Tuesday, December 3, 2019 - 10:40 Leo Olivero

Two important socially related issues are included in this report, which involves most people in the community. This includes many who feel excluded in many respects and others requiring immediate help and assistance, which in some social areas of concern are completely missing or just not there. The report also focuses on issues directly involving senior citizens. How often and easy can our elders be taken for granted in todays whirlwind life, particularly when it comes to important issues involving them, like forward planning and the right or the appropriate policies to prepare the aged, for life as a senior citizen!

Societies Including Our Own Ageing Rapidly

A lot has been written about ageing and the realities of the hardships faced by pensioners (generally) today. Statistics published by the European Commission in its reports on Pension Adequacy 2018-2060, identifies a number of the EU Member States who have an increased risk of poverty and social exclusion for those over 65 years of age. It is not known where Gibraltar stands in the latter respect, as they are no known figures to quote.

However we cannot escape the fact that societies including our own are ageing rapidly. A situation that brings a number of challenges, in this context, interest and attention to active ageing both locally and internationally is, to a large degree, sparked by a concern about demographic change and the desire to keep people healthy and productive for longer periods of time and if that’s not the case, well, it should be!