A survey, initiated by the King Baudouin Foundation, was carried out among 2000 Belgians aged 60 to 85 on their perceptions of ageing, their expectations and concerns. It reveals that a majority (68%) of the respondents take a positive – or even very positive – look at old age that they associate with a quiet life, characterized by maturity and more time for themselves, their friends, relatives and grandchildren, while one older person out of three percieved old age negatively (28%), ou even very negatively (4%). But the positive feeling can change rapidly, in particular when the social network shrinks as one ages and when health declines. The age of 75 seems to mark a tunring point in that respect.
AGE in the News
“International organisations, such as the WHO and the United Nations, have developed guidelines and action plans to raise awareness, promote...