PRESS RELEASE, Brussels, 8 June 2010
15 June 2010: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
AGE launches European Charter to fight elder abuse
As part of its campaign against elder abuse in the EU, AGE Platform Europe, together with 11 partner organisations, have issued a European Charter of the rights and responsibilities of older people in need of long-term care and assistance. The Charter is expected to be instrumental in achieving policy change at EU and national level to protect the dignity of older dependant people and to serve as reference for the development of European quality standards for long-term care.
Elder abuse: a rising EU issue
Elder abuse is increasingly being recognised as a major societal problem and a Eurobarometer on long-term care services carried out in 2008 showed that elder abuse is widespread according to 47% of Europeans. The European Commission, the successive EU Presidencies and the European Parliament have shown their commitment in fighting elder abuse.
AGE specifically welcomes the decision of the EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) committee in the European Parliament on 2nd June to adopt the oral question and motion for resolution on long-term care for older people, and especially Article 4 of the Resolution calling for a green paper on elder abuse and safeguarding older people in the community and in care settings.
The European Charter: a way to improve the quality of long-term care services
The Charter is part of the EUSTaCEA project against elder abuse supported by the European Commission’s Daphne III programme. It is coordinated by AGE Platform Europe and involves 11 partners from 10 countries. The Charter aims to become a reference document setting out the fundamental principles and rights that are needed for the wellbeing of all those who are dependent on others for support and care due to age, illness or disability.
The Charter is completed and clarified by an accompanying guide targeting caregivers, policy-makers and older people’s organisations which is currently being developed by the partners and will be finalised in November 2010. This guide should enable all actors to take ownership of the principles stated in the Charter and to adapt it to their national or local context.
With these documents, AGE seeks to promote a better quality of care in Europe, and to give a voice to older people and ensure that they are heard by the whole society. In particular, AGE seeks to develop European mandatory quality standards for long-term care services and to implement adequate measures to fight elder abuse, including in informal care settings.
15 June: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
On the occasion of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a large number of older people’s organisations will hold events and awareness-raising activities, and the EUSTaCEA project partners will hand the European Charter to their Parliament or Government, for example in Poland and in Sweden.
For more information, please contact Maude Luherne at maude.luherne@age-platform.eu
- Daphne EUSTaCEA web pages : https://www.age-platform.eu/en/daphne
- European Charter of the rights and responsibilities of older people in need of long-term care and assistance
- Press Pack on the European Charter
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About the project partners :
- E.D.E. – The European Association for Directors of Residential Homes
E.D.E. (European Association for Directors of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly) is a professional federation of directors/managers of Residential and Nursing Homes from all overEurope. Members in E.D.E. are organisations of home directors coming from 18 European countries and altogether there are 23 national associations.
- ANBO (the Netherlands)
ANBO is an association in the Netherlands representing senior people. Our primary goal is to provide independence and to promote the interests of seniors to national, provincial, and local governments and authorities. ANBO also gives its members advice and information, offers an array of informative, cultural and recreational activities. In addition it arranges discounts through third party providers.
- BIVA (Germany)
BIVA is a self help organisation offering its members and the interested public at large information about all questions conc. assisted living and institutionalized care, as well as giving advice on legal questions. As a consumers’ lobbying organisation BIVA is involved in legislative procedures on the national as well as on the regional level. BIVA was a member of the work group (“Round Table for Long Term Care”) that formulated the German Charter of Rights for People in Need of Long Term Care and Assistance, and represents the perspective of the users in a large number of advisory bodies in the social field.
- Commune de saint Josse – Association of Family House (Belgium)
The association of Family House was created in 1965 to offer a service to help families and older people by the local authority of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, in Brussels. The philosophy of the association is to promote the well-being of the inhabitants of the city, without being discriminated against.
https://maison-de-la-famille.be/
- FNG – French National Foundation of Gerontology (France)
The FNG is a national resource centre working on older people and ageing.It was created in 1967 by the public authorities and the main basic or supplementary social security systems inFrance National research centres working in the field of health contributed to its creation. It developed for the first time in 1987 a “Charter of Rights of People in need of long-term care and assistance”. The most recent version of this Charter was presented in 2007.
- FIPAC – Italian Federation of Pensioners of trade activities (Italy)https://www.fipac.it/
- 50+ Hellas (Greece)
50+ Hellas is a Non – governmental and not- for- profit Organization which aims to improve the quality of life of those over 50 years of age in Greece, within a more equal society and through actions and activities affecting all aspects of life. In cooperation with other social partners, it supports and promotes the rights of older people to equal treatment in society, particularly in employment, in health and medical care, in their independence and decent living standards, in their right to participate as full citizens in decision making as well as in the development of policies affecting them. The organization also promotes the interests and support of dependent older people and their families and the professionals who care for them.
- MZU (Slovenia)
Mestna zveza upokojencev Ljubljana (MZU Ljubljana) is a federation of 101 local older people’s associations with more than 30.000 members and four decades of the tradition. Apart from voicing the needs and interests of elderly in the central Slovenian region, keeping the dialogue with public authorities and regularly organising expert sessions on the most important social items, it runs the advisory service and daily activity centers for elderly.
- NIACE (United Kingdom)
NIACE is the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education. It is a membership-led, non-governmental organisation that both represents and advances the interests of adult learners and potential learners at all levels and wherever they learn in England and Wales – especially those who have benefited least from their initial education and training. We believe that adult learning is essential not only to create and maintain a more skilled and knowledgeable workforce, but also for personal development, and for a just, inclusive and democratic society. NIACE works to secure high-quality education and training systems that are responsive to the diversity and complexity of adults’ needs and aspirations as learners.
- SPF – Swedish Association of Senior Citizens (Sweden)
SPF is Sweden´s oldest organisation for pensioners, established in 1939. At the beginning of the 21st century SPF counts appr. 245 000 members. The majority of the members are 65 years and older – the normal retiring age in Sweden being 65 – but membership is available to persons retiring before 65. SPF is a politically and religiously independent organisation.
- Zivot 90 (Czech Republic)
Život 90 is a NGO helping older people to be able to actively and meaningfully live in their own home as long as possible. Our goal is to improve quality of life in general by supporting elderly citizens and their right to dignity.In this way Život 90 offers social services including respite care, home care, and Senior Telephone help line. We provide counseling in social, psychological and legal sphere. We also offer courses (English lessons, ceramics, dance lessons), training (seminar about personal safety), and theatre performances and thus support older people in leisure time activities.
Link to Press release in pdf format
Communiqué de presse en français
