Ageing

International News

Global Report on Older People with Deafblindness (2023, WFDB)

Connecting generations: planning and implementing interventions for intergenerational contact. (2023, WHO)

As my disabled body ages: Stories from 6 disabled people: “time in a disabled body has nothing to do with age but all about the changes we notice over time.” (2023, Women Enabled International)

Rights of older persons in climate change-induced disasters and how to build forward more equally. (2023, Independent Expert on enjoyment of all human rights by older persons)

Universal Health Coverage for All Ages An agenda for action. (2023, Age International)

A guide to national programmes for age-friendly cities and communities. (2023, WHO)

Things have just gotten worse The impact of the global food, fuel and finance crisis on older persons. (2023, HelpAge) See a blog on older people at the sharp end.

The right to work versus the right to retire “Ageism is still pushing older workers out of the labor market” - a report exploring international trends in older persons work and retirement. (2023, Allianz)

Achieving Universal Health Coverage fit for an ageing world. (2023, HelpAge)

Evidence brief on ensuring older men and women with disabilities are equally included in social protection programmes. (2023, Disability Evidence Portal)

Still Kicking a “workshop is designed to inform the emerging conversation around the intersection of ageism and ableism”. (2022, Old School)

A report from UN Independent Expert on Older persons deprived of liberty: “older persons are more likely to be de facto deprived of liberty in care facilities than in prisons” (2022, UN) See commentary from Human Rights Watch.

Older people left out as UN speeches repeatedly invoke young. “Older persons are pretty much missing, everybody thinks that the future is just something for younger persons.” (2022, AP News)

The Special Rapporteur on Disability on Making International Protection Of Adults Consistent with the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities: “A similar revolution of ideas is now permeating the field concerning the rights of older persons. Any future treaty on the rights of older persons is also likely to be grounded on dignity and autonomy.” (2022, Gerard Quinn)

Book-review of the The Aging–Disability Nexus (2022, Disability Studies Community)

An easy-read version on how older people are treated very badly and what countries should do to make sure that older people get their human rights. (link to pdf, 2022, Independent Expert for UNHRC)

Five priorities to tackle abuse of older people (1) combat ageism; (2) generate more and better data on prevalence and on risk and protective factors; (3) develop and scale up cost–effective solutions; (4) make an investment case for addressing the issue; and (5) raise funds to tackle the issue. (2022, Decade of Healthy Ageing)

Low Income Puts Older People’s Rights at Risk. Brief recap on ageing issues, and international discussions to start a drafting a treaty protecting older people's rights. (2022, Human Rights Watch)

A meeting of the working group dedicated to strengthening the protection of the human rights of older persons. (2022, UNDESA)

As part of the Age with Rights campaign a Global Rally calling for the stronger protection and promotion of older people's human rights. (2022, Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People) See also from Human Rights Watch.

A background paper Measuring the Autonomy, Participation, and Contribution of Older People (link to pdf, 2022, Center for Inclusive Policy)

UN Advocacy Brief on Older Women: Inequality at the Intersection of Age and Gender (2022, Decade of Healthy Ageing)

Baseline Report for the Decade of Healthy Ageing. It's striking to see how this summary avoids mentioning disability when its first page is basically an illustration of an adapted social model of disability. (2022, WHO)

A policy brief on Better protecting the human rights in older age and the work of the UN group exploring this issue. (2022, BAGSO)

Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing Country Progress reports (2022, UNECE)

A guide on Bringing generations together for change: Learning from intergenerational approaches to address issues facing older and younger people. (2022, HelpAge)

Statement on Ageing with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

'Related – perhaps inseparable – from the physical health challenges faced by SBH adults and increased reports of mental health challenges. The lived experiences of many SBH adults involves increased isolation – in large part due to the changes in physical health described above, that can make it more difficult to enjoy a full social life. It is not surprising then that many people report an increase in anxiety and depression. This can result in a negative cycle, as people are less likely to make the effort to see others, which further increases the sense of isolation. ' (2021, IF Global)

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Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Older People (2022, UNFPA)

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Middle East and North Africa

Can review of the Madrid Plan on Ageing (MIPPA) Benefit the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region? (2022, Population Ageing)

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India

Delhi Police to visit homes of senior citizens every evening (2022, Devdiscourse)

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Israel

“The Internal Police Officer Has Not Retired but Has Slowed Down”: Israeli Women Reframe Their Ageing Experiences in the Second Half of Life (2022, Journal of Applied Gerontology)

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Japan

At Japan’s dementia cafes forgotten orders are all part of the service. (2023, Washington Post)

Inside Japan’s long experiment in automating eldercare. “A growing body of evidence is finding that robots tend to end up creating more work for caregivers.” (2023, MIT Technology Review)

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Palestine

#PensionsForPalestinians: The story of Mohammad, 68. (2023, Helpage)

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Europe

Disability rights at all ages. “In practice, the intersection of ageism and ableism translates to the fragmentation of policies for persons with disabilities of working age and older people.” (2023, EDF)

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: ways forward. (2022, Age Platform)

Policy brief revisiting Mainstreaming Ageing: "A more effective integration of ageing into all policies at all levels will enhance societal preparedness for population ageing and benefit all age groups." (2022, UNECE)

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Ireland

How people live with intellectual disability has changed: “Increased life expectancy for those with an intellectual disability is a huge success story but there is a lack of preparedness for addressing the needs of this older population and the fears of their ageing parents and carers” (2023, Irish Examiner)

Disability Identity in Older Age? Exploring Social Processes that Influence Disability Identification with Ageing (2023, Disability Studies Quarterly)

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Poland

Critical concerns facing older Ukrainian refugees in Poland “Only 8 per cent of the 382 older Ukrainian refugees surveyed are able to pay their medical bills in full.” (2023, HelpAge)

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Ukraine

They live in the dark a report on the situation of older people and people with disabilities:

“Russia’s invasion has fuelled a crisis in Ukraine’s already overburdened care system. In many communities, younger relatives who previously supported older people with disabilities have fled or enlisted in the military, while older people have stayed behind. Despite the individual heroism of social and healthcare workers, who have continued providing support to older people and people with disabilities in the face of great personal risks and often with minimal pay, there are simply not enough workers – nor enough transportation – to serve this growing need. Because most temporary shelters are physically inaccessible to older people with disabilities, and private accommodation is unaffordable to them due to extremely low pensions and rising rents, older people in Ukraine are often placed in segregated institutional settings, where they are isolated from their communities and loved ones.” (2023, Amnesty)

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United Kingdom

Dementia and Hope a vision for “dismantling the barriers which disable a million people in the UK” (2023, One Dementia Voice)

Disability and ageing – time to think outside our silos? (2022, Centre for Better Ageing)

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Canada

Discussion guide on ageism in Canada. (2022, Government of Canada)

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United States

Mobility-Friendly Travel Guide a “comprehensive guide designed to make travel accessible, enjoyable, and worry-free for those using wheelchairs, walkers, and canes.” (2023, NCOA)

Prevalence of disabilities among older Americans is much lower than a decade earlier (2023, News Medical Life Sciences)

Ageist? Ableist? Who, Me? “Think what older people could learn from them about asking for help, adapting to impairment, and age pride! Think what younger people with disabilities could learn from olders about moving through life. Think how we’d all benefit if hearing and mobility aids were stripped of stigma. Let’s get interdependent!” (2023, Generations)

How America’s ageism hurts, shortens lives of elderly. (2022, Harvard Gazette)

America Was in an Early-Death Crisis Long Before COVID (2022, The Atlantic)

Are We Inadvertently Contributing to Discrimination Against Older Adults? “To avoid despair or paralysis, informing the public about pressing needs must be paired with concrete examples of what society can do differently.” (2022, Institute for Healthcare Improvement)

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New Zealand

Riding the silver tsunami as a disabled New Zealander

“We are living longer than previous disabled generations. As activists, we worked for change then and still do now. Yet support systems for elders are unprepared for us.” (2023, The Spinoff)

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Brazil

‘Our country is getting old’: the man changing how Brazil sees dementia. “Developing countries are getting old in a shorter period of time without resources and with poverty.” (2022, the Guardian)

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