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Action for smart healthy age-friendly environments
47-48Views:202Smart, adaptable and inclusive solutions can help improve and support independent life throughout the course of life, regardless of age, gender, disabilities, cultural differences and personal choices.
A holistic approach that optimizes social and physical environments, supported by digital tools and services, allows to provide better health and social care, promoting not only independent living, but also equity and active participation in society. This approach follows the United Nations' line-up, with the Sustainable Development Goals (in particular Objectives 3 and 11), stating that sustainable environments for all ages represent the basis for ensuring a better future for the entire population.
The challenges of different sectors, such as ICT, the building industry and urban planning and the health and social care, as well as those of citizens and their communities are interlinked. Responding to these challenges will foster awareness and support for the creation and implementation of smart, healthy and inclusive environments for present and future generations.
From this insight, a new concept was developed and well received: Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE). The by the EC approved Thematic Network of 2018 evolved into a Stakeholders Network of about 170 organisations and it is represented in several European projects and networks. COST Action NET4Age-Friendly brings together over 320 researchers from 46 countries. Capacity building to support the implementation of SHAFE is present in Erasmus+ projects.The presentation will give an overview of relevant development and insights to support the building of smart, inclusive societies.
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Determinants influenceing the mental health of older people (60 years +) in Botswana
33-35Views:202Ageing society is a reality for many people in developing countries than in the past. Governments are facing major challenges in safeguarding the mental health of older people and health care systems to deal with this demographic shift. The mental health of older people is an important indicator of the level of their health-related quality of life. The situation of older people in Africa, concerning their mental health and well-being, is a matter of growing attention among researchers and policymakers alike. There is a common perception in connection with the aged population reporting poor mental health status and a greater need for healthcare. However, there is few research on the disparities of older people relating to healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Botswana. There is a tendence of ever-increasing number and population proportions of older people representing both opportunities and challenges. Some of these challenges include the prevention and management of anxiety, depression, and somatization, which are the most common mental disorders in primary health care the world over. Previous research has shown that the three disorders are highly comorbid because of the need for prevention and mitigation of all three.
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Empowering older persons: The truths and challenges of care decisions for enhanced quality of life
5-6Views:129As the global population ages, empowering older persons in care decisions becomes increasingly crucial for enhancing their quality of life. This paper explores the complexities of empowerment in the context of care decisions for older persons, examining both the facts and challenges involved.
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Addressing the Geriatric Hypertension Crisis in the Philippines: Challenges and Strategies for Improved Care
99-100Views:130This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges confronting the elderly population in the Philippines, focusing on economic insecurity, healthcare accessibility, social isolation, and the socio-cultural context of aging. While the elderly population remains smaller in proportion compared to other Southeast Asian nations—growing from 2.7% in 1990 to a projected 7.7% by 2025—this demographic shift brings significant implications. The increase in the aged dependency ratio, expected to double from 5.5 elderly per 100 working-age persons in 1990 to 10.5 by 2025, reflects the pressures on younger generations to support an aging population.
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A Review of the AGE Barometer 2023: EU Good Practices and Barriers in the Empowerment of Elderly in the Labour Market - The Case of Hungary
15-24Views:560The 2023 edition of the AGE Barometer was released by the Age Platform Europe, aimed at consolidating data from European statistics and national-level sources and enriched by feedback from 19 European countries, including Hungary. The publication aimed at empowering older people in the labour market and promoting sustainable and high-quality working lives for them. The Barometer revealed that the European Union (EU) is far from reaching its 78% employment target for adults aged 20 to 64 with its current state of just 62.3%. This could be due to various barriers to the integration of older people in the labour market, which include inadequate supportive policies, ageism, and unfavourable workplace conditions. Conversely, these are broadly stated in the context of the EU; hence, a deeper analysis of these results, with a special focus on the case of a single country, such as Hungary, is relevant to establish a clearer understanding of the national and local framework of these findings and in determining facilitating policies and programmes as well as gaps in promoting elderly inclusion in the labour sector. Using various methods such as critical analysis, desk and literature review, and thematic analysis, this article examined the Barometer report and other relevant publications. The Barometer 2023 effectively provided general issues and actionable areas in supporting older people in the labour market, combating ageism, and ensuring an age-friendly work environment in the EU landscape. Moreover, it revealed that Hungary performed better in employing older persons compared to the EU average, likely associated with a favourable environment for older workers through its legal protection systems, financial incentives, equal treatment policy, and initiatives such as pensioner cooperatives and information technology education. However, this still falls below the target, and based on the analysis and review of existing relevant publications, this could be associated with some unfavourable policies, gender disparities, a continuous rise in the ageing population, an increased number of migrant workers, technology challenges, ageism, political mayhems, cultural and traditional constraints, and other challenges that continue to threaten the marketability of older people, thereby resulting in consequences for their financial, physical, social, psychological, and environmental wellbeing. Moreover, the report also stated few good practices in promoting elderly employment in the county, contrary to numerous efforts implemented by both the Hungarian government, non-government organisations, and other institutions, which remained unrecognised, perhaps due to limited data availability and gaps in the reporting schemes. Finally, the Barometer 2023 report was realized to be included and used as a part of the technical working papers of the European Economic and Social Committee, being the EU advisory body that deals on the issues and opinions regarding this matter. The latest edition of the Barometer has the potential to spark positive changes among policymakers and decision-makers in acknowledging the economic potential of the elderly and in eliminating barriers that hinder elderly integration in the labour market. In the case of Hungary, substantial policies, programmes, and welfare services exist that facilitate elderly employment; however, challenges were also identified, hence the precise recommendations provided in the Barometer report must transform into reality, taking into consideration the unique national, local, and cultural peculiarities of Hungary and its local communities. It is also suggested that systematic data collection and good practice documentation must be facilitated in Hungary, and feedback from the other 18 countries in the Barometer report must be thoroughly reviewed or benchmarked for possible inspiration and replication. Lastly, the potentials of the Barometer 2023 to be used at all levels of decision-making must be maximized.
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The correlations of resilience of the geriatric population in Botswana: A cross sectional study
36-37Views:171According to Botswana's Current statistics for 2021, people aged 60 and above would make up 8.9% of the population. As people age, they face a plethora of challenges; mental, legal, social, health, economic, environmental, and political, in addition to ageism and marginalization. Therefore, they need resilience to deal with these challenges that emanate from the aging process, the development of care needs, and the depletion of resources. However, in Africa, there is anecdotal evidence that some older people cannot cope with their lives, let alone carer responsibilities caused by HIV related death and other risk factors. For older people to flourish, they need resilience to achieve, endure, develop and sustain their health and well-being in the face of adversity. The degree of success and impact on their resilience is undocumented. The research will therefore determine the correlates with resilience and establish ways to curb the risk factors.
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Explore the Motivational Factors Driving Economic Engagement among the Elderly in Rural Area in Lao People's Democratic Republic
76-78Views:154This exploratory study delves into the motivational factors driving economic engagement among the elderly in rural areas of Laos, a nation in Southeast Asia experiencing demographic shifts towards an aging population. With limited research on this topic in the context of rural Laos, this study aims to uncover the underlying motivations that influence elderly individuals to participate in economic activities. By understanding these factors, policymakers can design targeted interventions to promote economic inclusion and improve the well-being of the elderly population. However, the study also uncovers barriers and challenges faced by elderly individuals, such as limited access to resources, skills, and infrastructure. Recommendations are provided to address these challenges and enhance support systems.
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Elderly people in Tunisia: a study on challenges and support systems
104-105Views:99Tunisia is experiencing significant growth in the number and proportion of elderly people. Statistics show that the population aged 65 years and over has been steadily increasing over the years. This demographic shift has led to the reversal of the population pyramid creating new challenges for the nation.
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Challenges of the Elderly in Nigeria
13-18Views:124The elderly population in Nigeria faces a myriad of challenges as they navigate their later years. With a growing aging population, it is important to understand the life conditions and support systems available to them.
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Insights into the lived experience of Long-Term Care and End of Life Transitions in Malta
3-4Views:178In this keynote presentation, I explore the profound implications of the global demographic shift towards an ageing population. I delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by this shift, using Malta as a unique case study with 25% of its citizens aged 60 and older. The dense population poses challenges for infrastructure, healthcare access, and the overall well-being of older individuals.
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The good practice of inclusion in action - the proposal of program based on the Human Rights
38-39Views:208Rapidly changing time is a problem: are we able to deal with all challenges in a humanistic and peaceful way? Is it possible? Do falling barriers to trade have led to a rapid change in social life and in the movement of products and labor? With these exciting transformations also came great challenges and threats, at a time when we seem to like each other less and less, with partisan affective polarization on the rise in a country after country.
The paper presents definitions of phenomenon of marginalization and exclusion from European perspective. The main idea of its lecture and planned project is the presentation the intervention program among seniors based on heritage of work the French Research Committee on Violence, Crime and Delinquency, who published 40 years ago a document Society against Violence. The document contained analyses on the occurrence of social problems and their determinants, as well as guidelines to reduce risks and reduce the sense of threat and insecurity in modern society. Based on the conclusion included into Report “Society against Violence” the special training was prepared. The theoretical assumption of the project is Levinian model of changes in society and his methodology of action research. The aims of program are to change attitudes in the field of knowledge and attitudes towards the used violence and to improve the skills to react in situations of confrontation with institutional or press aggression or the so-called manifestations of "hate speech" in education institutions. Because of Coronavirus lockdown only idea and first step of implementation (the realisation was stopped) is possible to presentation.Maybe the program is in a primary stage but we believe that modern societies should relay and based on the idea of Human Rights and spread them elsewhere and that violence in modern societies should be reduced by human rights and democracy education.
The document became the basis for the reflection on public debate on violence in international communities and psychological practice against violence in interpersonal and social meaning. The article presents the possible directions of research and psychological interventions in this area especially among seniors. This perspective is worth to be underlined because it is a part of wider trend in preparation social support programmes focused on inclusion adults from a difficult sociocultural environment. Such programmes could improve competencies to protect social capital of societies. The content and scope of these programmes should be drawn from knowledge of the relationships between the various risk factors, protective factors and developmental processes in groups and societies and combine knowledge, practical useful skills and good psychological experience by continue containing with life. -
Challenges to Mental Health Security and Safety of Older Adults in the U.S.
3Views:282Although rates of Covid-19 infection are lower for older adults, the mortality rates are higher than all other ages. While the health challenges are evident, the mental health effects of the pandemic are less evident. The term “compassionate ageism” has been used to describe protection of all older adults as vulnerable groups, however it overlooks individual factors that may mitigate risk and enhance mental health aspects of coping with the realities of the pandemic. Isolation and separation from families and once enjoyed activities, whether residing in their own homes or long-term care facilities, has taken an immeasurable physical and mental health toll on older adults. Safety and security for mental health as well as physical health must be considered in any strategy to try mitigate the effects on the quality of life of older adults during this critical time in our history.
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Social service delivery for senior citizens in rural Philippines and secrets to longevity of Apo Whang-od
2-14Views:1173Access to social services such as healthcare, transportation, and financial support can be limited, leaving many elderly individuals vulnerable to poverty and social exclusion. This paper examined the recent elderly demographics, status of social service delivery, the roles of traditional and cultural practices, and specific challenges faced by older persons in rural areas, using the case of Apo Whang-od and her community, Buscalan that is in the municipality of Tinglayan, Province of Kalinga, Philippines. Using a mixed methods approach, this paper revealed that almost 11% of Tinglayan’s population is elderly, mostly indigenous people with a relatively low literacy rate, and low-income earners who are engaged mostly in subsistence farming and small-scale traditional craft making. Also, there are substantial government programs and services offered by existing laws; however, access to these is challenged by limited access to education and healthcare services, with long travel distances and a lack of transportation being major barriers. Financial difficulties were also observed, with no or few having access to social security benefits and reasonable amounts of pensions. The challenges can also be attributed to an unfavorable geographical location, conflicts with neighboring tribes, limited local government funds, lack of knowledge, and inadequate social service centers within the locality. Tinglayan’s cultural values were also found to play a pivotal role in supplementing the scarce social services by fostering a supportive atmosphere for the elderly. Analysing Apo-Whag-od's longevity, it was revealed that she lived a longer life because she ate organic and locally sourced food, slept well, laughed a lot, engaged in regular physical activity, nurtured her spiritual well-being, built strong relationships with her family and community, and kept a positive outlook. In conclusion, social demographics shows that elderlies in rural areas are disadvantaged, which calls for more efficient and effective access, delivery, and availability of social services. Moreover, policymakers are enjoined to accelerate social infrastructures, expand social protection programs, and support intergenerational solidarity and resilience and cultural preservation. Lastly, Apo Whang-od’s legacy lives on. Her popularity not only gained revitalization of the Kalinga tattoo culture, but it also inspired people to follow her steps to longer and happier way of life.
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Családi (informális) gondozást segítő rendszerek Magyarországon
34-48Views:447The member states of the European Union have to face the challenge of demographic aging. Taking the demographic characteristics of the member states, there are no essential differences in either the current or in the expected future development of the proportion of elderly people. Ageing affects several areas of the welfare regimes, but it is usually the health and pension systems and personal services that are highlighted. This paper deals with a special area of personal services, the family (informal) care and the support of carers in Hungary. The study introduces definitions of the informal care, welfare policies on family caregivers, the systematization attempts of the care policy in the member states, it analyzes the recent past and currently perceived care policy processes and ideologies, and finally describes the specific situation in the former Communist countries through an example of a Hungarian care policy. The basic idea of the article is that although the demographic challenges are similar, but the service policy and the development of the institutional systems show significant differences in each country. In addition to the underdeveloped institutional service system in the different countries, the post-Communist countries lack the supporting tools of the caring family members.
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Beyond the limelight of Apo Whang-od: Exposing the face of social service delivery and access of older persons in the Philippines
79-80Views:153This study examined the access to social services for the elderly population in Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines, which is the home of Apo Whang-od, a globally renowned traditional tattoo artist. The case study explored the challenges and opportunities that elderly individuals encounter in accessing social services within geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) and how these dynamics have been influenced by the artist's popularity.
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Attitudes of Roma adults towards the care of their elderly relatives
21-24Views:254Caring for the elderly is a challenge for any society even if it is a family or institution related issue (Bánlaki 2006). Numerous researches on the care of the elderly have been published, which help to make the care of the elderly as effective as possible (Djellal, Gallouj 2006). Within the framework of our research, we undertook to examine the attitudes (Arlotti, Aguilar-Hendrickson 2017) and experiences of the Roma towards elderly care.
Our aim was to explore the opinions of adult Roma people on the topic, as well as to identify possible cultural peculiarities in this issue (Hajime et al 2006; Da Roit 2010; Kehusmaa et al. 2013; Szabóné 2018).Method:
We have selected Roma adult people living in Budapest as our target group, most of them perform manual labour, who in the near future are likely to face the issue of caring for their elderly relatives or are already facing it in the capital. We have chosen this target group because there is a wide range of social services in the capital, and this gives us an insight into the confidence or lack of confidence in the social care system. The situation of the Roma elderly in the Hungarian social context is discussed with a nuanced approach based on Roma studies. The opinions and thoughts of 20 Roma adults are highlighted in our presentation, with whom we interviewed. We compiled a semi-structured set of questions for the target group. We tried to capture the attitude of the Roma towards elderly care along different dimensions (Allport, Lindzey 1960; Örkény, Vári 2009): individual responsibility (Nárai 2019) patterns of the family (Bánlaky 2001), financial and other resources (Bourdieu 1999) - assistance, trust in the social care system, readiness for elderly care (Heimlich 2008). Our research was carried out in November 2021 in compliance with the measures associated witht he COVID-19 situation. The interviews took 40-75 minutes long on average per person.
We compare international trends within formation on elderly care in Hungary and data on the health status of elderly Roma in Hungary (Kodner, 2006).Results:
The uniqueness of our research lies in the fact that we present the strategies of the Roma related to care in the Hungarian social reality, we identify practical problems and challenges, which can even be a breeding ground for future social policy measures (Schwiter et al. 2015). Poverty among the Roma, as well as discrimination and lower life expectancy compared to non-Roma (KSH, 2015) all contribute to the decision-making of Roma adults regarding the care of their elderly relatives, which is confirmed by the answers found in the interviews and the possibilities and strategies formed by the elderly care system (Kovács 2006). Our results showed that access to various social benefits, such as home help and public health care among others is affected during elderly care, and also has a key role to play, but also information among the Roma. In addition to trust in the social care system, financial means or lack of the influence coping strategies for elderly care. The results obtained can be used even for prevention projects aimed at local health preservation, or for any program aimed at improving the health status of the Roma.References
Allport, G. W., Vernon, P. E., Lindzey, G. A. (1960): A study of values, 3rd ed., Boston, Houghton.Mifflin.
Barbara Da Roit (2010): Strategies of Care. Changing Elderly Care in Italy and the Netherlands. Care and Welfare
Bánlaky Pál (2001): Családszociológia. Wesley János Lelkészképző Főiskola, Budapest.
Bánlaky Pál (2006): A család belső működése – A családon belüli kapcsolatok dinamikája. In: Czibere Ibolya (szek.) (2006): Családszociológia szöveggyűjtemény. Debrecen.
Bourdieu, Pierre (1999): Gazdasági tőke, kulturális tőke, társadalmi tőke. In: Angelusz Róbert (szerk.): A társadalmi rétegződés komponensei. Budapest, Új Mandátum Könyvkiadó, 156-177.
Faridah Djellal, Faïz Gallouj (2006): Innovation in care services for the elderly. The Service Industries Journal. Volume 26, 2006 - Issue 3
Hajime Orimo,Hideki Ito,Takao Suzuki,Atsushi Araki,Takayuki Hosoi, Motoji Sawabe (2006): Reviewing the definition of “elderly”. Geriatrics Gerontology, Volume 6, Issue 3 149-158.
Helmich K. (2008): A generativitás fogalma és a nemzedékek egymásrahatása. In: Gyáni G., Láng M. (szerk.): Generációk a történelemben. Hajnal István Kör – Társadalomtörténeti Egyesülete és a Nyíregyházi Főiskola Gazdasági Társadalomtudományi Kara, Nyíregyháza (2008) 115-120.
Karin Schwiter, Christian Berndt, Jasmine Truong (2015): Neoliberal austerity and the marketisation of elderly care. Social & Cultural Geography Volume 19, 2018 - Issue 3: Placing care in times of austerity
Kodner, D., and C. Spreeuwenberg. 2002. “Integrated Care: Meaning, Logic, Applications and
Implications – A Discussion Paper.” International Journal of Integrated Care Vol. 2 (October-December).
Kovács Éva (2006): Mari ésaz ő „cigánysága” – avagy a narratíva helye és ereje az etnicitás kutatásában. Tabula, 2006 9 (I):41-52.
KSH Statisztikai Tükör (2015). A hazai nemzetiségek demográgiai jellemzői. https://www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xftp/stattukor/nemzetiseg_demografia.pdf (Utolsó letöltés ideje: 2021. 11. 03.)
Marco Arlotti, Manuel Aguilar-Hendrickson (2017): The vicious layering of multilevel governance in Southern Europe: The case of elderly care in Italy and Spain. Social Policy Administration, Volume52, Issue3, May 2018, 646-661.
Margaret McAdam (2008): Frameworks of Integrated Care for the Elderly: A Systematic Review. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Nárai Márta (2019): A lokális társadalmi szerepvállalás, felelősségvállalás szereplői – egyesületek, alapítványok a helyi közösségek/helyi társadalom szolgálatában, Ünnepi tanulmánykötet a 70 éves Gáspár Mátyás tiszteletére, Magánkiadás, 151-161.
Örkény Antal – Vári István: Szempontok és kérdőjelek a magyarországi roma kisebbség tanulmányozásához. Fundamentum, 2009. 2. szám, 5-15.
Sari Kehusmaa, Ilona Autti-Rämö, Hans Helenius, Pekka Rissanen (2013): Does informal care reduce public care expenditure on elderly care? Estimates based on Finland’s Age Study. BMC Health Services Research 13, 317.
Szabóné dr. Kármán Judit (2018): A magyarországi cigány/roma népesség kulturantropológiai és orvosantropológiai megközelítésben. Romológiai füzetek 2. DRHE, Debrecen, 5-76. -
Formal Carers’ Perspectives on Elder Abuse within a Maltese Care Home
55-56Views:99This research explores formal caregivers’ perspectives on elder abuse within a Maltese care home, addressing the challenges posed by an ageing population and the growing reliance on long-term care.
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Elderly care out from the care system: the challenges of family carers
2-24.Views:638The overburdened long term care system increases the role of family carers in taking care of older adults. Undertaking the role of care put a great burden to family carers and cause many negative effects to the family roles, the field of employment and to the carers’ personal physical and mental health too. The formal care system solely focuses for the need of care receivers and hardly find services targeted to family carers. This study, using the analisis of ten family caregiver interviews, overlaps the main difficulties they are facing.
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COVID -19 pandemic, surveys on elderly about vaccination. National and European perspectives
14-17Views:343A summary of Symposium titled COVID-19 pandemic, surveys on elderly about vaccination reserved in this abstract.
The severe cases of COVID-19 in Europe. A comparative analysis using SHARE data base
The paper focuses on the severe cases of COVID-19 in Europe and the predictors of these cases. The author used the secondary analysis of a large data base (SHARE) of persons aged 50 or more from the EU countries and the Switzerland. The data have been collected in the summer of 2020. In the first part the focus is on the theoretical starting point of the analysis. In the second part the main outputs are presented.
How to convince the undecided - communication with the elderly and attitudes towards vaccination COVID-19 in Poland
The pandemic has had its toll on the socio-economic life of most people. Governments and international organizations face new challenges in a situation of uncertainty. Social campaigns are designed to encourage as many people as possible to join the vaccination plan. Achieving population resilience requires a significant commitment of organizational, financial and communication resources.
Older people constitute a priority group in the vaccination system in Poland. However, despite the measures taken, there remains a significant share of seniors who remain reluctant to vaccination. The government is taking further pro-turnout measures targeted at the elderly. The shortcomings of the existing strategies should be eliminated for the benefit of society.
The aim is to summarize the research conducted in the field of the needs and possibilities of communication with the elderly, attitudes towards vaccinations and sources of influence on making purchasing decisions of seniors.
Vaccination attitudes – international project in Central and Eastern Europe
The beginnings of the project date back to 2020. The uncertainty that became commonplace in the times of the pandemic indicated new areas of previously unknown dependencies. Stress, uncertainty, attitudes towards the threat, protective behaviour, and soon also attitudes towards vaccination seemed the most important at that time. Examining the existing dependencies would allow a better understanding of the phenomenon of social responses to the pandemic and would support governmental and non-governmental, national and international actions that would be an important tool in the fight against the negative consequences of a spreading COVID-19.
Scientists from Central and Eastern European countries representing different disciplines (sociology, economics, communication, statistics, psychology and psychiatry) joined forces in a common international project investigating the relationship between attitudes towards vaccines and the level of perceived mental health, uncertainty, socio-demographic variables and the level of religiosity. Core aims of the project were to analyse the model of predictors concerning demographic, psychological, and social factors influencing the intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 and to provide the information to prepare and implement more effective and efficient health messaging strategies and campaigns targeting groups reluctant to COVID-19 vaccination in Eastern and Central European countries.
The project involved the development of a common research tool - a questionnaire, parallel research in four countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary), more than 2000 respondents (unvaccined adults) and joint development of the results of the analysis, using the potential of all involved partners.
The project is still developed to next stages of investigation. Results will be published in high quality journals in years 2022 and 2023.Partners involved represent: University of Gdańsk (Poland), University of Oradea (Romania), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), University of Debrecen (Hungary).
More information: k.balandynowicz@ug.edu.pl.
Survey on unvaccinated Hungarian elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the pandemic, we performed a comparative study of the Hungarian unvaccinated people, focusing on psychological and demographic aspects in our questionnaire. The survey data collection lasted from 27 August to 13 October 2021. Participants were over 18 years of age who have not yet received any vaccination against the COVID-19 virus.
The method used is an on-line questionnaire survey.
The survey is not for political but for scientific purposes, and we hope that its results will contribute to a more professional management of the COVID-19 epidemic. The survey of Hungarian team was conducted in collaboration with Polish, Slovenian and Romanian university researchers.
The test dimensions are as follows:
Well-being at the time of pandemic (happiness, health.)
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21)
Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale (VAX)
Sources of information about vaccination
Religiosity level
Demographics (metrics)
The presentation focuses on the most important aspects of the first analysis of the Hungarian results. The study involved 478 people: 113 men, 363 women, and 2 people identified as “other”. It is worth highlighting from the first processing of the data that a large number of unvaccinated people do not believe that they are at risk of getting the COVID-19 virus. In our sample 42% of the unvaccinated are very sure that the vaccine will not work, and 30.6% are afraid that they will become infected because of the vaccine. They do not usually feel safe after vaccinations, they are afraid of the undiscovered consequences, and they trust more in their natural immunity. 61.8% definitely do not want a vaccine for themselves, nor in the future. 67.3% want to wait to see how vaccines work in other people. During processing, we could identify the ones with a definite anti-vaccination attitude. They were also analyzed on the basis of their political affiliation, religiosity, and place of residence. Regarding the DASS-21 depression subscale, the young age group scored significantly higher than the elderly. According to the DASS-21 stress subscale, the value belonging to young people is significantly higher than that of older people. On the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) Scale’s concerns about financial profiteering subscale, seniors scored significantly higher. Interpreting our results in the context of parallel international studies is also part of our objectives. Our results provide an opportunity to serve important aspects for the communication strategies with unvaccinated elderly. -
Empathy and End-of-life Care in Teri Szűcs’s Memory Has Come Back to Me (2024)
31-34Views:76As a productive cultural metaphor, dementia points out the limitations implied by the notion of the human subject that has dominated Western culture's past and history since modernity, as well as the upcoming health-related, ethical, and economic challenges of the 21st century.
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Health challenges of the elderly: a comparative study of the need for health social workers in Nigeria and Bangladesh
11-14Views:217The established fact is that the population with the highest consumer of healthcare services is the elderly because of the increasing demand for adaptive health services accessible to the elderly. As the elderly continue to age, there is a decline in the health condition, developed societies have explored and employed several multidisciplinary approaches to the care of the elderly. The focus is on social work as a profession.
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Narratives of Senior Social Entrepreneurship in the Silver Economy
55-56Views:171The basic assumption of the paper is the recognition that the complexity of the challenges related to population ageing forces the development of cooperative links in the area of the silver economy between public policy entities representing various sectors. In other words, there is a need for more intensive and better-coordinated cooperation between organisations in the commercial sector, public sector, non-governmental sector, informal sector and social economy sector (e.g., cooperatives).
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Elderly Service Officer Trainings
15-16Views:248Introduction One of the challenges that stands before the aging population is the integration and mental and physical wellbeing of the elderly, and building the culture of active ageing. Meeting this challenge requires the activity of professionals who, in alliance with the work and services of the local governments, will become able to organise programmes that meet the needs and demands of the older citizens.
This objective is targeted by the Elderly Service Officer Trainings provided by Family-Friendly Country Public Beneficiary Ltd.
Methods: Our goal is to enable future Elderly Service Officers to actively contribute and enforce lawful practice to preparing, organising and implementing local civil programmes that target active aging; to recognise the special needs of the older citizens; and to orient within the legal environment of the programmes for the elderly. They should become able to co-operate efficiently with local government officials and NGOs supporting active ageing.
Training topics: 1. Active ageing and mental wellbeing, 2. Community development, networking, volunteering, 3. Environment for active ageing, 4. Planning and implementing elderly friendly programmes.
As regards to monitoring effectiveness, above activity indicators, we survey the changes of attitudes among trainees, and further activities of the Elderly Service Officers. The effectiveness studies are in progress.
Results: Since May 2019, 16 study groups with 238 attendees have been launched (11 in Budapest és 5 on the countryside), and 12 groups have finished, yielding 144 certified trainees. We are planning a further set of 23 groups for 2021, in order to achieve the planned number of participants of 1000.
Discussion: Further development of the training will depend on our future results.
Supported by: Grant No. EFOP-1.2.6-VEKOP-17-2017-00001, „Family Friendly Country Project.
References:
L Patyán, JI Tóth, AM Tróbert, R Wernigg: Methodology to Aid the Community Inclusion and Person-Centered Care of Older Generations. Family-Friendly Country Public Beneficiary Ltd., 2019.
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Older people in the infocommunication space - opportunities and challenges
101-102Views:368Az idősek infokommunikációs technológiákkal történő interakciója pozitívan befolyásolhatja szellemi tevékenységüket és összességében jó hatással lehet a mentális egészségük serkentésére. Ez a mentális stimuláció javíthatja a memóriájukat is. Az IKT-t használó idősek úgy érzik, sokkal magabiztosabbak és kevésbé vannak elszigetelve a társadalomtól, megnöveltnek látják a társadalmi támogatást és társadalmi interakciót, jobb kognitív képességekkel rendelkeznek, fennmaradhat a függetlenség érzése a mindennapi életükben és körükben alacsonyabb szintű depressziót mérnek a kutatók. Az IKT-t megfelelő szinten alkalmazó személyek akár magasabb hozzáadott értéket is képviselhetnek közösségükben, mivel képesek átadni bölcsességüket és tudásukat a fiatalabb generációknak a fejlett technológián keresztül is. A fentiek következtében csökken a digitális szakadék, javulhat a személyes életminőség, a függetlenség és autonómia fenntartása a mobilitást is fokozza, kialakulhat és működhet a személyre szabott integrált szociális és egészségügyi ellátáshoz való hozzáférés, így a digitális kompetenciák színvonalas alkalmazása alapvetően, összességében pozitívan tud hatni az idősek saját életére és a hozzájuk tartozókéra is (Blazun, 2013).
Jelenleg – főleg az elmúlt évtizedekhez képest – a kifejezetten idősebbek számára készült technológiai eszközök és megoldások felé mutatott igény, ennek következtében pedig ezek piacképessége is fellendülésben van. A gerontechnológia – melynek területéhez tartozik minden olyan okos szolgáltatás és technikai innováció, amely az idősek életminőségét javíthatja – segíthet a sikeres öregedésben és az önálló élet fenntartásában. A kapcsolati szolgáltatások erősíthetik a szocializációt és csökkenthetik az esetleges ellátási költségeket (Peterson & Prasad, 2011). 2020-ban az idősekkel kapcsolatos médiavisszhang minden eddiginél kiemelkedőbb volt a magasabb egészségi kockázat és a korona vírussal szembeni nagyobb veszélyeztetettség miatt (Köttl, Tatzer & Ayalon, 2021).
Amikor az idősek az IKT lehetőségeket használják, számos kedvező hatással találkozhatnak. Digitális tudásuk fejlődésével csökkenhet a kirekesztődésük, ezzel együtt a magány érzete is, egészségi állapotuk folyamatos monitorozásával lassítható az egészségromlás, addig ismeretlen, új információkhoz tudnak hozzájutni, mely által fenntarthatják vagy növelhetik a mentális kondíciójukat. Kialakíthatják és menedzselhetik a családi és baráti kapcsolattartást, távolabb élő személyekkel tudják felvenni a kapcsolatot, illetve, ha mindezekben fiatalabb családtagjaik segítik őket, szorosabb családi köteléket és intergenerációs hasznot is hoz a folyamat (Bene, Móré & Zombory, 2020). Figyelmet kell fordítani arra ugyanakkor, hogy a pozitív tényezők mellett megjelenhetnek a negatív vonatkozások is. Ezek magában foglalhatják azokat az érzéseket, amelyek a személyes kontaktus hiánya miatt keletkeznek, olyan egészségi hatások erősödhetnek, mint a szem terhelése, a hosszabb ideig tartó ülés miatt rosszabbodó testtartás, internetes visszaélések célpontjai lehetnek az idősek, esetleg felmerülhet körükben is internet-és okoseszköz függőség.
Előadásunkban az idősek és az IKT kapcsolatát vizsgáljuk a tanulás, a magányosság az egészségügy és egyéb, általánosabb területek vonatkozásában a nemzetközi szakirodalmon keresztül.
Irodalom:
1. Bene, Á., Móré, M., & Zombory, J. (2020). A digitalizáció néhány elemének időseket érintő hatásai - karantén előtti helyzetkép. Magyar Gerontológia, 12(39), 29-51.
2. Blazun, H. (2013). Elderly People's Quality of Life with Information and Communication Technology (ICT): Toward a Model of Adaptation to ICT in Old Age. University of Eastern Finland, Dissertations in Social Sciences and Business Studies, no 59.
3. Köttl, H., Tatzer, V. C., & Ayalon, L. (2021). COVID-19 and Everyday ICT Use: The Discursive Construction of Old Age in German Media. The Gerontological Society of America, 10(10), 1-12. -
Older People in Crisis: Yemen’s Urgent Call for Humanitarian Assistance
101-103Views:104The conflict in Yemen which has been ongoing for ten years led to one of the worst humanitarian crises worldwide. While the attention is given more to the general population, there are many unique challenges focusing on vulnerable elderly people face that remain unnoticed.