Our full-time intern, Victoria Daugherty, and I think
you will find our recent postings both interesting and
focused directly on the human rights of older
persons. GAA spent much time this week
assisting international NGOs in their efforts to attend
the Open-Ended Working Group (August 21 -24) where they
will speak out, describing the many reasons why the UN
should construct an international convention or treaty
on elder rights. GAA is also working with others on the
Hospitality Committee to welcome our international
guests in August. If you would like to contribute
to this hospitality effort, please click on one of the
Donate Now links below. On the dedication line,
please write "Hospitality," indicating that you would
like your contributions to be designated to our
hospitality efforts.
Many thanks and enjoy every day! Susanne
Paul for Global Action on Aging
Top Stories
of this Week
Health
United
Kingdom:
Doctors Face Ban on Denying Treatment to Elderly
(June 11, 2012)
Beginning in October, healthcare practitioners in
the UK will not be permitted legally to deny an
individual treatment due to his age. In a
2011 report, the National Health Service failed to
meet basic standards of care for individuals over
65 years of age, according to the Health Service
Ombudsman. For instance, many older persons
were denied food or drink. Some older adults
were not washed or died alone because their next
of kin had not been notified of their illness.
This research indicates that older individuals are
less likely to receive treatment than young
people, sometimes resulting in their death.
Pension
Spain:
1
in 3 Older Persons Help Their Family with
Their Pension (June 15, 2012) (Article in
Spanish) As a
result of the economic crisis, many individuals
are unable to find work, and their retired
parents are supporting them while they are
unemployed. Due to inflation and the
burden of family members, the savings accounts
of 70% of parents have diminished. 20% of
older persons do not eat fruit, meat or
fish. Two out of every four older adults
cannot maintain a comfortable temperature in
their house, and 80% do not spend money on
leisure or restful activities. The
president of the Observatory of Vulnerability of
the Red Cross (Observatorio de Vulnerabilidad de
la Cruz Roja), Josep Marqués, described
the necessity of preventing a domino effect, in
which the problems of the elders influence the
larger society.
GAA Blog
Do
You
Know Your Status? (June 14, 2012)
According to UNAIDS, an estimated 1.2 million
people now live with HIV/AIDS in the United
States. About 20% of those infected (240,000
people) are unaware of their HIV status. These
individuals with HIV/AIDS may unknowingly spread
the infection and miss early treatment for the
virus. Find out how easy it is to get tested.
Photo Credit: Theodore Kaye/Once a celebrated
Soviet folk singer, this elderly man in the Vanj valley
demonstrates the elegant acoustics of a 'dutar' fiddle
he constructed out of a tin of tea. While music has long
occupied a vital role in Pamiri society, once diverse
musical styles are increasingly threatened by
synthizer-infused pop music.
Quote of the week
"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last
of life, for which the first was made: Our times are in
his hands Who sayeth 'a whole I planned, Youth shows but
half; Trust God; see all nor be afraid.'"
Robert Browning, English poet and playwright (May 7,1812 –
December 12, 1889)
Spain:
1
in 3 Older Persons Help
Their Family with Their
Pension (June 15, 2012) (Article in Spanish) As a result of the
economic crisis, many
individuals are unable to find
work, and their retired
parents are supporting them
while they are
unemployed. Due to
inflation and the burden of
family members, the savings
accounts of 70% of parents
have diminished. 20% of
older persons do not eat
fruit, meat or fish. Two
out of every four older adults
cannot maintain a comfortable
temperature in their house,
and 80% do not spend money on
leisure or restful
activities. The
president of the Observatory
of Vulnerability of the Red
Cross (Observatorio de
Vulnerabilidad de la Cruz
Roja), Josep Marqués,
described the necessity of
preventing a domino effect, in
which the problems of the
elders influence the larger
society.
United
Kingdom:
Doctors Face Ban on Denying
Treatment to Elderly (June 11,
2012) Beginning in October,
healthcare practitioners in the UK
will not be permitted legally to
deny an individual treatment due to
his age. In a 2011 report, the
National Health Service failed to
meet basic standards of care for
individuals over 65 years of age,
according to the Health Service
Ombudsman. For instance, many
older persons were denied food or
drink. Some older adults were
not washed or died alone because
their next of kin had not been
notified of their illness. This
research indicates that older
individuals are less likely to
receive treatment than young people,
sometimes resulting in their death.
Ukraine:
Grandmothers
from Nikolaev City Demand the
Return of Their Dancing Place in
“Nadezhda” (June 11, 2012) (Article in Russian) Many pensioners from Nikolaev
city and nearby villages enjoyed
dancing in a sports complex
called “Nadezhda, ” twice
weekly where they paid 3 hryvnas for
this pleasure. But in
March, the city government
closed the place claiming that
taxes for renting the complex had
increased. Participants protested to
the government but it didn’t produce
any results. No more dances
for the old people.
Mexico:
The
Quantity of Older Persons Grows
But Not That of Geriatricians
(June 11, 2012) (Article in Spanish) Some 400 geriatricians are
registered with the Mexican Council
of Gerontology (el Consejo Mexicano
de Geriatría); however, not
all of these geriatricians have
re-certified. According to
World Health Organization
predictions, Mexico needs about 10
times more geriatricians than are
currently registered. Because
of increasing life expectancies, in
15 years the Mexican health care
system will encounter a shortage of
geriatricians, according to Luis
Miguel Gutiérrez.
ELDER
RIGHTS
US
Consumer
Bureau
Launches Inquiry into Financial
Abuse of Elderly (June 14, 2012) The Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau is investigating
the financial exploitation of older
adults, marking World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day. The inquiry is
soliciting public commentary on
unfair, deceptive and abusive
practices toward older
persons. The Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau will
also seek out public opinion on the
evaluation of financial advisors who
may aid elders and of possible
resources that may help older adults
with financial planning.
Economics
expert
Oleg Ustenko emphasized that Ukraine
still has the so-called Soviet
system of “solidarity
responsibility” that the employed
citizens support a pension. He
says that this system slows down
economic development. Rather,
he states that the pension system
should be reformed not through
increasing of the pension age but
through the personal accumulation of
income.
Swindlers
habitually
use the Power of Attorney to
obtain the material goods of older
persons, they may purchase the
Power of Attorney for 80 to 90
Euros. They commit a range
of crimes, from taking money out
of the older person’s bank account
to placing their own name on real
estate. Notaries are unable
to demonstrate that the abusers
are guilty of these economic
crimes, because they lack the
tools to confirm their
suspicions.
Russia:
Pension
Payments May Be Decreased from 30
to 28% (June 4, 2012) (Article in
Russian) The Federal Ministries
proposed their own individual
designs for the development of a
pension system in Russia. The
Ministry of Economic Development
suggests focusing on collecting
payments and then cutting them from
30 to 28%. The Ministry of
Finance proposed increasing the
pension age to 63 years old. And the
Ministry of Social Development
wanted to assemble pension payments
from many different sources. India:
Report
on Elder Abuse in India (2012) HelpAge
India
completed a report about elder
abuse in India in honor of the
first annual International World
Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
Here are only a few of their
salient findings:
More than two out of every five
older persons studied are
financially dependent on others;
more than one half are financially
dependent on the oldest son.
Some 35% of the older adults studied
report elder abuse. Another
51% feel neglected sometimes, while
yet others (40%) feel neglected
every day. Fifty-three percent
of the older individuals studied did
not take any actions to respond to
the abuse; Nearly all (92%) of those
older adults who were abused did not
file a complaint against the abuser.
AGING
WATCH
World:
Dementia:
A Public Heath
Priority (2012) The World Health
Organization and
Alzheimer’s Disease
International jointly
released a report on the
global impact of dementia
to encourage policymakers
and others to address the
impact of dementia.
Additionally, the authors
want to establish dementia
as a global health
issue. The report
discusses epidemiology,
current policy, health and
social care systems,
caregiving and care
givers, public perception
issues, and future courses
of action.
According to UNAIDS, an estimated
1.2 million people now live with
HIV/AIDS in the United States. About
20% of those infected (240,000
people) are unaware of their HIV
status. These individuals with
HIV/AIDS may unknowingly spread the
infection and miss early treatment
for the virus. Find out how easy it
is to get tested.
