Саратов: Региональный проект в интересах пожилых УХОД

Annex to Saratov Oblast Government Decree № 218-П of 7 July 2010

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The Strategy for  Older  Persons Policy Modernization  in Saratov Oblast  

Introduction 

In many countries, general aging of population, being, on the one hand, a positive result of a global increase in longevity, and, on the other hand – the consequence of a reduction in fertility, is today a powerful factor impacting socio-economic processes in general, and social policy, in particular. And the influence of this factor is increasing.

The need to improve aging-related policies and practices of social institutions is generated by several important circumstances. The first implicit factor is connected with accelerating global  population aging processes.  National and regional strategies are to reflect not only a growing burden on society brought about by an increase in the proportion of  older people in population structure and the need   for resources and funds to insure their adequate quality of life, but also the objectives of maintaining and rationally utilizing older people’s capabilities to contribute to strengthening social, labour and spiritual potential of society.

The second, an equally important circumstance, is associated with preservation and enhancing the humanistic foundation of modern rational society. In this respect, it is critically important  to secure the value of old age as a factor of  social development and the basis of public relations, as well as the need to acknowledge the role of older people in modern society. The objective is to protect older people both through establishing  special living conditions and creating an adequate social context, enabling older people to broaden their opportunities to develop and  to influence social processes. On the one hand, there is a growing need for improving medical care for older people, broadening the range and  the scope of social and rehabilitation services, as well as optimization of retirement benefit schemes. On the other hand, it is increasingly important to create conditions and mechanisms for efficient utilization of older people’s social and economic potential, given negative dynamics of working age population and  longer period of elderly people’s ability to continue their productive economic activity.

The Madrid International Plan on Aging adapted in 2002 formulates the principle goal of aging-related activities which is universal for any society and for any country: to guarantee to every older person a secure and dignified life together with an opportunity to participate in the life of society as a person enjoying equal rights with other citizens.

The existing  regulatory  policy framework and social practice in respect of older persons demonstrate an explicit paternalistic content which is realized through prioritized development of a social welfare system and institutions for older people.  The principle practice employed by social institutions to implement paternalist policy is economic support for older people through the system of supplementary payments, benefits and subsidies, as well as provision of other resources through special programmes and  in  accordance with the established eligibility criteria.

In many cases social support practice is likely to be based on general formal characteristics of this social group and only to a lesser extent on the specific situation and prospects of its representatives.  

However, taking into account current demographic trends, the focus on social paternalism  and strengthening social welfare opportunities for older persons without creating conditions for their active participation in socio-economic processes, cannot be viewed as a prospective basic  orientation of social policy.

Current regional policy and practices of social welfare institutions mostly reflect general paternalistic focus of national policy. Its priority tasks, as a rule, involve meeting older people’s vital needs through development of social support and social care systems,  income support through establishing a system of national preferences at the regional level, provision of health care services through development of specialized medical care, provision of medications and rehabilitation equipment for elderly disabled persons. While such activities are undoubtedly important, issues of improving conditions and broadening opportunities for active social involvement and employment of older persons are presented in policy and practice to a smaller extent. At the same time, nowadays,   promotion of older people’s engagement in the spheres of labour, education, social life, culture and recreation  is seen not only as a means of meeting older people’s individual needs but also as strengthening of human potential and socio-economic development of the region.

This Strategy defines principle goals, objectives and areas for  improvement of regional policy and activities of social welfare institutions in the context of new social realities and objectives connected with a   population aging trend as well as an increase in the proportion of elderly persons in the total population. The Strategy is based on achievements of the current older persons policy and practices, reflects principle requirements of international instruments and recommendations for  promotion of active and dignified aging.

The Strategy was developed using the findings of the older persons needs survey conducted in Saratov Oblast under the Project Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between Saratov Oblast Ministry of social development and UNFPA, and the analysis of the demographic situation in Saratov Oblast.

 

1. 1.    The regional context and the demographic situation

 At present, Saratov Oblast is facing new external challenges which determine priorities of its medium-term and long-term social and economic development. One of such challenges is population aging.

A distinguishing feature of today’s older persons as a group is that the time of their social and working activity fell within the Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
The structure of their values, life attitudes and needs was formed in the conditions drastically different from the current ones which are mastered and promoted by  new generations of Russians. The transition period of the 1980s- 90s  led to development of new life models, mastering of which became problematic for   older persons. The system of established, conventional psychosocial patterns and social relations, determining an individual’s coordinates in society, was destroyed. The special social status of today’ older people in Russia is rooted in transition to new social arrangement of Russian society which is manifested in their striving to preserve Socialist values under market conditions. This contradiction is expressed not only through older persons’ desire to distance themselves, to “close up” from modern life but also in their assessments of the current quality of life, their socio-economic expectations.

An important point to be taken into account in older persons policy improvement is the Russia-specific character of a growth in the share of older people in the population structure.    While in most Western countries this process is determined by an increase in life expectancy, in the Russian context, the factor of increasing life span does not play the most significant role. A more substantial role is played by excessive mortality among working age population, including deaths from unnatural causes.

In addition, population aging   in Russia is accompanied by a considerable deterioration in health among older adults.   The said factor limits opportunities for many older persons to continue work, and for a part of them –  to  live independently.

A gender aspect may also be viewed as a peculiarity of population aging. The share of women in the total older population reaches 70 per cent which shows the need to reflect this gender disproportion  in policy and social practice.

Another important aspect of the strategy for older persons policy modernization is a territorial factor, an older person’s place of residence. On the one hand,  municipalities are differentiated by their proportion of older people in the population structure, which requires differentiated measures, taking into account these differences. On the other hand, municipal units differ in terms of their capacity to create and ensure functioning of necessary supportive services, conditions for meeting older persons’ needs for social and employment engagement, and the existence of  necessary social infrastructure.

In the current situation, motivation is the most significant factor for achieving older people health and engagement with the life of society, which reflects their own desire to utilize their potential to the maximum extent possible. According to the research data, only the minimum number of older people is expressly motivated to work and undergo training. Even cultural or leisure activities, as well as community work are not viewed  by most older adults as an attractive way of self-fulfilment.  Older persons’ needs are limited and stereotyped and reflect both the existing individual opportunities – their state of health, income level and living conditions, and  external conditions for realizing their potential for social activity.

Main demographic trends and the age structure of Saratov Oblast reflect all principle trends in aging and an increase in the proportion of older people in  the total population.

With the total population number of 2,58 million, the share of elder people in Saratov Oblast represents 22,9 per cent which exceeds the share of children and adolescents. With the existing fertility and mortality rates among working age population, the share of elder people has upward dynamics.  In 2005,  their share constituted 22,2 per cent, while across municipal units it varies from 15 to  30 per cent.

The existing variations in the share of older persons across  municipal formations determines the necessity to implement a differentiated older people policy.

Current variations in male and female life expectancy (62,3 years for men, 74,6 years for women) result in distortion of the gender structure of population over 60. Today, the ratio between these two groups is: men – 28 per cent and women –72 per cent.  This disproportion creates an additional spectrum of problems related to the influence of older people’s family status on their quality of life.

Forecasts of the number and  structure of population by sex and age prepared by Saratov Oblast branch of the Federal State Statistics Service suggest an increase in a share of  pension-age adults in the total population structure from 23,5  per cent in 2010 to 27,8 per cent by 2020. At the same time, during this period, a share of working age population is likely to decrease  from 61,6 to 54,8 per cent. In 2031, a proportion of older persons is projected to increase up to 31 per cent, while a proportion of working age population is likely to fall to 53 per cent.   In this situation, preservation of employment and social engagement of older people is an essential  factor of providing labour resources to the country’s economy.   Another aspect of this trend is connected with ensuring sustainability of retirement benefits system and improvement of  health care and social services for elder people.

Economic engagement of  people of pensionable age in  2008 was 29,3 per cent,  while in 2004, this indicator constituted 19,4 per cent. Pension payments for the majority of people over working age are their main source of income. Over the last years, the average retirement benefit exceeded a pensioner’s minimum subsistence level established for Saratov Oblast. At the end of 2008, the average ratio  of pension benefit to subsistence level was 1,25.

However, at the beginning of 2009, retirement benefits paid to almost 33 per cent of pensioners were below the subsistence level. In 2010, the average retirement benefit in Russian Federation is expected to reach 8 thousand roubles.

Up to 20 per cent of older persons are registered with social service institutions as social service receivers. According to the criteria for home care provision, representatives of this group are substantially restricted in the ability to perform their daily living activities independently. As per 1 August. 2009, the number of older persons was a disability status was 94533, or  16 per cent of the total older people.

However, the above statistics do not  reflect the actual situation of  older people with limited abilities, as this indicator is impacted by the level of  regional support system and availability of social services for older people.

Improvement of policy and strategy for older persons policy modernization involves a focus on  creating conditions and mechanisms, promoting preservation, development and public utilization of  older persons’  potential, ensuring their  rights for dignified aging.

 

1. 2.    Overall Objectives   

The Strategy aims to promote social stability and social solidarity, human development through preservation, strengthening and efficient utilization of  social resources and labour of older  population .

The Strategy promotes introduction of the concept of society for all ages, strengthening  of social responsibility and cooperation between government, business, social institutions and family to ensure the rights of older people for active and independent life.

The strategy is directed towards creating and implementing modern models, mechanisms and social practices designed to satisfy older people’s needs for supporting services, care and rehabilitation.

The Strategy facilitates development of non-governmental older people’s support services, activation of social support networks, volunteer movement, and diverse cooperation in the field of preservation, development and utilization of older people’s potential.

 

3. Strategic Goals of Older Persons Policy   

The strategic goals of strengthening regional capacity for building a society for all ages are based on  the recognition, by both government and society, of population aging  as a new challenge to traditional older persons policy, significance of older people’s role in social processes and the need to consider population aging as a factor impacting policy and strategy for socio-economic development of the Oblast.

Development of Staratov Oblast’ capacity to ensure the rights and satisfy the needs of older people is performed by creating a set of conditions and opportunities for ensuring dignified and active old age through introduction of the concept of a society for all ages, continuous policy improvement, enhancing innovations in activities of social care institutions and organizations. The Oblast capacity-building  is determined by:

— Active development of the concept of a society for all ages in the public consciousness, improvement of social and legislative punishments for offensive attitude  to and violence against  older people, non-performance of children’s obligations towards their elderly parents;

— Implementation of targeted innovative projects based on the modern vision of older persons’ role in modern society;

— Utilization of modern forms, means and methods in provision of support services;

— Integration between scientific knowledge and practical activities of social institutions, broad utilization of scientific findings in improvement of older persons policy and strategy for policy modernization;

— Adapting and introducing international requirements, recommendations and standards into social practice;

— Continuous partnership between governmental, non-governmental and business organizations;

— Highly professional personnel oriented towards implementing older persons enabling policy based on modern principles and social technologies.

The main strategic goals are:

— Strengthening older persons’ integration capacity through priority development of older persons policy and social ideology related to the role of older population; optimizing supportive and developing services; innovational development of  social care  institutions;

— Creating conditions and mechanisms for development and utilization of older persons’ potential through broadening access to health care, education, culture, physical training and adaptive sports, social services, extending employment opportunities;

— Achieving older persons  independence in daily living and family life,  enabling older persons to adapt themselves to changing internal and external living conditions  through  flexible response to their needs dynamics, broadening a range of services, and introduction of  a monitoring system;

— Strengthening intergenerational solidarity, mutual responsibility and cooperation, involving older persons into policy and social practice improvement, promoting their creative and social activity.

 

4. Sectoral support for older persons  

The Strategic Goals are achieved through a set of sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies, reflecting Specific objectives and Goals.

 

4.1. Older persons’ health 

Development of policy and social practice in the field of health care and medical support for older persons is aimed at preserving and maintaining older persons’ health, reducing the risks of debilitating diseases through prevention, improving access to quality medical services, development of specialized health care and treatment services. Systemic and functional ddisorders are to be compensated through complex rehabilitation and medical care for senior citizens based on interaction with the social service system.  Innovations in medical support for older persons are implemented through development and  organization of geriatric care. An essential policy component is involvement of older citizens into development, implementation and assessment of policy and programmes aimed to improve health and well-being of aging population.

 

 Goals:  

— Develop mechanisms  and procedures for ensuring  availability of diagnostics, prevention, emergency aid and rehabilitation services;

— Improve geriatric and gerontological assessment of older persons’ functional status;

— Integrate aannual health examination  into general health care services for older persons;

— Develop mechanisms of educating and informing older persons about healthy life styles;

— Ensure coordination and integration between activities of public and private health care and social services;

— Develop programmes and projects aimed at disease prevention among older people;

— Optimize pharmacological benefits and provision of technical means for rehabilitation and home care;

— Improve medical care for dying persons, including by creation of specialized institutions, units and wards, training of medical staff;

— Monitor older citizens’ health.

 

Goal achievement indicators:

— Geriatric service facilities, meeting the patients’ special needs,  providing geriatric and gerantological (physical, psychological, social) diagnostics, counseling, care, treatment and rehabilitation;

— Annual comprehensive health examination of older persons, diagnostic of functional disorders and diseases at early stages;

— Organizational, technical and personnel support for specialized health care in rural areas;

—  Training of  relevant service providers in palliative care;

—  Geriatric care and rehabilitation standards;

— Implementation of individual medical rehabilitation programmes;

— Health targets for older persons, performance criteria for health and rehabilitation services efficiency;

— Availability and affordability of medications, sanitary materials and home health care products for older persons;

— Access to in-patient medical care, as well as specialized and hi-tech medical services;

— Older persons’ pphysical and mental health prevention and support programmes;

— Training and counseling for family members on caring for older people with severe health disorders or dying persons;

— Modern methods and technologies, including telemedicine, for  eliminating unequal access to health care services in rural areas;

— Territorial hospice system, units and wards for single older persons. 

 

4.2. Social care services for older persons   

 Improvement of the System of Social services for older persons is focused on providing   adequate forms and range of services, meeting the needs of  the older population, ensuring high quality, access and efficiency of services provided, creating conditions and mechanisms for better targeted and individualized social services. Development of social care services for older population is based on introduction of technologies, methods and forms of services, enabling older people to live independently,   and supporting various opportunities for their social engagement.   The  priority is to create conditions and procedures for developing an individualized, goal-directed package of services through  modernization of  the system of home and semi-inpatient care.

 

Goals:

— Improve planning, design and organization of social care services in accordance with older persons’ needs and requirements for service availability, quality and efficiency;

— Create conditions for transition to a level-based service system in inpatient social care institutions;

— Optimize mechanisms of cross-sectional interaction in the field of medico-social, socio-cultural and socio-pedagogical services;

— Create conditions and mechanisms for providing individualized goal-oriented packages of services in priority areas of support for older persons; introduce a multi-level arrangement of complex services provision in rural areas;

— Create territorial social care complexes involving NGOs and community-based organisations;

— Create local community-based networks providing support to older persons   in their household activities, utilizing local social infrastructure;

— Create a set of social services efficiency criteria and indicators;

— Develop material, technical and informational infrastructure base of social care services for older people;

— Raise professional level of social service providers in the field of gerontology;

— Improve procedures and methods of disabled older persons’ social rehabilitation;

— Strengthen social care institutions’ capacity in promoting older persons’ employment  and education.

 

Goal Achievement Indicators:

— Introduction of social design methods used in development of individual social service programmes, new areas of providing support and additional services for older persons;

— Implementation of individual social care programmes;

— Assessment of social care programmes efficiency, using approved criteria and indicators;

— Interdepartmental agreements and projects;

— Introduction of level-based  provision of complex kinds of services;

—  Territorial social services complexes involving NGOs;

— Implementation of  social support projects for older persons, utilizing local community resources;

— Implementation of  social rehabilitation programmes for disabled older persons;

— Regulatory framework for level-based services in inpatient institutions;

— Activities promoting employment opportunities for older people.

 

4.3. Older People’s Income Support   

Improvement of regional   older persons’ income support policy is a basic condition for ensuring dignified and fulfilled old age.   At the regional level, policy is aimed at creating conditions and opportunities for older persons to receive additional income through ensuring their mobility, various forms of employment, and supporting individual business activities on their subsidiary personal land plots, in the field of craftsmanship and decorative art.  Measures are to be taken to provide free social services, financial assistance, pharmaceutical benefits, targeted governmental preferences to individuals with limited employment opportunities.   An essential policy element is raising the level of adult children’s social responsibility  for  caring for their elderly parents, including  supporting them materially.

 

Goals:

— Extend forms and kinds of older people’s economic activities, including  in the sphere of informal labour;

— Improve mechanisms of involving older persons in provision of paid services;

— Support income-oriented decorative arts and craftsmanship activities;

— Support and encourage individual entrepreneurship among older persons, including that related to subsidiary personal and household land plots;

— Protect older persons’ rights to care and assistance from their employable children;

— Implement targeted governmental support to ensure adequate standard of living of  older persons living alone;

— Optimize procedures and criteria for provision of social care services, reducing the burden on an older person’s budget.

 

Goal achievement indicators:

— Temporary and seasonal employment indicators among older persons;

— Programmes and projects, supporting older persons’ economic engagement, including individualized support arrangements;

— Participation of older persons in income-generating creative and handcraft activities;

— Organizational forms and methods of centralized procurement and sale of agricultural products grown at personal subsidiary and household land plots;

— Regulation and implementation of measures facilitating provision of monitory compensation and material assistance to older persons at the Oblast and municipal levels;

— Older persons’ income monitoring.

 

4.4. Employment Support   

Improvement of policy and social practice aimed at rational use of older persons’ labour potential is designed to create conditions and mechanisms for retention and reintegration of older workers into the workforce through ensuring access to governmental and non-governmental employment support services, informational support and counselling services. Older workers’ workforce integration is carried out in the form of  individual  employment projects, taking into account working, social and personal potential of a specific person.

Individual-oriented character of support for older workers is ensured through development of counselling and informational services, formation of behavioural and self-actualization skills required at the labour market, as well as motivation for reintegration.

The priority of older workers employment policy is to protect older persons against discrimination and to develop positive attitude towards elderly workers.

 

Goals:  

— Optimize areas and content of support for older persons’ employment;

— Ensure access to basic employment services, including pre-retirement professional training;

— Develop types and forms of individual support for older persons in the employment market by Oblast executive bodies, social care and educational institutions;

— Develop positive public image of an older worker;

— Create  mechanisms of control and protection of  older workers against discrimination;

— Build up territorial capacity in utilizing labour of older workers   through cooperation between government and business;

— Improve the mechanism of interaction between executive employment authorities, local self-government and NGOs on broadening employment opportunities for older persons;

— Involve older persons into home-based employment programmes;

— Create older persons’ reserve workforce database.

 

Goal achievement indicators:  

— Effective procedures for providing employment services to older citizens;

— Implementation of individual employment projects  for older workers;

— Cooperation contracts and agreements on promotion of older persons’ employment;

— Conducting training workshops and motivational trainings for older persons;

— Mass Media publications, round tables;

— Participation of social service and educational institutions, commercial and non-governmental organisations in implementation of individual employment projects;

— Checks on respecting older employees’ rights and cases of discrimination.   .

 

4.5. Older adults’ individual development       

Support for older persons’ individual development is directed towards adapting the existing education system, culture and sports to achievement of individual self-development priorities.  Support for older adults’ educational activities is developed through ensuring that a rage and forms of services provision meet the needs and expectations of older persons. The policy priority in this field is to create conditions satisfying older people’s needs for acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary for leisure, creative work and informal labour activities.

 

Goals: 

=Broaden a range of services and resources for older persons’ self-development according to their capabilities and expectations;

— Create conditions for ensuring access of older persons, living in rural areas, to development resources;

— Develop legal, regulatory, material, technical and informational base for older people’s development;

— Form a positive public opinion about older persons engaged in education;

— Develop interdepartmental cooperation on creating conditions for acquisition and application of additional knowledge and skills by older persons;

— Create conditions for utilization of educational, social care and cultural institutions capacity for providing additional training programmes for older population;

— Create conditions for supporting individual self-development programmes.

 

Goals achievement indicators:

— Activities aimed at creating a positive image of an older person, acquiring additional knowledge and skills corresponding to his/her aspirations and needs;

— An increase in older persons’ social engagement and activity;

— Inter-departmental projects and agreements on providing conditions for satisfying older persons’ need for additional knowledge and skills and their practical application;

— Implementation of educational and recreational programmes and activities for older persons, corresponding to their aspirations, capabilities and needs;

— Individualized education for older persons in accordance with their capabilities and expectations;

— Fulfillment of older persons’ creative potential.

 

4.6. Support for older persons’ social engagement 

Support for social engagement of older persons is considered to be the most important area and form of fulfillment of older persons’ social potential, utilization of their experience and recognition of their role in society.  Social activities are the most efficient sphere for older people to be engaged in, to protect their rights and interests, and to impact social and political processes at the local level. Enchantment of support for older persons’ social engagement is focused on creating  conditions preventing their social isolation and marginalization, as well as fostering their participation in political, economic, civil and cultural life. Оf substantial importance is involvement of older citizens in various forms of social  control over and assessment of policy and social practice at a local level.

 

Goals:

— Expand opportunities for creating various forms and types of non-governmental older persons’ associations and their participation in activities of other social associations;

— Develop a positive social image of aging and older persons as active members of society;

— Support creation of local older persons’ support networks;

— Promote development of positive intergenerational relationships, a large-scale volunteer movement in local communities;

— Extend and optimize mechanisms of involving older citizens in development of policies, programmes and activities, promoting their rights and interests;

—  Secure older citizens’ voting rights;

—  Support older persons’ social initiatives.

 

Goal achievement indicators:  

— Mass media information campaigns, reflecting contribution older persons make into the life of society;

— Older persons’ participation in social and cultural activities at all levels;

— Mechanisms and procedures for representing older persons‘ interests in  the process of policy development and implementation, older persons policy, programmes and services assessment;

— Public commissions, councils and other forms of older people’s social engagement;

— Social projects and programs for older persons public, social and cultural engagement in rural areas;

— Integrated social activities, broadening opportunities and types of intergenerational interaction;

— Realization of older persons’ socio-pedagogical, cultural and leisure potential  in respect of young generation;

— Involvement of older persons into planning, implementation and assessment of territorial development, health care, social care, infrastructure accessibility  programmes, and programmes for creating an inclusive environment;

— Mutual support groups and networks created to enhance intergenerational relationships and broaden older persons’ opportunities’

4.7. Support for older persons’ cultural and recreational engagement  

Support for older persons’ cultural and recreational engagement is delivered through broadening forms of their involvement in cultural and recreational activities, improving access to services, creating conditions for satisfying individual needs, supporting elder persons’ own initiatives for individual leisure arrangements.  An essential policy aspect is inclusion of older persons into traditional leisure and recreation activities, and strengthening recreation capacity of local communities through utilization of NGOs and voluntary movement resources.

 

Goals:

— Ensure adaptability of cultural and recreational environment to aged persons’ interests and needs, and, first of all, to the needs of  those suffering from sensory alterations and psychophysical function disruptions;

— Form the culture of leisure and strengthen  development and rehabilitation-promoting leisure opportunities for older persons;

— Develop systematic approach to supporting older persons’ cultural and leisure interests, including through broader inter-departamental and crossectoral cooperation;

— Identify priority areas of older adults’ socio-cultural development  and to broaden the forms of implementation of such activities in municipal cultural and recreational environment;

— Develop  leisure geragogy,  professional support for  older persons’ leisure activities;

— Ensure compliance with the principle of intergenerational cooperation in the area of culture and recreation;

— Extend participation of creative and non-governmental organisations in providing support for older persons’ leisure activities;

—  Ensure availability, accessibility and affordability of cultural and sports facilities and creative institutions.

 

Goal achievement indicators:

— The level of leisure involvement among older persons of various age groups by kinds and forms;

— Implementation of  departmental and inter-departmental programmes and projects supporting creative activities among older persons;

— Utilization of information technologies to ensure access of older persons to cultural values;

— Organisational, informational and educational measures promoting older persons’ recreational activities in municipal cultural and recreational environment;

— Implementation of socio-cultural rehabilitation activities and programmes;

— Monitoring of older persons’ needs in the sphere of culture and leisure at all levels with a view to devising and implementing modern socio-cultural gerontopolicy;

— Implementation of health programmes, individual adapted physical training and sports;

— Creation of recreational centres at the local level through intergenerational cooperation;

— Creation of special interest clubs within cultural and recreational facilities;

— Implementation of older persons’ amateur projects for socio-cultural education of children and youth;

—   Dynamics of structure and quality of recreational medium aimed at satisfying older persons needs.

 

4.8. Community support for aging

 

Support for aging in the community is provided with a view to protecting older persons’ right to availability and accessibility of living conditions and resources, assistance and development, respectful attitude towards old age, a supportive social environment and family support.  Aging in a community is viewed as the best possible life option for an older person.  Comprehensive support for aging in the community is to be improved through ensuring availability and access to social infrastructure, current practice for protection of older persons against violence and disregarding treatment, activation of local social support and mutual assistance networks.  An essential element of an older person’s life in the community is   his/her responsibility to his/her social environment.

 

Goals:

 

— Increase adaptability of social infrastructure, to improve access to information and transport required to satisfy older citizens’ special needs;

— Create opportunities and mechanisms for installing special household equipment and devices facilitating older persons’ activities in living premises;

— Activate local social support networks resources for older persons;

— Promote support for an older person from family and social environment;

— Broaden opportunities of local community to ensure active participation of an older person in the community life;

— Create mechanisms for countering violence against older persons and their life safety;

— Ensure an older person’s responsibility towards his/her social environment;

— Develop an image of an older person as a rightful and active community member;

— Extend the local community opportunities for social condemnation of disrespectful attitude towards older persons;

— Create informal youth groups at the local community level,  providing support for older   households and  older persons living alone.

 

Goal achievement indicators:

 

— Criteria and indicators of availability and accessibility of social infrastructure for elderly population;

— Informal networks and mechanisms for supporting older persons;

— Procedures for countering violence and disrespectful attitude towards older persons;

— Mechanisms for promoting local assistance and care resources for older persons with limited abilities;

— Provision of technical equipment and devices for household activities;

— Forms and kinds of older persons’ activities in local communities.

 

5. Implementation of the Strategy for Older Persons Policy Modernisation  

 

The Older Persons Strategy, being a set of sectoral strategies, is implemented through a package of two-year plans.  Strategy implementation is ensured through monitoring of both the Strategy  in general, and secotral  strategies in particular.

The basic condition for Strategy implementation is improvement of the Oblast older citizens support system management, taking into account development of older adults policy goals and policy measures, through creating coordination and control system, responsibility and decision-making based on delegated powers.

The main management mechanism is interdepartmental and intersectoral  cooperation, allocation of powers and responsibility between various levels of government, business and social institutions, introduction of project management and goal-oriented programme planning, information support,  creating conditions for  continuous professional development of personnel working with  older persons.