Senior citizens, anyone interested in topic
The overall focus of this Plan and thus of the policy measures laid out in it is the development, safeguarding and raising of the quality of life of all senior citizens and/or individual groups among them. Quality of life refers to the objective conditions of the living situation and their subjective assessment in terms of satisfaction and wellbeing. Quality of life is an instrument of scientific analysis and at the same time a political programme that focuses on minimizing inequalities, fostering citizenship and empowerment to lead active lives.
In Austria, just like in other industrialized nations, the share of senior citizens in the overall population has increased since the beginning of the 21st century and will continue to grow even more markedly in the years to come. This increase is primarily the result of economic, social and medical progress that enables us to live longer, healthier and safer lives than ever before. The impacts of this demographic change do not only entail new political and social challenges but also open up new perspectives and opportunities unknown to societies which are not characterized by such age structures at this stage. In order to prepare Austria in advance of these forthcoming profound social changes and to enable it to make the best possible use of the opportunities they bring, the Federal Senior Citizens’ Advisory Council (Bundesseniorenbeirat) has worked out the Federal Plan for Senior Citizens that is based on the analysis of scientific studies.
the Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection led by Federal Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer.
In order to prepare Austria in advance of these forthcoming profound social changes and to enable it to make the best possible use of the opportunities they bring, the Federal Senior Citizens’ Advisory Council (Bundesseniorenbeirat) has worked out the Federal Plan for Senior Citizens that is based on the analysis of scientific studies.
The main goal of this Senior Citizens’ Plan is to safeguard and/or to improve the quality of life of all senior citizens and/or individual groups among them. In this context, “quality of life” refers to the objective condition of people’s situation of life and their subjective assessment in terms of satisfaction and well-being.
The primary objective is to minimize inequalities and empower senior citizens, enabling them to lead active lives. In fact, the plan’s objective cannot be considered in isolation. It has to be seen in the context of the respective political and democratic prerequisites which are based inter alia on:
The Senior Citizens Council (Seniorenrat) and the Austrian Interdisciplinary Platform on Ageing (ÖPIA) organized on May 29th in Vienna an all-day symposium in the Parliament devoted to the Senior Plan. Social Affairs Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer argued in favor of a positive assessment of demographic change, because this demonstrates that in recent decades in many fields such as medicine or the design of work environments, there have been great advances.
The Federal Plan was partly based on the catalog of demands put together by the Austrian Senior Citizens’ Council. The plan has been worked out on a broad and dialogue-driven basis. The representatives of the primarily affected target group were particularly able to take part in defining the goals and recommendations, including the setting of priorities in regard to specific measures. The various living conditions of senior citizens and the subjective assessment of these conditions are not only presented but they are combined with concrete and implementable appeals on politics and society.
The impacts of this demographic change do not only entail new political and social challenges but also open up new perspectives and opportunities unknown to societies which are not characterized by such age structures at this stage. The Austrian Federal Plan for Senior Citizens is a unique document in Europe. No other country has ever before prepared an “instruction plan” of this kind that aims to develop, guarantee and raise the quality of life of senior citizens. This paper is a lively catalog of measures concerning the older generation, clearly linked with a long-term implementation concept and thus documented in the form of a plan.
Although the general risk of suffering an accident markedly declines after people have stopped working and retire, the risk of suffering an accident at home clearly increases with residents’ age. What is more, the consequences of accidents become increasingly serious and the older people are, the longer the average duration of treatment. When developing new types of residential housing it is essential that areas like housing, living environment, services and nursing be interlinked. When dwellings are being developed, senior citizens are not considered a target group for planning initiatives but rather become actively involved later on when designing their living conditions. Irrespective of what kind of types of residential housing are developed in the future, care must thus be taken to ensure that they promote social integration and use a community-based approach.
The number of senior citizens who want to participate in politics and social affairs, who live healthier, who are better educated and generally more active than previous generations is increasing. This is a huge asset, a potential that should be tapped into by providing the necessary support and assistance as well as appropriate information, opportunities and options.
Any country can follow the guide in order to find similar problems experienced by elder people and address them accordingly. However, an individual approach to each region where it was applied, needs to be provided, in order to allocate the project resources in the most efficient way based on the local cultural and economic characteristics.
The number of senior citizens who want to participate in politics and social affairs, who live healthier, who are better educated and generally more active than previous generations is increasing. This is a huge asset, a potential that should be tapped into by providing the necessary support and assistance as well as appropriate information, opportunities and options.
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