European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations 2012
3 Jan 2012
European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations2012 is the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. A chance for all of us to reflect on how Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before -- and to realise the opportunities that represents.
Active ageing can give the baby-boom generation and tomorrow's older adults the opportunity to:
- stay in the workforce and share their experience
- keep playing an active role in society
- live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible.
It is also key to maintaining solidarity between generations in societies with rapidly increasing numbers of older people.
The challenge for politicians and stakeholders will be to improve opportunities for active ageing in general and for living independently, acting in areas as diverse as employment, health care, social services, adult learning, volunteering, housing, IT services or transport.
The European Year seeks to raise awareness of the issues and the best ways of dealing with them. But most of all it seeks to encourage all policymakers and stakeholders to set themselves goals and take action to meet them. 2012 should go beyond debating; it should start bringing tangible results.
Oral health is important at all stages of life. The current cohort of older Irish people has low expectations in relation to their oral health and most only attend the dentist when they require treatment. Older people may suffer from tooth loss, affecting their quality of life. Ill fitting dentures can affect their ability to eat and speak properly. Older people in long-term care facilities are at particular risk of complications from poor oral health because of frailty, poor health and increased dependence on others for personal care (HSE, 2010).
Oral health is central to the health and well being of older people. Investing in oral health should not only be calculated in monetary terms but also considered as an investment in empowering individuals through increased self-esteem, supporting communication, nutrition and improving quality of life.
The Dental Health Foundation welcomes the opportunity to provide input and to play an important role in securing and promoting the rights of older people in oral health.DHF supports the Older and Bolder 'Make Home Work' campaign particularly regarding older people as active managers of their own health, through effective oral health promotion messaging and recognising that 'health is more than medicine alone'. The Foundation looks forward to developing the oral health agenda for older people with all stakeholders into the future.
http://www.dentalhealth.ie/olderpeople/
http://ec.europa.eu/social/ey2012.jsp
