The aging of the population is inevitable and, therefore, we must face it on the basis that aging is not a disease, but a physiological process that incorporates dependence, whether physical or cognitive, and associated pathologies. On the International Day of Older Persons we have the collaboration of Dr. Ignasi Coll Rolduà, specialist in Geriatrics and member of Top Doctors, who talks to us about the importance of the elderly regaining an active role in society.
Aging poses new challenges worldwide, not only in terms of economic solvency, but also in terms of the social and healthcare system and the structural adaptation of the cities themselves, which requires a more positive view of aging as a problem. Both the WHO (World Health Organization) and the European Union in its Horizon 2020 project are committed to promoting active and healthy aging that allows older people to enjoy a good quality of life and independence.
Role of the elderly in today’s society: need for a change in values
The role of the elderly in society has changed. They are no longer the reference person in our social environment and there is a tendency towards ageism, i.e. to marginalize and exclude them. This is a social reality that requires a change of values, starting in schools, to overcome the stigmatization of old age and to raise awareness of the respect that the elderly deserve as an “active and enriching” part of society. We must guarantee their protection, eliminating all forms of discrimination, allowing them a dignified and independent life.
How loneliness influences the health of older persons
The current family structure justifies that almost a quarter of people over 65 years of age in our country live alone, especially women. Loneliness generates isolation and lack of self-care, with the consequent risk of developing diseases, not only in the field of mental health, where depression leads the diagnoses associated with the elderly living alone, but also at the organic level.
Advance directives: the importance of the patient’s active role in decision making
The elderly person, as a person, has the right to decide how he/she wants to face this stage of his/her life, and we must respect his/her will and preferences in decision making. Person-centered care (PCA) promotes the “active role” of the elderly in decision-making and consolidates respect for the autonomous decision-making of all persons, regardless of their age and/or disability, and prevents excessive care from supplanting and pre-emptively appropriating the will of the patient, especially in the field of geriatrics. In this context, the advance directives document (DVA) is the legal instrument that allows a person to communicate in advance which medical care he/she accepts and which he/she refuses in the future, in the event that, when the time comes, he/she is not able to make decisions for him/herself, according to his/her preferences and values, representing the maximum guarantee of respect for his/her own will for his/her own benefit.