wages, and abuse from clients, co-workers and
managers.

Source countries often have different priorities and need to give some thought
to the following:
• What is the projected long-term impact of losing qualified and unqualified
health-care workers?
• Are developing countries’ investments in health-care education being used to
subsidize care in developed countries? To what extent are such expenditures
and productivity losses offset by remittances?
• If large numbers of qualified professionals are leaving the country, what is
being done to encourage them to remain? For example, are efforts being made
to establish competitive levels of remuneration, expand employment benefits,
improve workplace safety, provide tax incentives, or enhance professional
status and respect? In countries that are or have recently been involved in
conflict situations, are serious efforts being made to restore law and order?

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5.4.2 Consumer choice

In developed countries, the emphasis is on community care and on finding the
best ways to expand options and choices for older persons. Innovations might include
the following:
• Extending consumer-directed care through direct cash payments rather than
the provision of public services;
• Expanding the types of services available to include, for example, home visits
and night-sitting;
• Adding more housing options that come with a variety of support services;
• Providing small group homes in lieu of larger institutional facilities for
persons suffering from dementia and other debilitating conditions.

5.4.3 Coordination of health and social services

The interdependencies of health, social, and housing services and informal
caregiving with long-term care make the coordination of services critical; it is the
synergy between these aspects of care that can enhance the well-being of older
persons the most. Such coordination may be problematic because health, social and
housing services often operate out of separate ministries, are provided at different
levels of government, and may be fragmented among the public, private and non-
profit sectors. It is unrealistic to ask older persons and their families to reach out to a
large number of separate organizations to coordinate their own care; quite often, they
are not even aware of what services are available. Various forms of interministerial
and intersectoral collaboration are required to establish an integrated framework for
long-term care service provision.

Information and referral services are among the useful coordination
mechanisms that have been created in some countries, with expert staff available to
steer clients in the appropriate direction, but it is multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary
assessment teams that evaluate, recommend and organize needed services.

Strong partnerships between government and all other concerned agencies are
essential for mainstreaming health and community services for older persons.
Relevant priorities include the following:
• Developing and implementing public awareness campaigns to inform the
community about service availability, eligibility and costs;
• Convincing professionals to revise their views on service “separateness” and
developing a streamlined system for facilitating client referrals between
service agencies;
• Promoting a system-wide understanding and appreciation of all services so
that clients making contact at any point within the integrated system will be
provided assistance in accessing other services.

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Box 20. A comprehensive and integrated system of health and aged care services (Australia)

Ideally, the services available for older persons should be incorporated into a large, integrated
system of health, community and aged care services provided by all sectors. Within such a framework,
it becomes possible for older persons and their families and support groups to exercise a degree of
choice in accessing services that best fit their requirements. Residential aged care is but one aspect of a
comprehensive range of services offered to older persons. The Australian system of health and aged
care represents one example of service collaboration and coordination, as depicted in the diagram
below.

Diagram: Australian health and aged care system

Public health care system – hospitals and community services

Private health care system – hospitals and medical services

Retirement Community care

Residential Older persons
and their CACP EACH
families and
High Low friends
care care
(nursing (hostel) HACC Respite
home) (home (short
help) stay)

Community and voluntary organizations – service and support

Notes: CACP = community aged care packages (no nursing or treatment)
EACH = extended care at home (includes nursing and treatment)
HACC = home and community care

Source: Tracey McDonald, “Transferring knowledge to the ‘pointy end’ of aged care”, presented at the Better
Practice events held by the Australian Government’s Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency in Sydney
on 24 and 25 August 2006.

5.4.4 Protecting the rights of older persons

Special attention must be given to safeguarding the rights of frail older
persons, as they are invariably defenceless and particularly vulnerable to abuse.
Sadly, the situations that place older persons most at risk are living at home with
abusive family members and living alone at home in an unsafe neighbourhood. This
type of abuse is difficult to detect because it occurs in the privacy of older persons’
homes and often goes unreported.

Mechanisms that have been developed to protect the rights of residents in
institutional care settings—in addition to official regulations and inspections—
include formal family members’ committees to maximize consultation, ombudsman
programmes, prominently displayed bills of rights, and adherence to advance care

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directives or living wills. The strongest protection, however, remains that provided by
caring and attentive family members or friends who can become a voice and an
advocate for an older person when extreme dependency sets in. Where this is not
available, advocacy on behalf of older persons must be provided by long-term care
service providers themselves.

5.5 Protecting older persons from abuse and neglect

Although older persons enjoy civil rights in most countries, they may be
unable to defend them in situations of abuse and neglect. Public awareness of the
mistreatment of older persons has grown in recent years; however, it is not a new
phenomenon. This infringement of basic human and citizenship rights continues to
occur in both developed and developing countries. Surveys from Canada, Finland,
France, the United States and the United Kingdom indicate that between 4 and 6 per
cent of older persons living at home have experienced some form of abuse.35 Abusive
behaviour can be found among both family members and service providers.

The absence of common definitions in reporting incidents of elder abuse
makes it virtually impossible to collect enough classifiable data and systematic
evidence to assess the nature and extent of the phenomenon. This does not mean that
the problem of abuse cannot be identified and fully understood. Unfortunately, frail
older persons are extremely vulnerable to abuse and other destructive behaviours that
endanger them or cause them harm. They are often the victims not only of direct
forms of aggression, but also of neglect; their basic needs may be ignored, their
dignity denied, and any social contact severely proscribed. Abuse can be physical,
emotional, sexual, psychological or financial in nature. Research shows that the abuse
of older persons generally occurs within a care relationship, either inside the home or
in an institution.

Legal statutes and systems for reporting claims and substantiated instances of
maltreatment may contribute to reducing elder abuse. In Australia, the reporting of
accusations of abuse within long-term care facilities was made mandatory in 2007
following an incident of abuse in one of the country’s aged care homes.

Every effort must be made to identify cases of abuse and to undertake
appropriate interventions, which might include the counselling or training of family
members or service staff or even the removal of older persons from abusive
situations. Medical, psychological and financial assistance may be required. Focal
points might wish to encourage or facilitate the provision of targeted services through
existing health and social service networks.

Special hotlines and information centres represent important resources for
informing older persons about their rights. Organizations of older persons might
provide older victims with legal advice and other appropriate services.

35
Etienne G. Krug and others (editors), World Report on Violence and Health (Geneva: World Health
Organization, 2002).

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In many countries there has been a reluctance to recognize elder abuse as a
major social problem and even a general tendency to deny that it occurs. In these
situations, lessons may be drawn from efforts to mainstream the issues of child abuse
and violence against women. Focal points on ageing should discuss effective
strategies for highlighting the problem of elder abuse with their counterparts working
in these areas, and steps should be taken to ensure that abuse against older persons is
addressed within wider domestic violence response initiatives.

Starting points include the following:
• Reviewing current legislation on domestic violence and abuse. Does it deal
with the specific vulnerabilities of older persons?
• Assessing how cases of reported abuse are handled by the legal system;
• Identifying key individuals responsible for coordinating policy on elder abuse
or on abuse in general;
• Reviewing available data on abuse. Focal points should realize that reported
levels are likely to reflect the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of true prevalence,
as many instances of abuse go unreported;
• Convening meetings of older persons’ organizations and key stakeholders to
discuss the issue of abuse and secure media coverage.

Key requirements for mainstreaming awareness of elder abuse include:
• Raising the general profile of this issue and ensuring that the general public
understands the problem so that elder abuse is taken as seriously as, say, child
abuse;
• Developing a supportive legal framework to encourage older persons to report
abuse;
• Sensitizing and training key groups such as health workers and police to
recognize and act on abuse—for example, by developing an education
package on elder abuse for primary health-care professionals that includes a
screening and assessment tool.

Box 21. Preventing the abuse of older persons in the United States

In an effort to underline society’s abhorrence of crimes against older victims and provide a
deterrent to such behaviour, many state legislatures have created special legal provisions to address
various forms of elder abuse. Laws criminalizing the abuse of older persons are in effect in all
states and in the District of Columbia. Generally, these laws define the conduct that constitutes a
specific form of abuse and may draw a distinction between abuses committed in a domestic setting
and those occurring in an institutional setting.

In some states, elder abuse laws are incorporated into assault, battery, domestic violence and/or
sexual assault statutes, with a sentencing enhancement imposed if the victim is over a specified
age. Illinois uses a combined approach; there are separate laws for aggravated battery of a senior
citizen and for criminal neglect or financial exploitation of an older person, but the victim’s age is
included as a special classification under aggravated criminal sexual assault and abuse laws.

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5.6 Financing long-term care

In all countries, it is important to consider how different long-term care
options are financed and whether the funding available for such care is sufficient to
meet the needs of older persons. Where private providers play a major role,
consideration should be given to the extent of affordable options for poorer older
persons. For government and voluntary sector schemes, focal points should consider
whether services are universally available at little or no out-of-pocket cost or whether
wealth and capacity serve to ration services. Where means-testing is applied, focal
points should cost out relevant administrative expenses to determine whether
providing universal benefits is that much more costly.

Some developed countries, including Germany, Israel and Japan, recognize
that long-term care is a major life risk and have established long-term care insurance
schemes under national social security programmes. This guarantees that all
individuals will have access to such care regardless of their economic circumstances.
Schemes differ in whether they provide services and/or cash benefits and in the types
of services covered. Other countries are looking at private long-term care insurance as
a means of financing long-term care. However, the cost of such policies can be high,
particularly if one does not self-insure before reaching old age.

Box 22. Long-term care policies in Japan and Germany

Japan and Germany, two of the world’s oldest countries in demographic terms, have introduced
national long-term care insurance programmes. Each has taken different approaches to facilitating
long-term care, and both have provided support for family caregivers to support ageing in place.
Japan is promoting individual independence and supporting families through measures that prevent
or delay the institutionalization of older persons. The country has introduced a long-term care
insurance plan under which systematic improvements have been made to create a high-quality care
service infrastructure that responds to the needs of older persons requiring assistance. Efforts have
included the training of individuals providing home-based services (such as home helpers) and the
development of care-related facilities (such as special nursing homes). Amendments to the long-term
care insurance law include provisions for effecting a shift in the existing care system to, inter alia,
make it prevention-oriented and improve the quality of care.
The Federal Parliament of Germany, aware of the growing numbers of older persons in need of care,
adopted a long-term care insurance scheme that entered into force in 1995. The insurance is
mandatory, with monthly contributions shared equally by employers and employees, and covers
services expected to be needed for six months or more. The ability to perform various daily or routine
activities is considered when assessing needs relating to, for example, mobility, personal hygiene, meal
preparation and housekeeping. The programme provides for informal care and ambulatory services at
home, partial institutionalization, and full institutional care. The Government however, encourages
home care over institutionalization. Beneficiaries can select from among three types of benefits that
have different payment systems: (a) informal care services at home (cash payments made directly to
informal caregivers); (b) formal care services at home (payments made directly to care providers); and
(c) institutional care services (payments made directly to care facilities). The Ministry of Health, which
administers the long-term care insurance programme, has projected that more than 3 million persons
will be in need of care by 2040.

Sources: United Nations, “First review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing:
preliminary assessment”, Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2008/7), p. 11; and Robert Venne, “Care and
older persons: an international perspective”, Vital Aging, vol. 13, No. 2 (June 2007).

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A key message to policy makers in many developing countries is that care
provision for older persons is usually labour-intensive rather than capital- or
technology-intensive—and labour in these countries is often relatively inexpensive
and widely available. In other words, there are fewer resource barriers to providing
long-term care than to administering pension schemes and health services. With
regard to financing options, focal points might consider the use of dedicated tax
revenues from the sale of certain products. Some countries have used lottery revenues
to subsidize health and aged care services.

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Section 6
Promoting social inclusion and political participation for older
persons

All individuals, regardless of age, have the right to full inclusion and
participation in social, economic, cultural and political affairs. Previous sections of
this Guide have emphasized the importance of the following for older persons:
• Participation in the labour force (income-generating activities);
• Participation in decision-making, especially (but not exclusively) when it
involves policies that directly affect their lives;
• Participation as empowered consumers;
• Participation in the country’s broader social and cultural life, challenging
negative stereotyping and exclusionary practices.

These points provide a general framework for identifying key issues and
priorities in political mainstreaming. The present section focuses on older persons’
political inclusion and active citizenship, covering a range of activities and strategies
that may be useful for focal points to consider. As always, focal points should look at
other relevant mainstreaming initiatives and learn from them. Care should be taken
not to borrow too directly from frameworks and systems established in other
countries; while various features may be replicated, others may need to be modified
or eliminated, and new components may have to be introduced.

The classical definition of citizenship relates to the implementation and
enforcement of rights and obligations—a set of general concepts that may be
subjectively interpreted to benefit select groups in society. A more contemporary
understanding of citizenship derives from the principles of inclusiveness and active
involvement. Among older persons, dynamic citizenship entails participation in
political, social and economic affairs through the mobilization of tangible and
intangible resources, with the aim of achieving the following:
• The transformation of informal rights into legitimate rights;
• The transformation of their potential and resources into effective action;
• The transformation of their political, social and economic environments
at the micro and/or macro level.

Without the active political participation of all older persons, the scope for
progress in most of the areas addressed in this Guide will be very limited. As a
starting point, it is important to acknowledge that older persons can and should
participate in the political decision-making process:
• At the individual level (as voters);
• At the group level (through organizations of older persons);

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• At the government level (for example, as lobbyists or through participation in
advisory bodies of older persons).

In many countries there has been a recent policy shift away from the top-down
welfare approach towards older persons, with increasing emphasis being placed on
their inclusion and active participation in decisions that may affect them. MIPAA
requests Governments to ensure that older persons are fully aware of their rights and
responsibilities. In many cases, Governments recognize the need for greater
accountability towards this vulnerable segment of the population but seem to lack the
capacity and/or experience to effect the changes that would enable them to enjoy full
citizenship.

The World Development Report 2004: Making Services Work for Poor People
identifies two ways for excluded groups to become politically empowered:
• The “long route” involves influencing the priorities of political parties and
policy makers through voting;
• The “short route” involves exerting a more immediate influence on service
providers, often at the local level, through lobbying and other forms of direct
communication.

6.1 The “long route” to power

6.1.1 Older voters

Research from developed countries indicates that older persons tend to be
very interested in politics. In countries with popular electoral processes, older citizens
are more likely than younger citizens to cast their votes. A study of 15 European
countries in the 1990s found that the average turnout among voters aged 60 years and
above was 93 per cent.

The voting power of older persons becomes much more evident when the high
turnout rate among older voters is considered in conjunction with the actual
proportion of potential older voters in the total voting population than when older
persons are considered solely in terms of their share of the total population. Table 5
provides a rough indication of the potential electoral strength of older persons in a
range of countries. In Ghana and Nigeria, for example, the share of older voters in the
total voting population was more than double the share of older persons in the total
population in the year 2000.

Focal points can promote political inclusion by highlighting to politicians and
others the increasing importance of older persons as a voter group or constituency.

Although it is extremely rare for older persons to be formally excluded from
the electoral process, various factors may prevent some of them from voting. Focal
points can use available data to determine which groups are excluded and then
conduct further research to identify the main barriers to their political involvement.

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Impediments to voting may include the following:
• The lack of appropriate documents. Older persons lacking identity papers and
other official documents are generally not allowed to vote (or to access
certain services); this problem is widespread in some developing countries;
• Illiteracy. In most countries, literacy tests for voters are a thing of the past.
However, a lack of literacy skills can undermine older persons’ confidence
and their sense of entitlement to participate in elections. Modifying voting
processes (for example, using images instead of text on ballots) may help;
• Inappropriate methods or technology. Postal voting has been shown to
increase electoral participation among groups with mobility problems. Has
this approach (or other remote options) been considered in each country?

Table 5. The population aged 60 and above as a percentage of the total population and as a
percentage of the voting population, selected countries, 2000 and 2020

Percentage of
Percentage of Percentage of Percentage of voting
total population voting population total population population*
aged 60+ (2000) aged 60+ (2000)* aged 60+ aged 60+
(2020)** (2020)**
Brazil 7.8 12.8 13.1 19.0
China*** 10.1 15.0 16.7 22.3
Ghana 5.1 10.8 6.7 12.0
Japan 23.2 29.2 33.7 40.8
India 7.6 13.5 11.0 16.5
Indonesia 7.6 12.9 11.2 16.4
Nigeria 4.8 10.9 5.4 10.9
Russian Federation 18.5 25.0 23.6 28.9
United Kingdom 20.6 27.5 26.7 33.5
United States 16.1 22.6 22.8 30.3
Source: Calculated from United Nations data (2001).
* The population aged 60+ as a percentage of the total population aged 20+.
** Medium variant projection.
*** Excluding Hong Kong and Macao (Special Administrative Regions of China).

6.1.2 Voting and influence

Casting votes is one thing; whether those votes serve the interests of older
persons is quite another. To some extent, the sensitivity of political decision-making
to voters’ real preferences depends on the quality of the democratic system in general.
Focal points should determine whether older persons find it difficult to translate their
votes into meaningful influence over the issues that concern them.

The strength of the connection between voting power and political influence
may depend on the following:
• The extent to which mainstream political parties are aware of, and are willing
to address, older persons’ concerns. Focal points should discuss this issue with
key politicians and examine party manifestos to identify the relevance of their
policy platforms to older persons;

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• The capacity of older persons to make themselves heard politically, and not
just as voters. Focal points should assess the objectives, motives, and
effectiveness of different pressure and lobby groups representing the interests
of some or all older persons.

In developed countries, older persons’ concerns are becoming an increasingly
important factor in determining election results. In such situations, focal points
should:
• Ensure that older persons perceive themselves as being able to influence the
outcome of elections;
• Hold politicians accountable for their behaviour by, for example, publicizing
any of their policy positions or decisions that run counter to the interests of
older persons;
• Ensure that the growing influence of the older population is not seen in a
negative light by other groups within the community.

There is sometimes a tendency to portray older voters as inherently
conservative and self-interested, but evidence suggests otherwise. A recent survey of
older voters in the United States indicated that 76 per cent were very concerned about
corporate responsibility, and over half considered the environment a key issue. In
recent elections in France and the United States, older persons strongly supported
parties committed to radical welfare reform. A survey in several Latin American
countries found that older persons placed a higher value on democracy than did
youth. Surveys show that older persons’ interests are shaped by intergenerational
allegiances, making them unlikely to tilt political outcomes for selfish reasons.

6.2 The “short route” to power: advocacy and participation

6.2.1 Involving older persons in consultations at all levels of decision-making

Older persons can play a more direct role in the decision-making process
through mechanisms of consultation. These may take the form of special councils or
advisory bodies where older persons are represented and consulted on policy matters
of concern to them. A number of countries have established such mechanisms.

In Argentina, the Federal Council of Older Persons, comprising 12 provincial
representatives of older persons’ organizations, provides advice and coordination on
policies directed at this population group. In Brazil, the National Council for the
Rights of the Older Persons, consisting of 14 government representatives and an
equal number of NGO representatives, is involved in establishing national policy
priorities for older persons through the elaboration of relevant norms and guidelines.
In Uruguay, similar advisory councils made up of older persons have been created to
define and help develop specific policies for the older population.

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Box 23. Participation in New Zealand

The Office for Senior Citizens in New Zealand regularly consults with older persons in the
community through a network of 39 Volunteer Community Coordinators (VCCs). The VCCs bring
together people from different cultures, backgrounds and community organizations to participate in
projects that contribute to policy development. The VCC programme was developed in 1999 during
the International Year of Older Persons. The VCC network serves as a crucial link between the
community, the Office for Senior Citizens, and the Minister for Senior Citizens.

Another important consultative body is the Advisory Council for Senior Citizens, an independent
entity consisting of five committed and community-minded older persons who have been appointed by
the Minister for Senior Citizens. The Council participates in the development of government policy for
older persons by providing confidential advice to the Minister. Members of the Advisory Council meet
six times a year at the Office for Senior Citizens.

Source: New Zealand, Office for Senior Citizens, Ministry of Social Development, “Report from New
Zealand/Aotearoa to the Commission for Social Development, United Nations, February 2007: Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing”.

Other countries have independent advisory bodies that may include
researchers, representatives of older persons’ organizations, NGO representatives,
public opinion leaders, and/or other concerned parties. Unfortunately, there is little
research or anecdotal evidence indicating that older persons are using these bodies
efficiently and effectively to consolidate their power.

Focal points should undertake to ensure that the membership of these
consultative bodies is genuinely representative of the diversity among the older
population, with socio-economic, gender, ethnic, geographic, and other relevant
differences taken into account.

Organizing senior citizens’ forums is another way to give older persons a
voice and the opportunity to develop a common platform. Such forums, which may
be held at the local, regional or national level, provide a milieu in which the skills and
experience of older persons can be harnessed for the purpose of recommending and
planning needed services.

Consultation should be seen not simply as an exercise in democracy, but
rather as a mechanism for improving services to meet the specific needs of older
persons (see box 24). The cost savings associated with preventing the development of
inappropriate services should not be ignored.

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Box 24. Older persons influencing health policy in the United Kingdom

In March 1999, the Department of Health in the United Kingdom asked Help the Aged to assemble a
representative panel of senior citizens from across England to act as a reference group on older
persons’ issues in the development of the National Service Framework for Older People (NSFfOP).
The objective was to establish a comprehensive set of standards for all organizations providing health
and social care for older persons. This represented a unique opportunity for older persons to become
directly involved in developing policy.

Fifteen older persons from across England were invited to participate, including representatives
from urban and rural areas and from ethnic minority communities, as well as individuals with
specialized knowledge of conditions such as hearing impairment, arthritis and dementia. The group
began by identifying priorities and establishing a broad agenda, which was then worked up into a
report and presented to the Department of Health. Subsequently, the group continued to meet and
decided to publish a short version of its key recommendations. “Our future health: older people’s
priorities for health and social care” was issued in 2001 and distributed to older persons’ groups and
health professionals across England.

Source: Help the Aged (http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/5BDA5E97-A993-49F3-9B8E-
74E20D6413B2/0/age_today_5_citizenship.pdf).

6.2.2 Improved citizens’ monitoring schemes

Another “short route” to power may be exploited through the development
and promotion of citizens’ monitoring schemes, which seek to hold public and private
service providers accountable for the quality of their services and to discourage
discrimination against older clients. The introduction of such schemes can:
• Increase older persons’ awareness of their civil and other legal rights;
• Generate interest and investment in improving the range and quality of
services;
• Create a platform to inform politicians about older persons’ concerns;
• Empower older persons through the processes of political engagement and
community development.

Focal points should determine whether citizens’ monitoring schemes or
similar organizations in their countries represent the full range of diversity within the
older population. Every effort must be made to ensure that older persons are fully
aware of the commitment the Government has made to MIPAA and understand that
they are in a position to monitor the progress of the Action Plan’s implementation.

Organizations such as HelpAge International have supported a number of
citizens’ monitoring schemes36 for poor older persons in developing countries. With
the experience it has gained, HelpAge has come to recognize the importance of the
following:

36
More detailed information on citizens’ monitoring schemes may be obtained from the HelpAge International
website (http://www.helpage.org/Researchandpolicy/Rights-1/Resources).

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• Focusing on priority issues as identified by older persons themselves;
• Basing political activities on sound evidence; groups may need capacity
training to learn how to collect, analyse and present this evidence;
• Allowing older participants time for adjustment and providing them with the
necessary support (including tailored training programmes) in new
initiatives.

Box 25. Empowering older persons in India

HelpAge India has helped more than 14,000 poor older persons from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya
Pradesh and Jharkhand obtain State benefits they had not been receiving because of corruption,
inefficiency, and poor publicity about the availability of services and entitlements. A survey conducted
by HelpAge India revealed that 90 per cent of those eligible for the benefits were missing out. Very
few older persons had even heard about them; in some areas, only one in four knew about the pension,
and far fewer were receiving it.

The three-year Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Programme has been empowering poor older
persons to demand and exercise their rights. Working with local partners, HelpAge India has
encouraged older persons to form vridh sanghs (older persons’ groups). Each group is supported by a
vridh mitra (“friend of the elderly”)—typically a young man in his twenties with at least a basic
education; this individual is employed full-time and receives a small salary to help the group organize
meetings with local government officials and others.

As older persons have become aware of their rights, they have started taking up their cases with
local officials. A number of groups have set up small resource centres that provide information about
benefits. Some have proposed that, to make the system fairer, an older person should be present as an
observer when lists of people below the poverty line are drawn up. Various groups have also begun to
address other issues, such as primary education and children’s health. While the support of the “friends
of the elderly” has been vital, it is older persons themselves who have been the main driving force
behind the project—showing once more that older persons are their own best advocates.

Source: HelpAge International (http://www.helpage.org/Researchandpolicy/Rights-1/News/@64471).

Citizens’ monitoring schemes are part of a wider effort to promote
participation and accountability in service provision and the policy process. In order
to facilitate mainstreaming, focal points should ensure that older persons are free to
participate in all these schemes, not just those specifically concerned with them.

Decision-making processes at the local level are not always transparent or
clearly understood by vulnerable groups. Focal points will need to take steps to
ensure that older persons possess the capacity to participate in these initiatives.

6.2.3 Working with pressure and interest groups

In many countries, civil society organizations are very active in the field of
ageing and are playing an increasingly important role in addressing relevant issues.
They often introduce innovative local practices that could be generalized and
developed to enhance the well-being of senior citizens nationally and internationally.
Many are organized groups of older persons or retirees themselves or are

91

organizations advocating on behalf of older persons. Since they usually work closely
with the older population, they have firsthand knowledge of their particular needs and
circumstances. It would make sense to enter into productive partnerships with these
NGOs in order to improve policies for older persons and make the decision process
more democratic.

An important task for focal points is to map the full range of civil society
groups that engage in activities relevant to older persons. Apart from the obvious
question of their scale in terms of membership, funding and influence, focal points
should ask the following:
• Which parts of the older population do they claim to represent? What is the
basis of this representation?
• What is the role of older persons in these groups?
• Do they focus on particular issues (or just a single one)?
• What are their strategies and actions?
• Do they cooperate or work at cross-purposes with each other?

Once focal points have reliable data on these organizations, they should
consider the role each might play in promoting the Madrid agenda. Contributions may
vary depending on the fit between their areas of interest and the key priorities
identified by MIPAA and focal points, as well as the organizational profiles of
different groups and their political agendas. There are different ways to coordinate the
work of all the partners—for example, through information exchange, regular
meetings, and other joint efforts.

Opportunities to promote older persons’ involvement in pressure groups that
are not primarily concerned with ageing should be explored. Steps should be taken to
ensure that such groups do not discriminate on the basis of age or other criteria in
their leadership positions.

6.3 Raising the general profile of older persons

Focal points should identify negative and stereotypical depictions of older
persons by the mass media, including advertisers. Such representations can reinforce
unfavourable attitudes in society at large and among older persons themselves.
Working with the mass media is critically important in eliminating damaging
stereotypes of older persons. Conferences, targeted information campaigns, and other
public education strategies can promote more realistic views.37

Creating or exploiting opportunities to foster more a positive attitude towards
older persons is essential. One effective approach involves organizing a rally or

37
The Office for Older Australians, a division of the Australian Government’s Department of Health
and Ageing, has created an online gallery of positive images of older persons. The site also provides
information relating to positive and healthy ageing, work and later life planning, and health and care.

92

special event that can be seen as an opportunity to publicly discuss ageing-related
issues. The International Day of Older Persons (1 October) may be a convenient
starting point. Many countries have other days, weeks, or even months during which
older persons are honoured.

Focal points should ensure that older persons are able to participate in local
community activities and key events that are not exclusively concerned with ageing,
such as those relating to health care, women’s issues, and employment. Dynamic
interaction between individuals of all ages working towards a common goal facilitates
genuine integration and mainstreaming.

Relatively high rates of illiteracy and limited educational attainment constitute
one of the major barriers to community participation and full citizenship among older
persons. Older women in countries that have discouraged or failed to promote female
education are particularly vulnerable to exclusion. Education and literacy deficits
keep seniors from accessing and understanding information relevant to them; many
remain unaware of their rights and entitlements. In Thailand, for example, the results
of a survey indicated that fully half of those aged 60 years and over were unaware of
the availability of social security benefits for older persons.

Education is a crucial tool for empowering older persons. Focal points should
ensure that older persons are not excluded from illiteracy reduction programmes on
the basis of age. In China, a “third age” education programme has given large
numbers of older persons important learning and literacy opportunities (see box 26).

Box 26. “Third age” education in China

China offers continuing education to older persons. The University for Third Age (U3A) programme
was started in 1983 in Jinan in Shandong Province. Old-age education networks have been set up at the
township, city and provincial levels. Large numbers of older people now have the opportunity to
improve their scientific and cultural knowledge, increase their pleasure in life, and enhance their
capacity to contribute to social and economic development.

During more than two decades of development, old-age education in China has gradually been
transformed from classroom teaching alone to a combination of learning via correspondence, television
and radio, classroom teaching, and home-based tutoring. The content focus has gradually shifted from
leisure education to a combination of education for pleasure and professional training. This furthers the
objectives of old-age education—to offer knowledge, enrich life, strengthen morality, promote health,
and serve the community. Learning, recreation and action are combined.

The U3A network in China has expanded to 25,000 institutions. The number of older persons
making use of these educational opportunities has gradually increased to almost 2.5 million.

Source: China, Research Center on Ageing, “Demographic change in China: ageing of the world’s largest
population”, Papers in Population Ageing, No. 4 (Bangkok: UNFPA Country Technical Services Team for East
and South-East Asia, December 2007).

93

Increasing older persons’ political and community involvement will help
them:
• Strengthen their influence over the provision of goods and services and ensure
appropriate societal and service delivery responses;
• Overcome barriers that restrict opportunities and ensure a better quality of
life;
• Fulfil their individual needs;
• Protect their human rights, challenge stereotypes, and combat stigmatization.

The goal is to create a dynamic older population participating actively in the
development of society through the continued use of their experience, wisdom and
skills.

94

Annex I
Publications on ageing produced within the United Nations System

SECRETARIAT
(n.d.) International Year of Older Persons 1999
<http://www.un.org/esa/.socdev/iyop/index.html>

(n.d.) “Mainstreaming the concerns of older persons into the social development agenda”
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/positionpaper.pdf>

(n.d.) United Nations Principles for Older Persons
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/un_principles.html>

(n.d.) Vienna International Plan of Acton on Ageing
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/vienna_intlplanofaction.html>

(1992) “Proclamation on Ageing” (A/RES/47/5)
<http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/47/a47r005.htm>

(1995) “Report of the World Summit for Social Development” (A/CONF.166/9)
<http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf166/aconf166-9.htm>

(2000) Population Bulletin of the United Nations: Below Replacement Fertility. Special Issues, Nos.
40/41 (Sales No. E.99.XIII.13).

(2000) Replacement Migration: Is It a Solution to Declining and Ageing Populations? (Sales No.
E.01.XIII.19)
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/ReplMigED/>

(2000) United Nations Millennium Declaration (A/RES/55/2)
<http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm>

(2000) United Nations Millennium Development Goals
<http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/>

(2001) Report on the World Social Situation 2001 (ST/ESA/277-E/2001/70)
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/rwss/index.html#2001>

(2001) The World Ageing Situation: Exploring a Society for All Ages (ST/ESA/271)

(2002) “Follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing”. Report of the Secretary-General
(A/57/93).
<http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N02/439/32/PDF/N0243932.pdf?OpenElement>

(2002) “Report of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002”
(A/CONF.197/9)

(2003) “Expert Group Meeting on Modalities for Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International
Plan of Action on Ageing, 10-12 November 2003, Malta: report”
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/workshops/Malta/Maltareport.pdf>

95

(A/58/160).

(2003) Report on the World Social Situation 2003—Social Vulnerability: Sources and Challenges
(Sales No. E.03.IV.10)

(A/59/164).

(2005) AIDS and the Family: Policy Options for a Crisis in Family Capital (Sales No. E.06.IV.1)
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Publications/aidsandthefamily.pdf>

(A/60/151).

(2005) Living Arrangements of Older Persons Around the World (ST/ESA/SER.A/240)
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/livingarrangement/>

(2005) “Policy Workshop on HIV/AIDS and Family Well-being, Windhoek, Namibia, 28-30 January
2004” (workshop report)
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04.pdf>

(2005) Report on the World Social Situation 2005: The Inequality Predicament (Sales No.
E.05.IV.5)

(2005) World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WPP2004/wpp2004.htm>

(A/61/167).

(2006) “Guidelines for review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing:
bottom-up participatory approach” (advance version issued without formal editing)
<http://www.monitoringris.org/documents/imp_glob/Guidelines_draft_final_June.pdf>

(2006) “Major developments in the area of ageing since the Second World Assembly on Ageing”.
Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2007/7).

(2006) “Modalities for the review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing”. Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2006/2).
<http://www.globalaging.org/agingwatch/docs/SGreviewMIPAA2006.pdf>

(2006) Population Ageing 2006 (wall chart)
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/ageing/ageing2006.htm>

(2006) World Mortality Report 2005 (Sales No. E.06.XIII.3)
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldmortality/WMR2005.pdf>

(2006) World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision
<http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/>

96

(2007) “First review and appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing: preliminary
assessment”. Report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.5/2008/7).
<http://www.globalaging.org/agingwatch/desa/aging/mipaa/MIPPA%20review%20and%20ap
praisal.pdf>

(2007) Report on the World Social Situation 2007: The Employment Imperative (Sales No.
E.07.IV.9)

(2007) Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century: 2007 Update
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/AgeingResearchAgenda-6.pdf>

(2007) World Economic and Social Survey 2007: Development in an Ageing World (Sales No.
E.07.II.C.1)
<http://www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/wess2007files/wess2007.pdf>

(2007) World Population Ageing 2007 (Sales No. E.07.XIII.5)

PROGRAMMES AND FUNDS
UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND

(2004) The Framework for the Protection, Care and Support of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Living in a World with HIV and AIDS
<http://www.unicef.org/aids/files/Framework_English.pdf>

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

(2001) Human Development Report 2001: Making New Technologies Work for Human Development.
New York: Oxford University Press.

UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND

(1994) Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development
<http://www.unfpa.org/icpd/icpd_poa.htm>

(2002) Population Ageing and Development: Operational Challenges in Developing Countries.
Population and Development Strategies Series, No. 5.
<http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/97_filename_Pop.Dev.Strat%205.pdf>

(2007) State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth (Sales No.
E.07.III.H.1)
<http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2007/presskit/pdf/sowp2007_eng.pdf>

OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

(2006) The State of the World’s Refugees: Human Displacement in the New Millennium. Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
<http://www.unhcr.org/static/publ/sowr2006/toceng.htm>

97

REGIONAL COMMISSIONS
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE

(2002) “Regional Implementation Strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing
2002” (ECE/AC.23/2002/2/Rev.6)
<http://www.monitoringris.org/documents/norm_reg/unece-ris.pdf>

(2006) “Implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing in the UNECE
Region” (draft summary report)
<http://www.globalaging.org/agingwatch/events/regionals/ece/summaryreportquestionnaires.pdf>

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE
CARIBBEAN

(2004) “Population ageing in the Caribbean: an inventory of policies, programmes and future
challenges” (LC/CAR/G.772/Corr.1)
<http://www.monitoringris.org/documents/strat_reg/uneclac1.pdf>

(2004) “Regional strategy for the implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean of the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing”
<http://www.eclac.cl/celade/noticias/paginas/1/13611/FINAL-DSC-1-Ingles.pdf>

(2005) “Report of the Caribbean Symposium on Population Ageing, 8-10 November 2004”
(LC/CAR/L.41)
<www.eclac.org/celade/noticias/paginas/2/28632/reportL041.pdf>

(2006) Social Security in the English-Speaking Caribbean (Sales No. E.06.II.G.89). Prepared by
Oliver Paddison. Financiamiento del Desarrollo Series, No. 178.
<http://www.eclac.org/publicaciones/xml/8/26918/lcl2561i.pdf>

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE
PACIFIC

(2000) Guidelines on the Implementation of the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the
Pacific (Sales No. E.00.II.F.60)
<http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/ageing/guideline.pdf>

(2002) Access to Social Services by the Poor and Disadvantaged in Asia and the Pacific: Major
Trends and Issues (Sales No. E.03.II.F.20). Social Policy Paper No. 11.
<www.unescap.org/esid/psis/publications/spps/11/SPP11.pdf>

(2002) “Report on the regional survey on ageing (June 2002)”
<http://www.monitoringris.org/documents/strat_reg/unescap1.pdf>

(2003) “Shanghai Implementation Strategy: regional implementation strategy for the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing 2002 and the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for
Asia and the Pacific 1999” (E/ESCAP/1280)
<http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/ageing/strategy/shanghai.pdf>

(2004) “Report of the Regional Seminar on Follow-up to the Shanghai Implementation Strategy for
the Madrid and Macao Plans of Action on Ageing, 18-21 October 2004, Macao, China”
<http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/meetings/AgeingJuly2006/Macao%20report%2026%20Ja
n%20draft.pdf>

98

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA

(2002) “The Arab Plan of Action on Ageing to the Year 2012” (E/ESCWA/SD/2002/WG.1/8)
<http://www.escwa.org.lb/popin/docs/ArabPlanofActionAgeing2012Eng.pdf>

(2004) “Ageing in the Arab countries: regional variations, policies and programmes”
(E/ESCWA/SDD/2004/WG.1/2)
<www.escwa.un.org/information/publications/sdd/docs/04-wg-1-2.pdf>

(2004) “Report: Regional Arab Population Forum, Beirut, 19-21 November 2004”
<http://www.escwa.org.lb/information/meetings/events/2004/apf/Forum14e.pdf>

RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTES
UNITED NATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

(2000) The Political Economy of Pension Reform: Latin America in Comparative Perspective.
Prepared by Evelyne Huber and John D. Stephens.
<http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/document.nsf/(httpPublications)/8B4547EB0B940764
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(2004) Living Longer: Ageing, Development and Social Protection. Peter Lloyd-Sherlock, editor.
London/New York: Zed Books.

(2007) Public Pensions in a Development Context: The Case of Canada. Written by Ken Battle and
Edward Tamagno. Accessible through UNRISD website.
<http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/document.nsf/(httpPublications)/B3B20B98A0913DB
1C1257292003E377C?OpenDocument>

SPECIALIZED AGENCIES
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION

(1996) “The ILO Social Budget Model: version 3/96”
<http://ilo.law.cornell.edu/public/english/protection/socsec/publ/ilosoc.htm>

(1998) Social Security Financing: Manual No. 3

(2000) Social Budgeting. Written by Michael Cichon, Krzysztof Hagemejer and Wolfgang Scholtz.
Geneva: ILO/International Social Security Association.

(2000) Social Security Pensions: Development and Reform. Colin Gillion and others, editors.

(2000) World Labour Report 2000: Income Security and Social Protection in a Changing World

(2001) Social Security: A New Consensus
<http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/secsoc/downloads/353sp1.pdf>

(2002) “An inclusive society for an ageing population: the employment and social protection
challenge”. Prepared for the Second World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, 8-12 April 2002.
<http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/skills/older/download/engage.pdf>

99

(2003) Extending Social Security: Policies for Developing Countries. Prepared by Wouter van
Ginneken. Extension of Social Security Paper Series, No. 13.
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(2003) Social Dialogue and Ageing in EU Accession Countries: Conference Report.
Germany/Japan/ILO High-Level Subregional Conference, Budapest, 25-26 November 2002.
<http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/eurpro/budapest/download/ageing_conf.pdf>

(2005) Can Low Income Countries Afford Basic Social Protection? First Results of a Modelling
Exercise. Prepared by Karuna Pal and others. Issues in Social Protection, Discussion Paper
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<http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=807366>

(2005) Health Micro-Insurance Schemes: Feasibility Study Guide. Two volumes. STEP Programme.

WORLD BANK

(1994) Averting the Old Age Crisis: Policies to Protect the Old and Promote Growth. World Bank
Policy Research Report. New York: Oxford University Press.

(2000) World Development Report 2000/2001: Attacking Poverty. New York: Oxford University
Press.

(2001) “Social safety nets in Latin America and the Caribbean: preparing for crises”. Human
Development Department, Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

(2005) Old Age Income Support in the 21st Century: An International Perspective on Pension
Systems and Reform. Written by Robert Holzman and Richard Hinz with others.

(2006) Global Economic Prospects 2006: Economic Implications of Remittances and Migration
<http://web.worldbank.org/>

(2006) Global Monitoring Report on the Millennium Development Goals 2006—Strengthening
Mutual Accountability: Aid, Trade and Governance
<http://web.worldbank.org/>

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

(2000) “Long-term care laws in five developed countries: a review” (WHO/NMH/CCL/00.2)

(2001) “Community home-based care: action research in Kenya” (WHO/NMH/CCL/01.01)

(2001) “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)”
<http://www.who.int/classifications/icf/en/>

(2002) Abuse of the Elderly (fact sheet)
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(2002) Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO/NMH/NPH/02.8). Brochure.
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(2002) Community Home-Based Care in Resource-Limited Settings: A Framework for Action
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(2002) Current and Future Long-Term Care Needs (WHO/NMH/CCL/02.2). World Health
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(2002) Ethical Choices in Long-Term Care: What Does Justice Require? World Health Organization
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<http://www.who.int/chp/knowledge/publications/ethical_choices.pdf>

(2002) Impact of AIDS on Older People in Africa: Zimbabwe Case Study
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(2002) Lessons for Long-Term Care Policy (WHO/NMH/CCL/02.1)
<http://www.who.int/chp/knowledge/publications/ltc_policy_lessons.pdf>

(2003) The World Health Report 2003: Shaping the Future
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(2005) Preventing Chronic Disease: A Vital Investment
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(2006) Disease Control Priorities Related to Mental, Neurological, Developmental and Substance
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(2006) “Health system metrics: report of a technical meeting, Glion, Switzerland, 28-29 September
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(2006) “Integrated chronic disease prevention and control: introduction”
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(2006) “Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illness (IMAI) modules: 1. Acute care; 2.
Chronic HIV care with antiretroviral therapy; 3. General principles of good chronic care; 4.
Palliative care; Caregiver booklet” (summary of modules)
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(2006) “INTRA III project description: What is INTRA III?”. Access to project proposal and
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(2006) Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE). “General information and objectives”.
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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION/WORLD BANK

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101

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED JOINTLY WITH OR AVAILABLE
THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS/HELP THE AGED

(2003) Research on Ageing Priorities for the Africa (Sub-Saharan) Region, Cape Town, 2-4 March
2003

UNITED NATIONS/INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GERONTOLOGY

(2003) Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century. Vancouver: IAG Secretariat.
<http://www.sfu.ca/iag/events/raa_ONLINE_PDF_version.pdf>

UNITED NATIONS (PROGRAMME ON AGEING)/INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS

(2006) “Report of the Expert Workshop to Review the Research Agenda on Ageing for the Twenty-
First Century, Rio de Janeiro, 24-26 June 2005”
<http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/ageing/ageraa.htm>

HELPAGE INTERNATIONAL

(2002) A Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/implementation/AUFrameworkBook.pdf>

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Annex II
Directory of ageing resources on the Internet

This directory lists a number of resources on ageing that are available free of
charge on the Internet. They have been selected in the belief that they may be useful
to decision makers involved in policy development, programme planning and service
delivery related to older persons. Many provide an international perspective; others
have mainly a domestic (national) audience but contain content thought to be
adaptable to the situations of other countries.

The directory is organized alphabetically by topic; a complete listing of topics
is provided below. Within each topic, one or more of the following types of resources
are provided: general information; evidence-based guidelines; guidelines and best
practices; bibliographies; databases; clearinghouses; training tools; electronic
newsletters; and/or electronic mailing lists.

A number of resources appear under more than one topic heading because
they are relevant to different subject areas. Some topics (such as falls, health
promotion, mental health and HIV/AIDS) are actually subcategories of a much
broader topic (in this case, health).

Topics

Active ageing Health promotion
Advocacy HIV/AIDS
Africa Human rights
Age discrimination Impact of population ageing
Ageing in the Arab world Indicators
Ageing in general Institutional care
Alzheimer’s disease/dementia Isolation
The Americas Latin America and the Caribbean
Asia/Pacific Livable communities
Caregivers Living arrangements
Central and Eastern Europe Long-term care
Demography Mainstreaming
Development Mental health
Developmental disabilities National plans on ageing
Dying/palliative care Nutrition
Education Pensions/social security
Elder abuse Physical activity
Emergency situations Poverty
Employment Research
Empowerment Retirement
Europe Rural ageing
Falls Transportation
Gender Urban ageing
Health

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RESOURCES

ACTIVE AGEING

Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO/NMH/NPH/02.8)
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf>
Intended to inform discussion and the formulation of action plans that promote
healthy and active ageing. Developed by the WHO Ageing and Life Course
Programme in 2002.

The Future of Retirement: The New Old Age
<http://www.ageingforum.org/1/2/retirement/future-of-retirement>
Annual reports for 2005-2007. The most recent report presents the findings of a
survey of 21,000 people aged 40 to 79 years in 21 countries and territories regarding
the contribution they are making to their families and society through their
employment, volunteerism and other activities. Produced by HSBC Insurance with
the Oxford Institute of Ageing.

RespectAbility
<www.respectability.org/index.cfm>
Provides research and programme models for overcoming organizational barriers to
the civic engagement of persons aged 55 years and older, and for maximizing their
involvement. A programme of the National Council on Aging in the United States.

Senior Corps
<www.seniorcorps.gov/>
Provides information about national volunteer programmes for older Americans that
are sponsored by the United States Government—including Foster Grandparents,
Senior Companions, and RSVP, which have served as models for other countries.
Senior Corps is a programme of the Corporation for National and Community
Service.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Civic Engagement Program
<www.asaging.org/asav2/civiceng/index.cfm>
Provides information and resources promoting individual and collective action to
facilitate participation by older adults in activities of personal and public concern that
are both individually life-enriching and beneficial to the community. Created and
administered by the American Society on Aging and funded by Atlantic
Philanthropies.

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ADVOCACY

GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES

Advocacy with Older People: Some Practical Suggestions
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Manuals>
Designed to help communities and organizations explore ways to make older persons’
voices better heard in ways that are culturally appropriate and sustainable. First
published in 2000; reissued by HelpAge International in 2007.

AFRICA

African Union Policy Framework and Plan of Action on Ageing
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Policyreports>
Policy document committing African Union member States to the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of appropriate integrated national policies
and programmes to meet the individual and collective needs of older persons in
Africa. Jointly published by the African Union and HelpAge International.

Building Blocks: Africa-Wide Briefing Notes—Supporting Older Carers
Explains why programmes designed to support orphans and vulnerable children need
to focus more attention on the needs of older persons who care for them. Produced by
HelpAge International and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 2004; available in
English, French and Portuguese.

“Policy Workshop on HIV/AIDS and Family Well-being, Windhoek, Namibia,
28-30 January 2004”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04.pdf>
“Annex I: HIV/AIDS and family well-being in southern Africa: towards an
analysis of policies and responsiveness”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04a1.pdf>
Includes recommendations for the development of a strategic policy framework to
assist Governments in Africa in strengthening the capacity of families and family
networks to cope with HIV/AIDS. Workshop sponsored by the United Nations.

Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006
<www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p95-07-1.pdf>
Examines population ageing by gender in 42 sub-Saharan African countries, with
emphasis on the 50-plus, 60-plus and 80-plus age groups. Tables and figures are
provided with projections to the year 2050. A special section examines the impact of
HIV/AIDS on population ageing. Published by the United States National Institute on
Aging and the United States Census Bureau in June 2007.

105

Social Cash Transfers for Africa: A Transformative Agenda for the 21st Century
The report of a three-day intergovernmental conference on social protection held in
Livingstone, Zambia, from 20 to 23 March 2006. The meeting brought together more
than 100 ministers and senior representatives from 13 African Governments to
explore new ways to tackle poverty and promote the human rights of the poorest
people in Africa. Published by HelpAge International in 2006.

Social Security Programs throughout the World: Africa, 2007
<http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-
2007/africa/index.html>
Updated biennially, this report provides descriptions of each country’s social security
system. Published in September 2007 by the United States Social Security
Administration.

Summary of Research Findings on the Nutritional Status and Risk Factors for
Vulnerability of Older People in Africa
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Researchreports>
Highlights some key issues affecting the nutrition and health of older persons. A
compilation of summaries of reports and research surveys conducted by HelpAge
International’s Africa regional nutrition programme in partnership with academic and
training institutions in a number of African countries. Prepared by HelpAge
International’s Africa Regional Development Centre in 2004.


Addressing Older People’s Rights in Africa: Good Practice Guidelines
Designed to provide guidance for people working with older persons and those
involved in human rights issues. Produced by HelpAge International.

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS

Ageing in Africa
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Regionalnewsletters>
Highlights issues affecting older persons in Africa and provides updates on HelpAge
International’s regional activities. Produced three times a year by HelpAge
International.

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AGE DISCRIMINATION

Action against Discrimination, Civil Society
<ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/index_en.htm>
Website on non-discrimination in the European Union, created and maintained by the
European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and
Equal Opportunities.

Equal Treatment, Equal Rights: Ten Actions to End Age Discrimination
Draws on consultations with older persons from developing countries and economies
in transition to identify 10 concrete actions to ensure that older persons across the
world benefit from the full range of internationally accepted human rights. Produced
by HelpAge International.

International Federation on Ageing: Age Discrimination
<http://www.ifa-fiv.org/en/accueil1.aspx?sortcode=2.12&id_article=408&
starting=1&ending=50>
IFA policy section on age discrimination. Contains information on age discrimination
legislation, including select pieces of legislation in full text and relevant work carried
out by the NGO community.

TRAINING TOOLS

Combating Discrimination: A Training Manual
<ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/civil/train_en.pdf>
Developed to provide training on European and national anti-discrimination laws and
policies to NGOs in the 10 new EU member States and in Bulgaria, Romania and
Turkey. Does not deal exclusively with age discrimination. Available in the
languages of the member States. Prepared by the human european consultancy and
Migration Policy Group for the European Commission in 2006.

AGEING IN THE ARAB WORLD

“Ageing in the Arab countries: regional variations, policies and programmes”
<www.escwa.un.org/information/publications/sdd/docs/04-wg-1-2.pdf>
Examines demographic trends in ageing and their socio-economic consequences.
Published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
in 2004.

“The Arab Plan of Action on Ageing to the Year 2012”
(E/ESCWA/SD/2002/WG.1/8)
<www.escwa.org.lb/information/publications/edit/upload/sd-02-01.pdf>
Produced in 2002 in preparation for the Second World Assembly on Ageing.

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AGEING IN GENERAL

Global Aging: The Challenge of Success
<www.eldis.org/static/DOC17927.htm>
This issue of the Population Bulletin examines the causes of global population ageing
and related dimensions. Written by Kevin Kinsella and David R. Phillips and
published by the Population Reference Bureau in 2005.

DATABASES

AgeLine Database
<www.aarp.org/research/ageline/>
A database providing detailed summaries of more than 90,000 publications about
ageing and the 50-plus population; focuses mainly on North America, but also
includes considerable coverage of countries in other regions. Produced by AARP.

AgeSourceWorldwide
<www.aarp.org/research/agesource/>
A database providing descriptions of and links to almost 400 information resources in
25 countries. The resources are significant either in size or in their coverage of ageing
issues and include clearinghouses, databases, libraries, directories, statistical
resources, bibliographies and reading lists, reports, and Web “metasites”. Most have
an Internet presence, and a growing number facilitate end-user searching through the
Internet. Produced by AARP.

Resource Library of AARP International
<www.aarpinternational.org/resourcelibrary/>
A searchable database of links to AARP and external documents related to ageing
issues around the world. Economic security, health and long-term care, and livable
communities are highlighted. Produced by AARP.

Evidence Database of the Center for Aging Policy
<socialworkleadership.org/nsw/cap/ebp.php>
Created to help scholars, policy analysts and advocates stay on top of the latest
research and innovations in the field of ageing care; areas of focus include health
care, social services and workforce issues. Brief citations are provided. Database is
regularly updated by an advisory panel that filters, reviews and catalogues articles
published in professional journals from around the world. Produced by the Social
Work Leadership Institute at the New York Academy of Medicine.

Internet Resources on Aging
<www.aarp.org/internetresources/>
A database providing links to some of the best Internet sites for persons 50-plus in the
United States; also includes a number of international links. Produced by AARP.

108

Public Policy Clearinghouse of the Center for Aging Policy
<socialworkleadership.org/nsw/cap/ch.php>
Provides a wide range of materials on ageing, social work and public policies
produced by government agencies, NGOs, think tanks, news media and other sources.
Results are presented in brief or full formats, with links to full texts where
appropriate. Produced by the Social Work Leadership Institute at the New York
Academy of Medicine.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Aging Everywhere
<www.aarp.org/international/map>
An international clearinghouse of information on ageing populations worldwide.
Updated regularly with newly published regional and country-specific research,
reports and resources. Produced by AARP.

Eldis Resource Guide on Ageing Populations
<www.eldis.org/ageing/index.htm>
Provides links to several hundred documents and various websites related to ageing.
A resource of the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex,
United Kingdom.


AARP International News
<www.aarpinternational.org/news/>
Provides information from sources around the world on issues relating to population
ageing. Produced by AARP.

Global Action on Aging
<www.globalaging.org/quickgo.htm>
Weekly newsletter focusing on pensions, health, armed conflict and emergency
situations, and rural ageing. Articles available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish.

ILC Policy Report
<www.ilcusa.org/pages/newsroom/newsletters.php>
A monthly compilation of longevity news and trends in the United States and abroad.
Produced by the International Longevity Center – USA.

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ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE/DEMENTIA

The Growing Challenge of Alzheimer’s Disease in Residential Settings
<http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/GrowingChallenge/>
A comprehensive training programme designed to provide staff and managers of
retirement communities, senior housing developments, assisted living facilities, and
case coordination agencies with helpful information about Alzheimer’s disease.
Intended for use by staff developers and others involved in offering in-service
training programmes on issues relating to older persons living in residential
communities. Published by the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, a
service of the National Institute on Aging (one of the National Institutes of Health) in
the United States.

EVIDENCE-BASED GUIDELINES

Management of Patients with Dementia: A National Clinical Guideline
<www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign86.pdf>
Examines evidence relating to all aspects of the diagnosis and management of
dementia, including the role of complex psychological assessment, drug treatment,
techniques such as reality orientation, and interventions for behavioural and
psychological problems that develop later in the course of the disease. The Guideline
also covers evidence relating to how patients and caregivers are best kept informed of
changes in a patient’s condition. Appendices contain diagnostic and assessment tools.
Produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in 2006.


“Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and
other dementias of late life”
<www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aid=152139>
Summarizes data to inform the care of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type
(referred to here as Alzheimer’s disease) and other dementias associated with ageing,
including vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body disease, and Pick’s and
other frontal lobe dementias. Published by the American Psychiatric Association in
2007.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Social & Behavioral Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia in Diverse
Populations: An Online Bibliography
<www.aging.unc.edu/cad/bibliography/index.html>
Offers a comprehensive snapshot of social and behavioural research relating to
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in all areas of the world. Produced
by the University of North Carolina Institute on Aging’s Information Center; updated
in 2007.

110

CLEARINGHOUSES

Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center
<www.alzheimers.org/>
Compiles, archives and disseminates information on Alzheimer’s disease. A
bibliographical database that includes a collection of 8,500 health education and
information items relating to Alzheimer’s disease may be accessed at
<www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Resources/SearchHealthLiterature/>. Sponsored by
the National Institute on Aging in the United States.

Alzheimer’s Resource Room
<www.aoa.gov/alz/>
Provides information about Alzheimer’s disease and about working with and
providing services to individuals with Alzheimer’s; the site is for families, caregivers
and professionals.
< http://www.aoa.gov/alz/public/alzprof/ADDGS/ADDGS.asp>
The Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States (ADDGS) National
Resource Center shares research-based practices that are effective in serving people
with Alzheimer’s disease and their families, and also promotes the integration of
“lessons learned” from grantees’ experiences into ongoing practice though case
studies of successful programmes. In addition, the Center compiles relevant tools and
information from across all ADDGS grant sites. Developed by the Administration on
Aging of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Alzheimer Europe
<www.alzheimer-europe.org>
Provides information on different types of dementia, tips for caregivers, and
European-wide action on dementia.

TRAINING TOOLS

Demystifying Dementia Care: Education Package
<www.accreditation.org.au/DemystifyingDementia>
Designed to equip staff providing institutional/residential care with the knowledge
and skills they need to care for and support residents who have dementia. Produced
by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency in the United States.

Geriatric Mental Health Training Series
<www.nursing.uiowa.edu/hartford/nurse/core.htm>
A six-part training programme for care providers in long-term care settings. Two of
the training modules review various types of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s
disease, and model specific intervention strategies and communication techniques. A
module entitled “Back to the A-B-C’s” presents a problem-solving approach for
behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. All modules contain a detailed
lecturer’s script, notes for instructors, slides, handouts, and suggestions for additional
reading. These modules were developed for the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric

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Nursing Excellence of the University of Iowa to facilitate personal development and
staff training.

Knowledge and Skills Needed for Dementia Care: A Guide for Direct Care Workers
<www.dementiacoalition.org/pdfs/knowledgeandskills_dementiacare.pdf>
Identifies special care-assistance skills that are important when working with a person
with dementia in order to improve the quality of care. Competencies covered include
knowledge of dementia disorders, person-centred care, care interactions, enriching the
person’s life, understanding behaviours, interacting with families, and direct care
worker self-care. Produced by the Michigan Dementia Program of the Michigan
Public Health Institute in the United States.

THE AMERICAS

Aging in the Americas into the XXI Century
<www.census.gov/ipc/www/agingam.html>
A wall chart, available in English and Spanish, providing demographic data and
projections for the 65-plus population in the Americas for 1997 and 2025. Produced
jointly by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, the
United States National Institute on Aging, and the United States Census Bureau in
1998.

Social Security Programs throughout the World: The Americas, 2007
< http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/americas/index.html>
system. Published in March 2008 by the United States Social Security
Administration.

ASIA/PACIFIC

Access to Social Services by the Poor and Disadvantaged in Asia and the Pacific:
Major Trends and Issues (ST/ESCAP/2240; Sales No. E.03.II.F.20)
<www.unescap.org/esid/psis/publications/spps/11/SPP11.pdf>
Provides an overview of social services in Asia and the Pacific and analyses access to
social services among poor and disadvantaged groups as target users. Addresses the
need for social services, barriers to service access, and the quality, delivery and
financing of social services in the region. Social Policy Paper No. 11, published by
the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in
2002.

112

“The Macao Outcome Document of the High-Level Meeting on the Regional
Review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing”
(ESID/HLM-MIPAA/Rep.)
<www.unescap.org/esid/psis/meetings/ageingmipaa2007/MacaoOutcomeDocument.pdf>
The culmination of the regional Asia/Pacific conference held in Macao in October
2007 to review progress on MIPAA implementation and offer recommendations for
the future. Published by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific in November 2007.

Population Aging in East and Southeast Asia
<cst.bangkok.unfpa.org/>
Provides links to 10 full-text reports on population ageing in the countries of this
region. Published by the United Nations Population Fund/Country Technical Services
Team for East and South-East Asia.

“Shanghai Implementation Strategy” (E/ESCAP/1280)
< http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/ageing/strategy/shanghai.pdf>
Regional implementation strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing 2002 and the Macao Plan of Action on Ageing for Asia and the Pacific 1999.
Published by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in 2003.

Social Cash Transfers for Asia: Ensuring Social Protection/Social Pensions in Old
Age in the Context of Rapid Ageing
Report of a three-day intergovernmental seminar on social protection held in
Bangkok from 29 to 31 January 2007. Published by HelpAge International in 2007.

Social Security Programs throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific, 2006
< http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/asia/>
Administration.


AgeNews Asia/Pacific
<http://www.helpage.org/Resources/Regionalnewsletters>
Raises awareness about the contributions, needs and rights of older persons in Asia
and the Pacific and highlights the activities of HelpAge International within the
region. Published four times a year by HelpAge International.

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CAREGIVERS


“Consumer direction and choice in long-term care for older persons, including
payments for informal care: How can it help improve care outcomes,
employment and fiscal sustainability?” (DELSA/HEA/WD/HWP(2005)1)
<www.oecd.org/dataoecd/53/62/34897775.pdf>
Reports the detailed results of research on choice carried out as part of a long-term
care study under the OECD Health Project, which was to be published under the title
“Long-term care policies for older people”. OECD Health Working Papers, No. 20;
prepared by Jen Lundsgaard.

“The road to recognition: international review of public policies to support
family and informal caregiving”
<http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content/pdfs/op_2003_the_road_to_recogniti
on.pdf>
Policy brief prepared by Anne Montgomery and Lynn Friss Feinberg and published
by the Family Caregiver Alliance in September 2003.

Forgotten Families: Older People as Carers of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Policy report incorporating case studies on innovative ways of dealing with some of
the difficulties faced by older-headed households, emphasizing the impact appropriate
technical support and minimal additional resources can have. Produced by HelpAge
International and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 2003.

CLEARINGHOUSES

National Family Caregiver Support Program: Resource Room
<www.aoa.gov/prof/aoaprog/caregiver/caregiver.asp>
Provides information, fact sheets, guidelines, research findings and tools for both
family and professional caregivers to ease caregiving burdens. Though designed with
older Americans in mind, a number of the resources may be of use beyond United
States borders. A product of the Administration on Aging of the United States
Department of Health and Human Services.

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TRAINING TOOLS

Caregivers Count Too!
A Toolkit to Help Practitioners Assess the Needs of Family Caregivers
<caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=1695>
Designed for programme administrators and practitioners to sharpen awareness of
family caregivers as an at-risk population whose own physical, emotional and
financial problems need to be identified and assessed, and to provide practical tools
for conducting such assessments. Developed by the Family Caregiver Alliance of the
National Center on Caregiving in the United States.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

A Generation in Transition: Older People’s Situation and Civil Society’s Response
in East and Central Europe
Draws on consultations with older people in the region, providing case studies and a
set of principles to strengthen civil society responses to their needs. Published by
HelpAge International in May 2002.

I Like the Age I Am: Empowering Disadvantaged Older People to Combat
Discrimination in South East Europe
Describes the South East Europe Network (SEEN) programme, created to address the
exclusion and discrimination of older persons in the region; details the global and
regional context of its objectives and the lessons learned; and provides
recommendations for action. Published by HelpAge International in 2007.

DEMOGRAPHY

The Human Life-Table Database
<www.lifetable.de/>
A collection of population life tables covering many years and a multitude of
countries. Most of the life tables are for national populations and constitute official
outputs published by national statistical offices. Some of the life tables include
statistics on specific regional or ethnic subpopulations within countries.

The Human Mortality Database
<www.mortality.org/>
Provides detailed mortality and population data from 33 countries/areas for
researchers, students, journalists, policy analysts and others interested in the history
of human longevity. The countries and areas included are relatively wealthy, as the
Database is limited to populations for which death registration and census data are
virtually complete.

115

Population Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa: Demographic Dimensions 2006
<www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p95-07-1.pdf>
Examines population ageing by gender in 42 sub-Saharan African countries, with
emphasis on the 50-plus, 60-plus and 80-plus age groups. Tables and figures are
provided, with projections to the year 2050. A special section examines the impact of
HIV/AIDS on population ageing. Published by the United States National Institute on
Aging and the United States Census Bureau in June 2007.

World Population Ageing: 1950-2050 (ST/ESA/SER.A/207; Sales No. E.02.XIII.3)
<www.un.org/esa/population/publications/worldageing19502050/>
Prepared by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs as a contribution to the Second World Assembly on Ageing in
2002.

World Population Ageing 2007 (Sales No. E.07.XIII.5)
<www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WPA2007/wpp2007.htm>
Analyses the implications of population ageing for social and economic development
around the world. Data are provided primarily in the form of figures and tables. Only
tables and the executive summary can be downloaded from the Internet; the full
report may be purchased through the United Nations Publications office. Produced by
the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs.

“World population monitoring, focusing on the changing age structures of
populations and their implications for development: report of the Secretary-
General” (E/CN.9/2007/3)
<http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N07/212/85/PDF/N0721285.pdf?Open
Element>
Prepared by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs in 2007; available in all six languages of the United Nations.

World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision
<www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/wpp2006.htm>
Provides considerable statistical data on population ageing around the world.
Produced by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs.

DATABASES

International Data Base
<www.census.gov/ipc/www/idb/>
Provides a variety of demographic and socio-economic data for most countries of the
world and for selected territories, broken down by age and sex. Summary or detailed
data and projections are available for the period 1950-2050, and static or “active”
population pyramids may also be accessed. Users can aggregate selected countries
into chosen regions. Countries can be ranked by population for any year between

116

1950 and 2050. Download options are available. Produced by the United States
Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce.

DEVELOPMENT

The Ageing and Development Report
Reports on the circumstances of older persons in developing countries and economies
in transition, with chapters on economic security, health, family and community life,
poverty, gender and emergencies. Includes information on demographic trends and
ageing in specific countries and regions. Summary available online in English, French
and Spanish; full report available free of charge. Published by HelpAge International.


Ageing and Development
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Regularpublications>
News and analysis highlighting ageing as a mainstream development issue. Published
twice a year for policy makers, programme planners and researchers concerned with
development and poverty reduction. Produced by HelpAge International.

Ageways
<www.helpage.org/Resources/Regularpublications>
An exchange of practical information on ageing and development, especially good
practice developed in the HelpAge International network. Published twice a year for
caregivers, older persons’ groups, and the staff of HelpAge International. Produced

DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

CLEARINGHOUSES

Clearinghouse on Aging and Developmental Disabilities
<www.uic.edu/orgs/rrtcamr/clearinghouse.htm>
Provides information on the latest research, model programmes and policy issues
pertaining to this population. Offers books/monographs, journal articles, videotapes,
and CDs relating to ageing and developmental disabilities, as well as information on
training and technical assistance opportunities. Sponsored by the Rehabilitation
Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities of the
University of Illinois at Chicago.

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DYING/PALLIATIVE CARE

Canadian Virtual Hospice
<www.virtualhospice.ca/>
An online community providing information and support to address physical,
emotional and spiritual concerns related to death and dying. Separate sections are
directed at the dying, family and friends, health-care providers, and volunteers.
Produced by the Canadian Virtual Hospice in Manitoba.


Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care
<www.nationalconsensusproject.org/Guideline.pdf>
Developed by five major palliative care organizations in the United States, the
Guidelines present the core precepts and structures of clinical palliative care
programmes. Different sections focus on the structure and process of care; the
physical, psychological and psychiatric, social, cultural, and spiritual, religious, and
existential aspects of care; care of the imminently dying patient; and ethics and law.

Introductory Guide to End of Life Care in Care Homes
<eolc.cbcl.co.uk/eolc/eolcpublications/Guide%20To%20EoLC%20care%20homes%
20lo.pdf>
Designed for care home managers and staff interested in improving the care of
residents in the final stages of life. Provides definitions of terms used in end-of-life
care, case studies of residents, and examples of best practices in palliative care in care
homes. Published by the National Health Service’s End of Life Care Programme in
cooperation with the National Council for Palliative Care in the United Kingdom.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Palliative Dementia Care Resources
<www.pdcronline.com/index.php>
Seeks to raise public and professional awareness about the palliative care needs of
individuals with advanced dementia and their caregivers. Family and professional
caregivers are guided to relevant news and information on topics such as managing
life’s changes, preparing for the end of life, and coping with grief and loss. Links are
provided to information on topics such as end-stage dementia care, end-of-life care in
the nursing home, ethical issues, family caregiver support, pain management tools,
and advance care planning. Created by the Polisher Research Institute of the Madlyn
and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life.

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EDUCATION

DATABASES

Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
<www.eric.ed.gov>
A searchable Internet-based bibliographic and full-text database of education research
and information from around the world, dating from 1966. The collection includes
thousands of items and citations relating to older persons; users have access to
relevant journal articles, books, research syntheses, conference outputs, technical
reports, policy papers, and other education-related materials.

ELDER ABUSE

“Abuse of older persons: recognizing and responding to abuse of older persons
in a global context: report of the Secretary-General” (E/CN.5/2002/PC/2)
<www.un.org/ageing/ecn52002pc2eng.pdf>
Describes the abuse of older persons as a human rights issue and provides definitions,
typologies, prevalence rates, and possible responses to the problem. Submitted to the
Commission for Social Development in its capacity as the preparatory committee for
the Second World Assembly on Ageing.

Missing Voices: Views of Older Persons on Elder Abuse
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_VIP_02.1.pdf>
Findings from research involving focus groups made up of older persons and primary
health care workers in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Lebanon and
Sweden. Produced by the World Health Organization’s Ageing and Life Course Unit
and the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse in 2002.

“Summary of INSTRAW electronic discussion forum on Gender Aspects of
Violence and Abuse of Older Persons”
<www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/ageing/AgeNet_Summary.pdf>
As a contribution to the Second World Assembly on Ageing, the United Nations
International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women
(INSTRAW) conducted an online discussion forum on women and elder abuse from
15 to 26 April 2002, providing researchers, practitioners, policy makers and women’s
advocacy groups with an opportunity to share their views, experiences and concerns.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Clearinghouse on Abuse and Neglect of the Elderly (CANE)
< http://db.rdms.udel.edu:8080/CANE/>
Probably the largest electronic collection of elder abuse resources and materials in the
world. Database can be searched for references pertaining to the many aspects of
elder abuse and neglect and to the conditions influencing elder mistreatment. CANE

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is a partner of the National Center on Elder Abuse; the website is maintained by the
Department of Consumer Studies at the University of Delaware in the United States.

TRAINING TOOLS

Abuse Education, Prevention and Response: A Community Training Manual for
Those Who Want to Address the Issue of the Abuse of Older Adults in Their
Community
<www.advocacycentreelderly.org/elder/pubs.htm>
Provides a framework for thinking about how members of a community can come
together to prevent the abuse of older adults and how to respond when abuse occurs.
Prepared by Joanne Preston and Judith Wahl and published by the Advocacy Centre
for the Elderly in Canada in December 2002.

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS


Addressing the Nutritional Needs of Older People in Emergency Situations in
Africa: Ideas for Action
Highlights some of the key issues affecting the nutrition of older persons in
emergencies and suggests ways in which their rights and needs can be more
effectively addressed. Published by HelpAge International in 2001.

Older People in Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practice
Participatory Research with Older People
Designed to help relief agencies meet the special needs of older persons in
emergencies. Published by HelpAge International; available in English and Spanish.

Older People’s Associations in Community Disaster Risk Reduction
Highlights good practice in utilizing older persons’ associations for community-based
disaster risk reduction. Published by HelpAge International in 2007.

EMPLOYMENT

Ageing and Labour Markets for Older Workers
<www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/publ/etp33.htm>
Addresses age discrimination against older persons in the labour force and reviews
sound practices for promoting their employment. Prepared by Alexander Samorodov
and published by the International Labour Organization in 1999; Employment and
Training Papers series, No. 33.

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Live Longer, Work Longer: A Synthesis Report
<www.oecd.org/document/42/0,3343,en_2649_34747_36104426_1_1_1_1,00.html>
A synthesis of the findings of country reports from 21 OECD member countries,
analysing incentives and disincentives for the employment of older workers and
measures that need to be taken to improve their employability. Executive summary is
available online; full report must be purchased. Published by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development in February 2006.

The New Agenda for an Older Workforce: A Manpower White Paper and
Older Worker Recruiting and Retention Survey: Global Results
< http://www.manpower.com/search.cfm?keyword=older>
The New Agenda addresses the issue of aligning “the interests and abilities of mature
adults with the interests and requirements of employers”. Global Results, published in
April 2007, reports the findings of a 2006 survey of more than 28,000 employers
across 25 countries and territories. Both publications produced by Manpower, Inc.

“Older workers: policies of other nations to increase labor force participation”
<www.gao.gov/new.items/d03307.pdf>
Examines relevant policies in Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United
States. Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Special Committee on Aging,
United States Senate; prepared by the United States General Accountability Office in
February 2003.

“Promoting longer working lives through better social protection systems:
report by the Social Protection Committee”
<ec.europa.eu/employment_social/social_protection/docs/working_longer_en.pdf>
Identifies the adaptations required in many social protection systems within the
European Union to make it worthwhile for older workers to stay in the labour market.
Produced by the European Commission.


Age Positive Good Practice standards
<www.agepositive.gov.uk/good_practice/index.asp>
Good practice standards created to help employers recognize the business benefits of
an age-diverse workforce. The standards cover six areas of employment: recruitment,
selection, promotion, training and development, redundancy, and retirement. Case
studies are provided to show how companies have successfully addressed these
issues. Produced by the Department for Work and Pensions in the United Kingdom.

A Guide to Good Practice in Age Management
<www.eurofound.eu.int/publications/htmlfiles/ef05137.htm>
Reviews case studies from a range of organizations across the European Union that
have instituted good practices in recruiting, supporting and retaining older workers.
Prepared by Gerhard Naegele and Alan Walker; published by the European
Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions in 2006.

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Combating Age Barriers in Employment: A European Portfolio of Good Practice
<www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef9719.htm>
Provides an illustration and analysis of more than 150 initiatives in Europe favouring
the retention, retraining and reintegration of older workers. Edited by Alan Walker
and Philip Taylor; published by the European Foundation for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions in 1998.

TRAINING TOOLS

Employer Resource Center
<www.aarp.org/employerresourcecenter/>
Offers practical information on issues relating to the hiring and retention of older
workers in the United States to enable employers to deal more effectively with the
ageing of their labour force. Topics such as age discrimination, recruitment and
retention strategies, benefits for working caregivers, phased or flexible retirement,
workforce trends, and workplace law are addressed, and brief descriptions are
provided of successful older worker programmes that have been implemented by
employers. Publications can be downloaded or ordered free of charge. Produced by
AARP in the United States.

EMPOWERMENT

A Generation in Transition: Older People’s Situation and Civil Society’s Response
in East and Central Europe
Draws on consultations with older persons in the region, providing case studies and a
set of principles to strengthen civil society responses to their needs. Published by
HelpAge International in May 2002.

I Like the Age I Am: Empowering Disadvantaged Older People to Combat
Discrimination in South East Europe
Describes the South East Europe Network (SEEN) programme, created to address the
exclusion and discrimination of older persons in the region; details the global and
regional context of its objectives and the lessons learned; and provides
recommendations for action. Published by HelpAge International in 2007.


Participatory Research with Older People: A Sourcebook
Provides comprehensive guidelines for older persons’ participation in planning,
conducting and disseminating research. Published by HelpAge International in 2002.

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EUROPE

Healthy Ageing: Keystone for a Sustainable Europe
<ec.europa.eu/health/ph_information/indicators/docs/healthy_ageing_en.pdf>
Examines current trends in life expectancy, how they relate to healthy life years, and
what this could mean for the European Union now and in the future. Produced by the
European Commission in January 2007.

“Regional Implementation Strategy for the Madrid International Plan of Action
on Ageing 2002” (ECE/AC.23/2002/2/Rev.6)
<www.unece.org/pau/age/berlin2002/docs/berl_ris_rev_e.pdf>
Text of the 2002 European strategy for MIPAA implementation. Published by the
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

“Report of the UNECE Ministerial Conference on Ageing ‘A Society for All
Ages: Challenges and Opportunities’” (ECE/AC.30/2007/2)
<www.unece.org/pau/age/ConferenceonAgeing_2007/Leon_Meeting_Report_AdvCo
py.pdf>
Includes the ministerial declaration and a summary of proceedings of the Conference,
held in Leon, Spain, from 6 to 8 November 2007 to review the progress achieved in
the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. Produced
by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Social Security Programs throughout the World: Europe, 2006
<http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/europe/index.html>
system. Published in September 2006 by the United States Social Security
Administration.


CoverAGE
<www.age-platform.org/EN/spip.php?article99>
Monthly newsletter of the European Older People’s Platform (AGE), a coalition of
European NGOs lobbying actively within the European Union. The newsletter
provides updates on EU policy initiatives and actions and is available in English,
French, German, Italian, Spanish and Polish.

ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION LISTS

Ageing in Europe (AGEING) mailing list
<www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=ageing&A=1>
An electronic mailing list providing announcements of research programmes and
results and of conferences and training programmes.

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FALLS


Falls: The Assessment and Prevention of Falls in Older People
Clinical Guideline 21
<www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=CG021NICEGuideline>
Key priorities for implementation include case/risk identification, multifactorial falls
risk assessment and intervention, encouraging the participation of older persons in
falls prevention programmes, and professional development. Guideline developed by
the National Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Supportive Care and published in
November 2004 by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in the United
Kingdom.


Falls Prevention: Best Practice Guidelines for Public Hospitals and State
Government Residential Aged Care Facilities
<www.health.qld.gov.au/fallsprevention/best_practice/default.asp>
Guidelines are intended (a) to assist service providers in developing and
implementing standard policies and procedures in the area of falls prevention and (b)
to assist health-care professionals in falls risk assessment and in the management of
patients/residents who are at risk of falling or have fallen. Developed by Queensland
Health in Australia for staff working in the public health sector; published in 2004.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Fall Prevention Center of Excellence
<www.stopfalls.org>
Identifies best practices in fall prevention and helps communities offer fall prevention
programmes to older persons who are at risk of falling. Target audiences include
older individuals and their families, service providers, and researchers and educators.
The Center was created by the California Fall Prevention Consortium, a public-
private interdisciplinary partnership; the Andrus Gerontology Center at the University
of Southern California serves as the programme office.

GENDER

Gender and Ageing
<www.eldis.org/go/topics/resource-guides/ageing-populations/gender-and-ageing>
Provides links to papers, reports and briefings focusing on older women around the
world. Produced by ELDIS, a programme of the Institute of Development Studies,
University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

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“Gender dimensions of ageing”
<www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/public/ageing-final.pdf>
Published in 2002 by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women;
produced as part of the Women 2000 series to promote the goals of the Beijing
Declaration and the Platform for Action.

“Men, ageing and health: achieving health across the life span”
(WHO/NMH/NPH/01.2)
Examines the determinants of older men’s health and proposes a framework and
strategies for action. Published by the World Health Organization in 2001.

“The situation of elderly women: available statistics and indicators”
<www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/ageing/Elderly_Women.pdf>
Describes the changing status and role of elderly women in countries around the
world. Developed in the early 1990s but includes projections for the future. Published
jointly by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) and the Statistics Division of the United
Nations Secretariat.

“Women, ageing and health: achieving health across the life span”
(WHO/HPR/AHE/HPD/96.1)
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1996/WHO_HPR_AHE_HPD_96.1_2nd_ed.pdf>
Examines the determinants of older women’s health and proposes a framework and

Women, Ageing and Health: A Framework for Action—Focus on Gender
<www.unfpa.org/publications/detail.cfm?ID=327&filterListType>
Provides guidance on how policy makers, practitioners, NGOs and civil society can
improve the health and well-being of ageing women by simultaneously applying both
a gender and an aging lens in their policies, programmes and practices, as well as in
research. A full review of the evidence is available in a longer, complementary
document entitled Women, Ageing and Health: A Review, available in hard copy and
online at <http://www.who.int/ageing/en/>. Published by WHO and UNFPA in 2007.

INSTRAW News 29: Women’s Life Cycle and Ageing
<www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/publications/INews_29.pdf>
This special issue of the INSTRAW newsletter is devoted to examining ageing within
the context of the total life cycle. Published as a contribution to the 1999 International
Year of Older Persons.

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HEALTH

Health Financing Revisited: A Practitioner’s Guide
< http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTHSD/Resources/topics/Health-
Financing/HFRFull.pdf>
Examines the major changes that have occurred in global health financing over the
past 10 years, with an overview of tools, policies and trends. Highlights some key
lessons learned and provides policy recommendations. Prepared by Pablo Gottret and
George Schieber and published by the World Bank in 2006.

Integrated Chronic Disease Prevention and Control
<www.who.int/chp/about/integrated_cd/en/print.html>
Argues for the development of integrated chronic disease prevention and control
programmes, incorporating supporting information and case studies. Produced by the
World Health Organization in 2006.

Public Policy and the Challenge of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases
<http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPH/Resources/PublicPolicyandNCDsWorldB
ank2007FullReport.pdf>
Contains an agenda for action in response to the growing economic, social and health
problems associated with chronic non-communicable diseases. Prepared by Olusoji
Adeyi, Owen Smith and Sylvia Robles and published by the World Bank in 2007.

The Stanford Health Library>Health Information>
Diseases and Disorders>Senior Health
<healthlibrary.stanford.edu/resources/internet/bodysystems/senior_intro.html>
Provides scientifically based medical information and health education that can help
individuals and families make informed decisions about their health and health care.
The Senior Health section provides an extensive directory of relevant resource links
available on the Internet. Established and maintained by Stanford University in the
United States.

Towards Age-Friendly Primary Health Care
<whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241592184.pdf>
Addresses the need for age-friendly primary health care and an agenda for change.
Published in 2004 by the World Health Organization.


“A guide to resources on evidence-based geriatrics”
<myuminfo.umanitoba.ca/Documents/713/evidencebasedgeriatrics.pdf>
Intended as an introduction to resources on evidence-based practice in geriatrics
freely available on the Internet. Provides reading lists, descriptions of databases, and
links to relevant Internet sites. Compiled by Laurie Blanchard at the J.W. Crane
Memorial Library, University of Manitoba Health Sciences Libraries, Canada.

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New Zealand Guidelines Group>Evidence for Specific Populations>
Older People
<http://www.nzgg.org.nz/index.cfm?fuseaction=fuseaction_20&fusesubaction=docs
&documentid=318>
Provides evidence-based, best-practice recommendations for appropriate and
effective care for the conditions from which older persons suffer most. Draws upon
experience in New Zealand and other countries. Titles related to ageing (located in
the Older People section or other sections of the site) currently include:
• Prevention of Hip Fracture amongst People Aged 65 Years and Over;
• Acute Management and Immediate Rehabilitation after Hip Fracture amongst
People Aged 65 Years and Over;
• Assessment and Management of People at Risk of Suicide;
• Assessment Processes for Older People;
• Cardiac Rehabilitation;
• Life after Stroke: New Zealand Guideline for Management of Stroke;
• Guidelines for the Support and Management of People with Dementia;
• Population Screening for Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review;
• A Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: Health Professionals
Guide.

ConsultGeriRN.org
<ConsultGeriRN.org>
A comprehensive website providing current best-practice information on the care of
older adults. Among the resources provided are evidence-based protocols for
managing 27 common geriatric syndromes and conditions, a series of nursing
assessment tools, information about best-practice models in hospitals, and links to
recommended baccalaureate competencies and curriculum guidelines for geriatric
nursing care. Hosted by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at the New York
University College of Nursing.

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines
<http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/products_services/evidence_based.htm>
The Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center at the University of Iowa
provides about 40 evidence-based nursing practice protocols at nominal cost. Among
the topics addressed are advance directives, Alzheimer’s disease, bereavement,
constipation, delirium, dementia, depression, drug abuse, elder abuse, exercise, fall
prevention, incontinence, long-term care, nursing, oral health, oral hydration, pain
management, pets, pressure sores, spiritual well-being, and suicide.

Working with Dependent Older People to Achieve Good Oral Health
<www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/files/21412%20NHSQIS%20Oral%20BPS.pdf>
Offers evidence-based nursing guidance for the oral health care of dependent older
persons admitted to hospitals or living in residential care. Published in May 2005 by
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

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World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe>
Health Evidence Network>Evidence Reports
<www.euro.who.int/HEN/Syntheses/20030820_1?language=?language=?language=>
Provides answers to policy questions in the form of evidence-based reports and
summaries and offers easy access to evidence and information from a number of
websites, databases and documents focusing on older persons. Documents dealing
with ageing (accessible through the site search option) include the following:
• “Are disease management programmes (DMPs) effective in improving quality
of care for people with chronic conditions?”
• “Do current discharge arrangements from inpatient hospital care for the
elderly reduce readmission rates, the length of inpatient stay or mortality, or
improve health status?”
• “How can injuries in children and older people be prevented?”
• “What are the palliative care needs of older people and how might they be
met?”
• “What is the effectiveness of old-age mental health services?”
• “What is the effectiveness of home visiting or home-based support for older
people?”
• “What are the main risk factors for falls amongst older people and what are
the most effective interventions to prevent these falls?”
• “What are the main risk factors for disability in old age and how can disability
be prevented?”
• “What evidence is there for the prevention and screening of osteoporosis?”

National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC)
<www.guidelines.gov>
Provides a comprehensive database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and
related documents from around the world. About 300 of the database entries relate to
the elderly. Among the topics covered are advance directives, Alzheimer’s disease,
arthritis, assessment, bereavement, breast cancer, cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
clinical practice guidelines, delirium, dementia, depression, discharge planning,
diseases, falls, hip injuries, hypertension, incontinence, infection, menopause,
nutrition, obesity, oral health, oral hydration, osteoporosis, pain, palliative care,
Parkinson’s disease, physical activity, pneumonia, prescription drugs, pressure sores,
prostate disorders, rehabilitation, restraints, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep disorders, and
suicide. Sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality of the United
States Department of Health and Human Services.


Medicare Quality Improvement Community (MedQIC)
<www.medqic.org>
A national knowledge forum for health-care and quality improvement professionals in
the United States. Provides easy access to quality improvement resources for dozens
of health topics of importance to older persons. Coverage is provided of health-care
issues that present themselves in physicians’ offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and

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home care situations. Developed by the United States Government’s Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Nursing Best Practice Guidelines
<www.rnao.org/Page.asp?PageID=861&SiteNodeID=133>
Provides clinical practice guidelines and related materials that may be used by
nursing professionals working with older persons. Topics include constipation,
delirium, dementia, depression, diabetes, falls, foot care, incontinence, nursing, pain,
and pressure sores. Produced by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.

Oral Health Promotion Fact Sheets for Long-Term Care
<umanitoba.ca/dentistry/ccoh/ccoh_longTermCare.html>
A collection of long-term care fact sheets developed as an integral component of
mouth care training for caregivers. The fact sheets are updated and revised regularly.
Developed by the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Community Oral Health.

TRAINING TOOLS

The Anna and Harry Borun Center for Gerontological Research
<borun.medsch.ucla.edu/>
Provides six training modules developed by Center researchers on weight-loss
prevention, mobility decline prevention, pressure ulcer prevention, incontinence
management, pain screening, and quality-of-life assessment. Modules provide step-
by-step instructions for assessment and interventions and include learning objectives,
a discussion of the issues, and an overview of solutions. Assessment tools,
bibliographies, and lists of relevant links are provided in each training module. This
site, based in the United States, also offers online discussion forums for each of the
topics.

The Practicing Physician Education in Geriatrics Project (PPE)
<www.gericareonline.net/>
Offers materials intended to help physicians and other health professionals integrate
evidence-based medicine in their treatment of older patients. Tool kits for dealing
with memory loss, urinary incontinence, depression, heart failure, persistent pain,
falls, and prevention can be downloaded to provide health professionals with a better
understanding of geriatric syndromes and other chronic conditions common in older
adults. Developed in the United States.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

J.W. Crane Memorial Library’s Current Perspectives Series
<www.deerlodge.mb.ca/crane_library/publication.asp>
Provides selective bibliographies on key geriatric topics. The reference lists cite
articles from the current journal literature, focusing on systematic reviews, best
practice models, and innovative approaches. Topics presently featured include
challenging behaviour, communication and dementia, continence, depression in long-

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term care, end of life, environmental design, falls, family involvement in long-term
care, institutional elder abuse, pressure ulcers, restraints in long-term care, sexuality
in long-term care, and transitioning to long-term care. Produced by the J.W. Crane
Memorial Library of Gerontology and Geriatrics at the University of Manitoba in
Canada.

DATABASES

EffectiveOlderPeopleCare.org
<www.effectiveolderpeoplecare.org>
A fully indexed, searchable, Web-enabled database of current best evidence for the
management of older persons’ care and rehabilitation. Provides a concise account of
continually updated evidence from Cochrane systematic reviews relating to the health
care of older individuals, focusing on common health problems in old age and
different models of service organization. Maintained by the Cochrane Collaboration,
Health Care of Older People Field, Academic Section of Geriatric Medicine,
University of Glasgow, Scotland.

Successful Aging Edition (S@Edition) and
Successful Aging Database (S@Database) (French only)
<www.saging.com>
S@Edition provides weekly news accounts of the latest published research findings
related to biomedicine and preventive medicine. It also provides, on a subscription
basis, more in-depth information about health-related topics and offers a searchable
online database (S@Database) with some 10,000 articles drawn from 2,500
international journals. S@Database, in turn, provides access to “Highlights”, a review
of the most important articles on ageing synthesized by Successful Aging experts.


GERINET
<listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=gerinet&A=1>
An electronic discussion list of individuals interested in geriatric health care; most
participants are based in the United States. Maintained by the University at Buffalo,
State University of New York.

GERONURSE listserv
<http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/excellence/nursing_interventions/>
An electronic discussion list that promotes geriatric nursing dialogue and activities,
posts updates on best nursing practice and innovations, and is open to all
practitioners, researchers, educators, and students with an interest in the field. Those
wishing to subscribe may send an e-mail to <gero-nurse-request@list.uiowa.edu>;
leave the subject box blank, and in the body of the message, type “subscribe”.

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HEALTH PROMOTION

Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (WHO/NMH/NPH/02.8)
This policy framework is intended to inform discussion and the formulation of action
plans that promote healthy and active ageing. Developed by the WHO Ageing and
Life Course Programme in 2002.

Healthy Ageing: Keystone for a Sustainable Europe
<ec.europa.eu/health/ph_information/indicators/docs/healthy_ageing_en.pdf>
Examines current trends in life expectancy, how they relate to healthy life years, and
what this could mean for the European Union now and in the future. Produced by the
European Commission in January 2007.

“Men, ageing and health: achieving health across the life span”
(WHO/NMH/NPH/01.2)
Examines the determinants of older men’s health and proposes a framework and

“Women, ageing and health: achieving health across the life span”
(WHO/HPR/AHE/HPD/96.1)
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1996/WHO_HPR_AHE_HPD_96.1_2nd_ed.pdf>
Examines the determinants of older women’s health and proposes a framework and


“A new vision of aging: helping older adults make healthier choices”
<www.cfah.org/pdfs/agingreport.pdf>
Summarizes evidence on the benefits of health promotion among older adults in the
United States. Also identifies programmes that effectively help older people live
longer and healthier lives through efforts to increase physical activity, improve eating
habits and minimize the risk of falling. Issue Briefing No. 2, published in March 2006
by the Center for the Advancement of Health in Washington, D.C.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Live Well, Live Long: Health Promotion & Disease Prevention for Older Adults
<www.asaging.org/cdc/index.cfm>
Offers strategies and materials for enhancing the capacity of organizations to serve
the health promotion and disease prevention needs of older adults. Provides tools for
professionals in the form of stand-alone modules. Current titles include Blueprint for
Health Promotion; Strategies for Cognitive Vitality; Road Map to Driving Wellness;
Physical Activity; Mental Wellness; Optimal Medication Use; Food for Health:
Nutritional Well-Being for Older Adults; Deep Vein Thrombosis; Statistics on Health

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and Aging; and Diabetes Prevention and Management. Produced by the American
Society on Aging.

TRAINING TOOLS

First Step to Active Health
<www.firststeptoactivehealth.com/>
Provides important tools to promote physical activity among sedentary older persons.
The Active Aging Toolkit was developed to help health-care providers prescribe
physical activity programmes for their older patients. The First Step to Active Health
patient education kit was subsequently developed as an evidence-based, progressive
activity programme for older adults in support of the Active Aging Toolkit. The
objectives are to improve health and functional ability, promote independence, and
help prevent chronic disease and disability in adults over the age of 50. Produced by
the Hygenic Corporation in the United States.

HIV/AIDS


“The elderly, HIV/AIDS and sustainable rural development”
<www.fao.org/sd/2002/PE0101_en.htm>
“Personnes âgées, sida et développement rural durable”
<www.fao.org/sd/2002/PE0101_fr.htm>
“Los ancianos, VIH/SIDA y desarrollo rural sostenible”
<www.fao.org/sd/2002/PE0101_es.htm>
Addresses the impact of ageing and HIV/AIDS on the sustainability of rural food
production and development. Produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations in 2002.

Forgotten Families: Older People as Carers of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Policy report incorporating case studies on innovative ways of dealing with some of
the difficulties faced by older-headed households, emphasizing the impact appropriate
technical support and minimal additional resources can have. Produced by HelpAge
International and the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in 2003.

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“Policy Workshop on HIV/AIDS and Family Well-being, Windhoek, Namibia,
28-30 January 2004”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04.pdf>
“Annex I: HIV/AIDS and family well-being in southern Africa: towards an
analysis of policies and responsiveness”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/family/Meetings/hiv2830jan04a1.pdf>
Includes recommendations for the development of a strategic policy framework to
assist Governments in Africa in strengthening the capacity of families and family
networks to cope with HIV/AIDS. Workshop sponsored by the United Nations.

Valletta Declaration
<http://policy.helptheaged.org.uk/_policy/International/HIV/_default.htm>
Put together by an international group of experts on ageing at a special workshop
organized by Help the Aged and the Malta-based United Nations International
Institute on Ageing. Presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their
meeting in Valletta, Malta, in November 2005 to remind them of their responsibilities
to older persons under MIPAA and to set out key steps to ensure that older persons
would not be forgotten in the fight against HIV/AIDS.


Counting Carers: How to Improve Data Collection and Information on Households
Affected by AIDS and Reduce the Poverty of Carers, People Living with HIV and
Vulnerable Children
Intended to guide Governments, NGOs and others working to improve data collection
and analysis on households affected by AIDS. Identifies the limits of existing data
and offers suggestions on how these may be further analysed to produce better
information and on what might be included in future surveys. Published by HelpAge
International in 2006.

HUMAN RIGHTS

HUMAN RIGHTS

Equal Treatment, Equal Rights: Ten Actions to End Age Discrimination
Draws on consultations with older persons from developing countries and economies
in transition to identify 10 concrete actions to ensure that older people across the
world benefit from the full range of internationally accepted human rights. Produced

133

Age Discrimination
<http://www.ifa-fiv.org/en/accueil1.aspx?sortcode=2.12&id_article=408&starting
=1&ending=50>
IFA policy section on age discrimination; provides comprehensive information on
relevant legislation and in-depth policy analysis. Produced by the International
Federation on Ageing in Montreal.


Addressing Older People’s Rights in Africa: Good Practice Guidelines
Designed to provide guidance for people working with older persons and those
involved in human rights issues. Produced by HelpAge International.

United Nations Principles for Older Persons
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/un_principles.html>
The Principles, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1991, focus on
independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity. Available in English,
French and Spanish.

TRAINING TOOLS

Combating Discrimination: A Training Manual
<ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/civil/train_en.pdf>
Developed to provide training on European and national anti-discrimination laws and
policies to NGOs in the 10 new EU member States and in Bulgaria, Romania and
Turkey. Does not deal exclusively with age discrimination. Available in the
languages of the member States. Prepared by the human european consultancy and
Migration Policy Group for the European Commission in 2006.

IMPACT OF POPULATION AGEING

Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective
<www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/or/81537.htm>
Describes the impact of population ageing on countries and the demographic trends
that are transforming the world in fundamental ways. Produced by the United States
Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services (National
Institute on Aging) in 2007.

World Economic and Social Survey 2007: Development in an Ageing World
<www.un.org/esa/policy/wess/index.html>
Analyses the implications of population ageing for social and economic development
around the world, acknowledging that it offers both challenges and opportunities.
Prepared by the Development Policy and Analysis Division of the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

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INDICATORS

Mainstreaming Ageing: Indicators to Monitor Sustainable Policies
<www.euro.centre.org/data/1192809590_39180.pdf>
MIPAA, adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing, is an international
agreement that recognizes the potential of older persons to contribute to the
development of their societies. This book contains policy briefs and background
papers that support the implementation monitoring process. Contributors include
renowned international experts on ageing, with evidence drawn from 56 countries in
Europe, North America and Central Asia. The Web address (above) provides access
to a complete table of contents and abstract. Edited by Bernd Marin and Asghar Zaidi
and published by Ashgate (United Kingdom) in 2007.

Manual Sobre Indicadores de Calidad de Vida en la Vejez (LC/W.113)
[Manual of Indicators of the Quality of Life of Older Persons]
<www.eclac.org/cgi-bin/getProd.asp?xml=/publicaciones/xml/0/28240/
P28240.xml&xsl=/celade/tpl/p9f.xsl&base=/celade/tpl/top-bottom_env.xsl>
Proposes a series of indicators for the design of policies and programmes to improve
the quality of life for older persons in the areas of health, economic security, the
physical environment, support networks, and social integration. Published in
December 2006 by the Population Division of the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean; available in Spanish only.

“The situation of elderly women: available statistics and indicators”
<www.un-instraw.org/en/docs/ageing/Elderly_Women.pdf>
Describes the changing status and role of elderly women in countries around the
world. Developed in the early 1990s but includes projections for the future. Published
jointly by the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the
Advancement of Women (INSTRAW) and the Statistics Division of the United
Nations Secretariat.

INSTITUTIONAL CARE


Activity Provision: Benchmarking Good Practice in Care Homes
<http://www.cot.org.uk/specialist/olderpeople/news/pdf/ActivityProvisionENGLISH.
pdf>
Intended for use by care home providers and commissioners in the United Kingdom,
this guide offers a framework of person-centred quality indicators and outcome
measures to improve activity provision for residents. A benchmark tool is provided to
permit the management and staff of residential care homes to assess their current
level of service provision and to identify areas for improvement in an action plan.
Published in 2007 by the College of Occupational Therapists in London.

135

“Best practice guidelines: least restraint utilization”
<www.shannex.com/library/Best-Practice-Guidelines-Restraints.pdf>
Presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to reducing the use of
restraints—one based on research and best practice. Published in 2005 (and revised in
January 2007) by Shannex Health Care Management, Inc., a private company based
in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Best Practice Information Sheets
<www.joannabriggs.edu.au/pubs/best_practice.php>
Intended for use by health professionals in acute care or long-term care settings, the
information sheets relevant to older persons cover topics such as dementia, dental
care, drug use, malnutrition, oral health, oral hydration, restraints, and sleep.
Produced by the Joanna Briggs Institute, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia.

Introductory Guide to End of Life Care in Care Homes
<eolc.cbcl.co.uk/eolc/eolcpublications/Guide%20To%20EoLC%20care%20homes%
20lo.pdf>
Designed for care home managers and staff interested in improving the care of
residents in the final stages of life. Provides definitions of terms used in end-of-life
care, case studies of residents, and examples of best practices in palliative care in care
homes. Published by the National Health Service’s End of Life Care Programme in
cooperation with the National Council for Palliative Care in the United Kingdom.

TRAINING TOOLS

The Growing Challenge of Alzheimer’s Disease in Residential Settings
<http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/GrowingChallenge/>
A comprehensive training programme designed to provide staff and managers of
retirement communities, senior housing developments, assisted living facilities, and
case coordination agencies with helpful information about Alzheimer’s disease.
Intended for use by staff developers and others involved in offering in-service
training programmes on issues relating to older persons living in residential
communities. Published by the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center, a
service of the National Institute on Aging (one of the National Institutes of Health) in
the United States.

Hydration and Older People: Hydration Best Practice Toolkit for Care Homes
<www.water.org.uk/home/water-for-health/older-people>
May be used by care managers, care caterers and others providing services to older
persons in residential care homes. The Toolkit includes fact sheets, checklists, and
advice to enable care home staff and support personnel to improve water consumption
among older persons. Developed in 2005 through an alliance of care sector
stakeholders in the United Kingdom along with Water UK.

136

Infection Control Guidance for Care Homes
<www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/63/84/04136384.pdf>
Offers best-practice guidance on the prevention of infection in residential care homes.
Published in June 2006 by the Department of Health in the United Kingdom in
collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

My Home Life
<www.myhomelife.org.uk/>
A new initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of those who are living, dying,
visiting, and working in care homes for older persons. Intended to celebrate existing
best practice in care homes, promote care homes as a positive option for older
persons, and improve the quality of life in care homes through the development of a
range of resources, events, practice development initiatives and other activities. An
initiative of Help the Aged in the United Kingdom.

ISOLATION

Isolation to Inclusion
<www.i2i-project.net/>
Promotes the reintegration of older men and women into community life. Highlights
activities undertaken within the framework of the i2i Project in Austria, the Czech
Republic, Germany, Italy, Lithuania and the United Kingdom to help vulnerable older
persons overcome isolation and social exclusion. Project launched and funded by the
European Commission.

Unlocking the Community
<www.ilcuk.org.uk/files/pdf_pdf_29.pdf>
Explores ways to develop the capacity and potential of older persons to organize
community activities, clubs, groups and networks in order to strengthen their
involvement in society and promote active ageing. Presents two successful British
approaches to organizing activities and groups at the local level for isolated older
persons. Prepared by Simon Goodenough and published in July 2007 by the
International Longevity Centre in the United Kingdom.

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Aging in the Americas into the XXI Century
<www.census.gov/ipc/www/agingam.html>
A wall chart, available in English and Spanish, providing demographic data and
projections for the 65+ population in the Americas for 1997 and 2025. Produced
jointly by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, the
United States National Institute on Aging, and the United States Census Bureau in
1998.

137

“Brasilia Declaration”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/regional_review/Declaracion_Brasilia.pdf>
This Declaration marked the culmination of the Second Regional Intergovernmental
Conference on Ageing in Latin America and the Caribbean: Towards a Society for
All Ages and Rights-Based Social Protection, held in Brasilia from 4 to 6 December
2007. The meeting was convened to review progress in the implementation of the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and to offer recommendations for the
future. Published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Manual Sobre Indicadores de Calidad de Vida en la Vejez (LC/W.113)
[Manual of Indicators of the Quality of Life of Older Persons]
<www.eclac.org/cgi-bin/getProd.asp?xml=/publicaciones/xml/0/28240/
P28240.xml&xsl=/celade/tpl/p9f.xsl&base=/celade/tpl/top-bottom_env.xsl>
Proposes a series of indicators for the design of policies and programmes to improve
the quality of life for older persons in the areas of health, economic security, the
physical environment, support networks, and social integration. Published in
December 2006 by the Population Division of the Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean; available in Spanish only.

Population Ageing in the Caribbean: A Four Country Study
(E/LC/CAR/L.128) (Sales No. E.07.II.G.148)
<www.cepal.cl/celade/noticias/paginas/2/28632/LC_CAR_L128.pdf>
The first comprehensive effort to analyse national census data as it relates to the
elderly population and their health and well-being, living arrangements, and
economic security in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
and Trinidad and Tobago. Prepared by Karoline Schmid and Samuel Vézina and
published by the Population Division of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Population ageing in the Caribbean: an inventory of policies, programmes and
future challenges” (LC/CAR/G.772/Corr.1)
<www.monitoringris.org/documents/strat_reg/uneclac1.pdf>
Offers a demographic analysis of the ageing population in the Caribbean, focusing on
selected indicators for the period 1950-2050. The study also provides an inventory of
national and subregional policies and programmes relating to health care, labour force
participation, social welfare, social security, and pensions. Published by the United
Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in May 2004.

“Regional Strategy for the Implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean
of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing”
<http://www.globalaging.org/agingwatch/events/regionals/eclac/chileconf2003.pdf>
Adopted at the Regional Intergovernmental Conference on Ageing: Towards a
Regional Strategy for the Implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean of the
Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, held in Santiago from 19 to 21
November 2003. Published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean.

138

“Report of the Caribbean Symposium on Population Ageing, 8-10 November
2004” (LC/CAR/L.41)
<www.eclac.org/celade/noticias/paginas/2/28632/reportL041.pdf>
Report of a one-day academic research forum and two-day government forum held in
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Published by the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2005.

Administration.

CLEARINGHOUSES

Centro Latinoamerico y Caribeño de Demografía: Envejecimiento y Desarrollo
(Spanish only)
<www.eclac.cl/celade/envejecimiento/>
CELADE, the population division of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Latin America and the Caribbean, sponsors numerous research activities and
conferences focusing on ageing. The division maintains an online clearinghouse of
information about its own ageing-related activities and those of others in the region.
The Ageing and Development section of the CELADE website offers links to
demographic databases around the world, full-text documents produced in different
parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, abstracts of articles about ageing that have
appeared in the CELADE journal, compilations of statistical data, and a calendar of
events.

LIVABLE COMMUNITIES


Best Practices: Lessons for Communities in Supporting the Health, Well-being,
and Independence of Older People
<www.vnsny.org/advantage/tools/Advantage_best.pdf>
Examines the experiences of 17 American communities that have worked to become
more “elder friendly”. Summary and detailed descriptions of each project are
provided. The projects focus on, inter alia, supporting the fundamental need for
housing and security, maintaining physical and mental health, preserving the
independence of the frail and homebound, and facilitating opportunities for social and
civic engagement. Prepared by Penny H. Feldman and others and edited by Raymond
L. Rigoglioso; published by the Center for Home Care Policy and Research, Visiting
Nurse Service of New York, in June 2003.

139

Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide
<www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf>
Guide mondial des villes-amies des aînés
<www.who.int/ageing/publications/Guide_mondial_des_villes_amies_des_aines.pdf>
Examines the converging trends of population ageing and urbanization and describes
the characteristics of “age-friendly” cities based on research involving older persons,
caregivers and service providers. Areas of particular concern include outdoor spaces
and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social
inclusion, civic participation and employment, information and communication, and
community support and health services. Guidelines are provided on how to use the
findings of the report to stimulate action in cities worldwide. Published by the World
Health Organization in October 2007.

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

Living Arrangements of Older Persons around the World
<http://www. un.org/esa/population/publications/livingarrangement/report.htm>
The first global survey and analysis of patterns and trends characterizing the living
arrangements of older persons. Comparable data are provided for more than 130
countries. Published by the United Nations Population Division in November 2005.

LONG-TERM CARE

Community Home-Based Care in Resource Limited Settings:
A Framework for Action
<www.who.int/hiv/pub/prev_care/isbn9241562137.pdf>
The first section poses questions to guide policy formation. The second section raises
issues relating to the overall management and administration of community home-
based care (CHBC). The final section is intended to guide community groups in
planning, implementing and evaluating CHBC programmes. Directed at policy
makers and senior administrators, middle managers, and those who develop and run
CHBC programmes. Published by the World Health Organization in 2002.

“Consumer direction and choice in long-term care for older persons, including
payments for informal care: How can it help improve care outcomes,
employment and fiscal sustainability?” (DELSA/HEA/WD/HWP(2005)1)
<www.oecd.org/dataoecd/53/62/34897775.pdf>
Reports the detailed results of research on choice carried out as part of a long-term
care study under the OECD Health Project, which was to be published under the title
“Long-term care policies for older people”. OECD Health Working Papers, No. 20;
prepared by Jen Lundsgaard.

140

“Current and future long-term care needs” (WHO/NMH/CCL/02.2)
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_CCL_02.2.pdf>
Offers projections on long-term care needs over the next 50 years. Concludes that the
absolute number of functionally dependent people and their ratio in proportion to the
working population will increase greatly, particularly in developing countries.
Published by the World Health Organization in 2002.

National Clearinghouse on the Direct Care Workforce
<www.directcareclearinghouse.org>
Provides a vast array of published materials dealing with issues such as recruitment,
retention, training, peer support and career advancement. A Best Practices database
includes profiles of programmes implemented by service providers, educators, and
worker and community organizations to improve the recruitment, training and
retention of direct-care workers across the spectrum of facility-, home-, and
community-based long-term care services. Each profile includes programme
descriptions as well as links to additional information.

“‘We shall travel on’: quality of care, economic development, and the
international migration of long-term care workers”
<www.aarp.org/research/longtermcare/quality/2005_14_intl_ltc.html>
The increasing international migration of workers from developing countries to
provide long-term care services in developed countries is examined in this AARP
Public Policy Institute Issue Paper prepared by Donald L. Redfoot and Ari N. Houser.
Published by AARP in October 2005.


Dignity in Care (Adults’ Services Practice Guide No. 9)
<www.scie.org.uk/publications/practiceguides/practiceguide09/index.asp>
Designed to help care workers, practitioners and managers ensure that dignity and
respect are integral to the services they provide. The guide offers information on what
service users can expect from their health and social services, and includes resources
and practical advice in the form of downloadable training packages and audit tools to
help providers and practitioners improve their care strategies and approaches.
Prepared by Elaine Cass, Diana Robbins and Angela Richardson; published by the
Social Care Institute for Excellence in the United Kingdom in November 2006
(updated in August 2007 and February 2008).

TRAINING TOOLS

Teaching and Learning to Care: Training for Caregivers in Long Term Care
<www.nursing.upenn.edu/centers/hcgne/gero_tips/TLC/default.htm>
“TLC for LTC” is a series of instructional modules designed to meet the needs of
staff development educators and instructors. The individual modules may be
downloaded free of charge. Topics addressed include falls, pressure ulcers, adverse
drug risks, cognitive decline and dementia, communication in dementia through

141

behaviour, palliative care, continence, pain assessment and management, and oral
health. Streaming video is available online for some modules. The electronic version
of TLC for LTC contains all text files, Power Point slides, and video clips needed to
teach the modules. Produced by the Delaware Valley Geriatric Education Center at
the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.


Info-LTC
<lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/info-ltc>
An electronic newsletter providing information on geriatric, gerontological and long-
term care resources available through the J.W. Crane Library of Gerontology and
Geriatrics, Deer Lodge Centre, University of Manitoba. Subscribers receive the Web
Pick of the Week, Agelit, Current Perspectives, and news from the Library. Those
wishing to subscribe may submit the requested information at the Web address
provided above.

MAINSTREAMING

“Inclusive and effective poverty reduction: the case for targeting all age groups
in European Union development—priority actions for the European
Commission”
Demonstrates the scale and depth of child and old-age poverty, explores how poverty
is transferred between generations, and emphasizes the interdependence of young and
old. Published jointly by HelpAge International and the International Save the
Children Alliance in 2004.

Mainstreaming Ageing: Indicators to Monitor Sustainable Policies
<www.euro.centre.org/data/1192809590_39180.pdf>
MIPAA, adopted at the Second World Assembly on Ageing, is an international
agreement that recognizes the potential of older persons to contribute to the
development of their societies. This book contains policy briefs and background
papers that support the implementation monitoring process. Contributors include
renowned international experts on ageing, with evidence drawn from 56 countries in
Europe, North America and Central Asia. The Web address (above) provides access
to a complete table of contents and abstract. Edited by Bernd Marin and Asghar Zaidi
and published by Ashgate (United Kingdom) in 2007.

“Mainstreaming the concerns of older persons into the social development
agenda”
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/positionpaper.pdf>
Position paper prepared in September 2006 by Robert Venne, Social Affairs Officer,
Programme on Ageing, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.

142

“Non-discrimination mainstreaming—instruments, case studies and way
forwards”
<ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/pdf/pubst/stud/mainstr07_en.pdf>
The April 2007 report, prepared by the Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services in
the United Kingdom on behalf of the European Commission, addresses the following:
• How to undertake an equality screening procedure for a new or existing
policy;
• How to carry out an equality impact assessment;
• The role of consultation processes in promoting non-discrimination
mainstreaming;
• Developing an equality plan for a public authority that has made an
institutional commitment to embed equality throughout the policy-making
process;
• Data collection as part of a systematic monitoring and evaluation framework.

MENTAL HEALTH


Positive Aging Resource Center (PARC)
<www.positiveaging.org>
Established in 2002 to promote positive ageing. Information and services designed to
enhance the emotional well-being and mental health of the ageing population are
made available to older adults and their formal and informal caregivers, health and
social service professionals, policy makers and government offices, and model
service programmes. Among other things, PARC offers evidence-based tools such as
guidelines for addressing anxiety, dementia, agitation, and the threat of suicide. Based
in the United States.


American Psychological Association: Publications on Aging
<www.apa.org/pi/aging/publications.html>
Provides access to brochures, newsletters, fact sheets, resource guides, practice
guidelines, policy statements, reports, articles, books, journals, videos and other
resources on mental health and ageing for practising psychologists. Some of the site’s
offerings include Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Older Adults, Guidelines
for the Evaluation of Dementia and Age-Related Cognitive Decline, brochures
entitled What Practitioners Should Know about Working with Older Adults and Elder
Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions, and online resource guides for topics such
as older adults and insomnia, ageing and human sexuality, psychotherapy and older
adults, and depression and suicide in older adults.

143

Practice Guide 2: Assessing the Mental Health Needs of Older People
<www.scie.org.uk/publications/practiceguides/practiceguide02/index.asp>
Provides an overview of information and current practice for those involved in
assessing the mental health needs of older persons in the United Kingdom. It is aimed
particularly at front-line practitioners, who may be the first health-care professionals
in contact with older persons or their families and friends. Published by the Social
Care Institute for Excellence in the United Kingdom in April 2006.

Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health: National Guidelines
<www.ccsmh.ca/en/guidelinesUsers.cfm>
Four evidence-based, best-practice guidelines focusing on key areas of older persons’
mental health, produced in 2006 under the following titles:
• Assessment and Treatment of Delirium;
• Assessment and Treatment of Depression;
• Assessment of Suicide Risk and Prevention of Suicide;
• Assessment and Treatment of Mental Health Issues in Long-Term Care
Homes (focus on mood and behavioural symptoms).

TRAINING TOOLS

Geriatric Mental Health Training Series
<www.nursing.uiowa.edu/hartford/nurse/core.htm>
A six-part training programme for care providers in long-term care settings. The first
training module, Whose Problem Is It?, examines common care challenges associated
with mental illness and threats to mental health. The second module, Getting the
Facts, reviews general principles for communicating with older persons, emphasizing
problems linked to sensory changes, staff attitudes and beliefs, and various types of
dementia that may affect residents; strategies to promote more effective
communication are offered. The third module, When You Are More Than Just Down
in the Dumps, provides an overview of the signs and symptoms of depression,
common problems that cause or mimic depression, and ways to help older persons
who may be depressed. The fourth and fifth modules, When You Forget That You
Forgot (parts I and II), provide broad coverage of dementia but focus primarily on
Alzheimer’s disease; the first part reviews symptoms and stages and introduces the
PLST care model, and the second part provides specific intervention strategies and
communication techniques. The last module, Back to the A-B-C’s, presents a
problem-solving approach for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Each module contains a detailed lecturer’s script, notes for instructors, slides,
handouts, and suggestions for additional reading. These modules were developed for
the John A. Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence of the University of
Iowa to facilitate personal development and staff training.

144

NATIONAL PLANS ON AGEING

International Federation on Ageing
Age Related Policies: Government Engagement of Older People
< http://www.ifa-fiv.org/en/accueil1.aspx?sortcode=2.23>
Three important age-related policy issues are highlighted, including age
discrimination, supporting older people through engagement, and financial protection.
Links are provided to full-text versions of relevant national strategies, policies and
legislation in all three areas.

NUTRITION

Keep Fit for Life: Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Older Persons
<whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/9241562102.pdf>
Examines the evolving nutritional needs of both healthy and chronically ill older
persons, offering recommendations regarding essential nutrients. Published by the
World Health Organization in 2002.

Summary of Research Findings on the Nutritional Status and Risk Factors for
Vulnerability of Older People in Africa
Highlights some key issues affecting the nutrition and health of older persons. A
compilation of summaries of reports and research surveys conducted by HelpAge
International’s Africa regional nutrition programme in partnership with academic and
training institutions in a number of African countries. Prepared by HelpAge
International’s Africa Regional Development Centre in 2004.

CLEARINGHOUSES

National Resource Center on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Aging
<nutritionandaging.fiu.edu/index.asp>
Provides a number of resources (including manuals, dietary guidelines and
information links) intended to promote good nutrition and physical activity among
older Americans. The Center, associated with Florida International University, is
funded primarily by the United States Administration on Aging.

PENSIONS/SOCIAL SECURITY

Age and Security: How Social Pensions Can Deliver Effective Aid to Poor Older
People and Their Families
Describes how universal social pensions effectively target aid in developing
countries, reducing poverty among older persons. Prepared by Mark Gorman and
published by HelpAge International in 2004.

145

“Ageing societies and the looming pension crisis”
<www.oecd.org/document/59/0,3343,en_2649_201185_2512699_1_1_1_1,00.html>
Provides an overview of the public pension crisis facing most developed countries,
along with links to a number of OECD studies relating to this issue. Published by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Extending Social Security: Policies for Developing Countries
<www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/
kd00061.pdf>
Reviews trends and policy issues associated with the extension of social security in
developing countries, focusing on the most common social security programmes
(health insurance, pensions, unemployment protection and tax-based social benefits).
Extensions of Social Security (ESS) Paper Series, No. 13; prepared by Wouter van
Ginneken and published by the International Labour Organization in 2003.

Global Aging and the Sustainability of Public Pension Systems
<www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,3658/>
Chronicles the efforts of 12 developed countries to prepare for population ageing by
reforming their public pension systems. Prepared by James C. Capretta and published
by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in January 2007.

Social Cash Transfers for Africa: A Transformative Agenda for the 21st Century
The report of a three-day intergovernmental conference on social protection held in
Livingstone, Zambia, from 20 to 23 March 2006. The meeting brought together more
than a hundred ministers and senior representatives from 13 African Governments to
explore new ways to tackle poverty and promote the human rights of the poorest
people in Africa. Published by HelpAge International in 2006.

Social Security for All: Investing in Global Social and Economic Development
<www3.ilo.org/public/english/protection/secsoc/downloads/1519sp1.pdf>
A consultative document reflecting the interim results of the debate surrounding the
establishment of a coherent policy vision within the ILO for the achievement of
universal social security. Intended to mark the beginning of a wider debate between
social security stakeholders, researchers, practitioners and decision makers on how to
provide social security to the majority of the world’s populations. Issues in Social
Protection, Discussion Paper No. 16; published by the International Labour
Organization in August 2006.

Social Cash Transfers for Asia: Ensuring Social Protection/Social Pensions in Old
Age in the Context of Rapid Ageing
Report of a three-day intergovernmental seminar on social protection held in
Bangkok from 29 to 31 January 2007. Published by HelpAge International in 2007.

146

Social Security Programs throughout the World: Africa, 2007
<http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-
2007/africa/index.html>
Social Security Programs throughout the World: Asia and the Pacific, 2006
< http://www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/asia/>
Social Security Programs throughout the World: Europe, 2006
<http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/europe/index.html>
Updated biennially, these reports provide descriptions of national social security
systems throughout the respective regions. Published between 2006 and 2008 by the
United States Social Security Administration.

DATABASES

International Social Security Association: Social Security Worldwide
<www.issa.int/Engl/ssw.htm>
Includes the following six databases on social security, updated monthly:
• Scheme description: concise outlines of social security systems in over 170
countries;
• Complementary and private pensions: profiles of complementary and private
pension systems in over 50 countries;
• Reforms: summaries of important reforms in social protection programmes
wordwide since 1995;
• Legislation: references to more than 14,000 pieces of social security
legislation (with full-text versions available in some cases);
• Bibliography: references to books, periodicals and other materials relating to
social protection published since 1991;
• Thesaurus: key social security terms in English, French, Spanish and German.

CLEARINGHOUSES

International Social Security Association: Documentation Centre
<www.issa.int/engl/doc.htm>
The world’s leading international source of social security documentation. Offers
extensive bibliographic (ISSDOC), descriptive, legislative and statistical information
on all aspects of national social security systems; available in English, French,
Spanish and/or German.

The World Bank: Pensions
<go.worldbank.org/RIDQWTX330>
Includes information on pension systems and pension reform and on recent
developments in pension legislation, descriptions of relevant World Bank projects
and events, and downloadable publications prepared by or for the World Bank.

147


International Update
<www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/intl_update/>
A monthly newsletter providing updates on social security policy and legislation
around the world. Produced by the United States Social Security Administration’s
Office of Policy.

ELECTRONIC DISCUSSION LISTS

Economics of Aging Interest Group
<http://www-cpr.maxwell.syr.edu/econage/index.htm>
An electronic mailing list providing notices of job openings, upcoming workshops,
data availability, solicitations for papers, and research inquiries. Those wishing to
subscribe can send an e-mail to <listserv@listserv.syr.edu>; leave the subject box
blank, and in the body of the message type SUB ECNAGING plus your full name.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

“Growing older—staying well: ageing and physical activity in everyday life”
(WHO/HPR/AHE/98.1)
<whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1998/WHO_HPR_AHE_98.1.pdf>
Describes the health benefits of physical activity for older persons and summarizes
the relevant research evidence. Published by the World Health Organization in 1998.

CLEARINGHOUSES

The National Blueprint:
Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older
<www.agingblueprint.org/>
A clearinghouse of information on physical activity for older adults, intended for use
by professionals and older persons themselves. The site was created by the National
Blueprint Initiative, a partnership of more than 50 American organizations interested
in promoting physical activity among older individuals. The publication Promoting
Physical Activity: A Guide for Community Action can be downloaded. Maintained by
the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in
the United States.

TRAINING TOOLS

International Curriculum Guidelines for Preparing Physical Activity Instructors of
Older Adults
<www.isapa.org/guidelines/index.cfm>
A consensus document outlining each of the major content areas that experts
recommend should be included in any entry-level training programme with the goal

148

of preparing physical activity instructors to work with older adults. Provides a set of
standards to develop competency and consistency among instructors and to ensure
that fitness programmes for older persons are safe, effective and accessible. Produced
by the International Society for Aging and Physical Activity in collaboration with the
World Health Organization’s Ageing and Life Course Programme.

POVERTY

“How poor are the old? A survey of evidence from 44 countries”
<siteresources.worldbank.org/SOCIALPROTECTION/Resources/SP-Discussion-
papers/Pensions-DP/0017.pdf>
A survey of 11 international comparative studies of poverty, income distribution and
the elderly. A total of 44 countries are covered; the focus is on OECD economies.
Prepared by Edward Whitehouse and published by the World Bank in 2002.

“Inclusive and effective poverty reduction: the case for targeting all age groups
in European Union development—priority actions for the European
Commission”
Demonstrates the scale and depth of child and old-age poverty, explores how poverty
is transferred between generations, and emphasizes the interdependence of young and
old. Published jointly by HelpAge International and the International Save the
Children Alliance in 2004.

RESEARCH

Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century: 2007 Update
<www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/documents/AgeingResearchAgenda-6.pdf>
Designed to support the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on
Ageing by prioritizing areas of research that should be of key concern to policy
makers around the world. A joint project of the United Nations Programme on
Ageing and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.


Current Awareness in Aging Research (CAAR) Report
<http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cdha/pubs/caar.html>
CAAR is a weekly e-mail report produced by the Center for Demography of Health
and Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to help researchers keep up with
the latest developments in the field. Those wishing to subscribe should complete the
electronic form provided at <www.ssc.wisc.edu/cdha/pubs/caar/subscribe.html>.

149

RETIREMENT

The Future of Retirement: What the World Wants
<www.ageingforum.org/>
An international survey of attitudes on ageing and retirement involving more than
21,000 adults in 20 countries and territories. An executive summary, as well as two
reports incorporating consumer and employer findings, may be downloaded.
Produced by HSBC Insurance in 2007 in collaboration with three organizations; the
Oxford Institute of Ageing authored the publication, Age Wave served as the lead
advisor, and Harris Interactive undertook the global fieldwork.

RURAL AGEING

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
Sustainable Development Department: SDdimensions
Papers focusing on population ageing in rural areas
<www.fao.org/sd/eims_search/webpage_result_people.asp?agrovoc=192&category=
24&lang;=en>
Provides links to a number of FAO documents examining different aspects of
population ageing in rural areas, including the impact of ageing on agriculture and
food security and the impact of HIV/AIDS.

TRANSPORTATION

SeniorDrivers.org
<www.seniordrivers.org>
Provides information for older drivers and their families on safe driving and “giving
up the keys” when driving is no longer a viable option; for providers wishing to set up
supplemental transportation systems; and for researchers interested in current and past
findings on aging and mobility. Created and maintained by the American Automobile
Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety in the United States.

URBAN AGEING

Global Age-Friendly Cities: A Guide
<www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf>
Guide mondial des villes-amies des aînés
<www.who.int/ageing/publications/Guide_mondial_des_villes_amies_des_aines.pdf>
Examines the converging trends of population ageing and urbanization and describes
the characteristics of “age-friendly” cities based on research involving older persons,
caregivers and service providers. Areas of particular concern include outdoor spaces
and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social
inclusion, civic participation and employment, information and communication, and

150

community support and health services. Guidelines are provided on how to use the
findings of the report to stimulate action in cities worldwide. Published by the World
Health Organization in October 2007.

151

Guide to the National Implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action on Ageing

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