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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:162The 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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Perceived social support in old age
78-102Views:582Background and aims: In our research, we examined how the degree of perceived social support depends on factors (gender, age, marital status, health, giving up independent living) and how it is related to experiencing aging.
Methods: In our study, we used questionnaires examining social support, attitudes to ageing, life satisfaction, and depression in old age.
Results and discussion: Perceived social support shows a decreasing trend with age, and is lower in the case of singles, those in poor health, and those living in nursing homes. It can be said that all three types of support decreases with age at those living independent, but those living in nursing homes the social support is the lowest in the case of the youngest (65-74 years) and the highest at the of 75-89 years, and the instrumental support over 90 years old. Higher perceived social support results in higher levels of life satisfaction, lower level of depression and more positive experiences of ageing. It is important to note, however, that the support actually provided and the perceived support are not the same.
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70+ new role in online space
66-72Views:166As a case study, the author uses his own example to show how a new role can bring positive changes in the life of a retired person. In his case, the activity in old age is a family inheritance. His father worked as a proofreader and multi-lingual translator until he died at the age of 83. His grandfather won a competition for modern methods of teaching physics when he was 82.
After retiring as an electrical engineer, at the age of 65, the author became known on the Internet, mainly among young people. Based on his somewhat sad smile he was given the name Hide the pain Harold, the internet users started making funny memes from his photos. Initially, he did not accept his new role, tried to fight it. It took several years to realize that what he could not change, had to be at the forefront of it. At the age of 72, he created a website for his fans. He started working to replace the not always positive message of the memes to carry a positive point of view. The basic idea of his philosophy, that is the smaller or bigger annoyances of life should not be taken too seriously, they should be overcome with a sad smile, resonated among young people. He already has more than half a million followers worldwide. The popularity gained in this way has changed his daily life. Through invitations, he visited many countries around the world from Siberia to South America. His previously more introverted personality became more open to public appearances. Keeping up with the events of the world, new technical possibilities and the way of thinking of young people mean a steady occupation for him. His history is one-off and unrepeatable, but it provides an example of the positive consequences a career change in old age. -
Social service delivery for senior citizens in rural Philippines and secrets to longevity of Apo Whang-od
2-14Views:400Access 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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The role of urban green spaces in the well-being of people with dementia and their carers
50-77Views:225The aim of our empirical research was to explore how walking in green spaces in urban neighbourhoods contributes to the well-being of people with dementia and their informal carers. The study involved 3 caregiver – care recipient dyads, with carers keeping diary entries of regular walks together for a month (April-May 2021). In addition to the diary writing, carers completed a quantitative questionnaire as part of their research, in which they assessed their own and their relative's mental and mood state and their interaction before, during and after the walk. Based on the assessments of the questionnaires received from the 39 walks, results showed significant improvements in mental state and mood for both carers and cared-for persons, as well as in the way their dyads interacted with each other as a result of the walk. This trend was also supported and explained by the textual content of the diary entries. Thus, our small sample study was able to demonstrate that in the case of the caregiver – care recipient dyads we studied, a walk in an urban green environment had a positive effect on the mood and mental state of both partners, as well as on their cooperation. The significance of our results is that they support the role of urban green spaces in health promotion among chronic patients and their informal caregivers in a national sample: walking in nature can thus be considered a low-cost, generally positive and relatively easy and accessible intervention with a high impact.
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Emphasizing the role of AI and telehealth in improving treatment outcomes among elderly patients
82-83Views:50To establish the right diagnosis and treatment plan for a patient is at the core of any medical procedure but this is not without the need for utmost compliance of the patient. This is the case with the elderly when they do not understand their diagnosis, nor do they fully recognize the importance of adhering to the prescribed treatment plan. This study emphasizes the role of artificial intelligence and telehealth in achieving significant treatment compliance among elderly patients.
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Attitudes of Roma adults towards the care of their elderly relatives
21-24Views:110Caring 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. -
Beyond the limelight of Apo Whang-od: Exposing the face of social service delivery and access of older persons in the Philippines
79-80Views:49This 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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Insights into the lived experience of Long-Term Care and End of Life Transitions in Malta
3-4Views:45In 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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Dementia and family. The role of Alzheimer cafe in reducing the burden of caregiving families
34-46.Views:266In the last years, the international researches have turned towards families caring for elderly people with dementia /see the works of Zarit et al. 1985, 2005; Aneshensel et al. 1995; and Kaplan 1996/. The majority of these researchers analysed the stress burden of the caring family member and its consequences, role conflicts, and the tensions in the caregiving family (Zarit et al. 1985; Aneshensel et al. 1995; Kaplan 1996; Zarit et al. 2005). The revelation that in terms of Romania, we know nothing or almost nothing about the burden of families caring for elderly people with dementia and its effect on the primary carer, played was an important factor in the choice of topic. This is why, in a vast empirical analysis, in Transylvania, 50 interviews and questionnaire surveys were made with people caring for elderly with dementia in their own homes and 50 families whose relatives with dementia have been moved to a long-term residential home in the past 12 months from the time of the survey. Gathering data took three years (2015–2017). The research included the inquiry interview with the primary caregiver family member, in which we assessed the functional barriers and the psychosocial difficulties (Szabó 2000). The analysis of the levels of social skills was built upon this, and it unfolded the main characteristics of self-sufficiency, existing social skills, and social adaptation. This survey pointed out the everyday tasks in which the client requires help. With regard to family care, we have also analysed the independent living ability of people with dementia. These three angles offered the guidelines for the assessment of “objective burden” of the caring family member. Reviewing the distribution of caring tasks within the family is based on this, which helps us finding out who the key persons are, the ones undertaking the primary caregiving duties. For analysing the formation of roles within the family, we have devised our own criteria (Szabó–Kiss 2015). Starting from the objective burden, in regard to the “subjective burden”, we have obtained valuable indications about the emotional effect of caregiving family member. The detailed assessment of self-sufficiency through which we have analysed the measure of functional degradation of people living with dementia, was added to the devices of the analysis (Szabó 2000). The internationally approved scale of memory and behavioural problems (Zarit 1985) is connected to this, which measures the distractive attitude of the person living with dementia and its effect on the primary caregiver. The survey of the primary caregiver’s burdening is also connected (Zarit 1985), and so is the assessment of the negative and positive attitude towards the caregiving tasks (Farran et al. 1999). A six-step focus group is added to the devices of the research, in which the primary caregivers, by hearing each other’s cases and following thematic questions, open up more easily about the critical periods of caregiving and the pivotal factors of institutional placement.
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The impact of COVID-19 on the online shopping habits of the elderly - a study in two regions
146-158Views:169COVID-19 significantly affected the lives of people, including the elderly, who tried to reduce their personal relationships, especially during quarantine periods. Their daily lives have changed, including their consumer behaviour. The basis of my research was the longitudinal research of the Gerontology Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Debrecen. In the summer of 2021, I made an interview research covering two regions, in which I searched for answers for example the COVID-19 epidemic affected the lives of members of elderly organizations, how their habits changed, for example regarding the use of digital devices and consumption in general. Based on the results, it can be said that while in 2020 the members of the organizations kept in touch with each other mainly by telephone during the pandemic, in 2021 there were almost the same number of those who used traditional telephones and those who preferred online contact. Online communication and Internet use have probably become more widespread because older people have become more open to the online world. In the examined period, the willingness of the elderly to use digital devices increased and their opportunities broadened, for example through the (often forced) development of their competences. This is also true for online purchases. As in all age groups of domestic consumers, online consumption has also increased among the elderly. In their case, this is mainly influenced by their opportunities related to digitalization. The main advantage of digitalization for the elderly is that it is much easier for them to keep in touch with each other, including with family members who live far away, while one of the disadvantages is that not all elderly people can afford to have the appropriate competencies, technical conditions and internet access.
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Genoderma lucidum for young skin? Effect of Genoderma lucidum bioactive components on skin ageing processes
105-116Views:66Recently, it has been a growing interest for the benefits of consuming or using commercially available medicinal mushrooms, i.e. macrofungi that have positive physiological effect in general, or particularly in relation to skin aging. The aim of our study is to summarize the results supporting that bioactive components of Ganoderma lucidum acts as anti-aging agent in the skin and contribute to keeping it young. Here we review the effects of mushroom extracts on the pigmentation of skin or skin cells, wound healing, and inflammation in in vitro cell cultures and in vivo animal experiments. We also examine case reports and clinical studies that confirm wide dermatological and cosmetic use of Ganoderma lucidum.
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The role of geriatric readaptation in improving the condition of the non-rehabilitable elderly
66-72Views:170Rehabilitation is significantly more difficult for people over the age of 65 and suffering from multiple chronic diseases than for younger people. In case of acute events or the worsening of existing diseases, it is an important professional question to determine how suitable the patient is for rehabilitation. Based on the complex examination of diagnosis, prognosis and rehabilitation, the primary consideration for individuals who cannot be rehabilitated is to maintain their independence as long as possible, which goes hand in hand with a better quality of life. This is helped by geriatric readaptation, the widest possible introduction and application of which is crucial for the elderly.