Photo europapress – from 65YMÁS
On the occasion of the ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ last 3rd December 2019, the Spanish confederation of older people’s organisations CEOMA warned, in an article for the Spanish magazine 65YMÁS, about an increasing number of older people with disabilities and in situation of loneliness and isolation in Spain.
Like in other EU countries, the Spanish population is getting older. To adapt to that situation, CEOMA asks for promoting and guaranteeing preventive actions that foster active and healthy ageing. They also call for allowing the assistance resources needed to guarantee adequate quality of life for people with disabilities.
There are currently 9 million older persons in Spain and around four million persons with disabilities, around 56% of whom are older persons. By 2050, the United Nations ranks Spain as the second oldest country in the world after Japan. For CEOMA, the ageing phenomenon can clearly not be ignored, neither can the link between ageing and disability. Accessibility will therefore be essential to ensure older persons’ day-to-day participation in society and quality of life. Furthermore, implementing accessibility solutions would lead to more enjoyment of leisure time in older age, which would have a positive impact on the country’s economy.
‘At the same time, we must seek to make society aware of the need for a change in mentality towards older people with disability and the isolation experienced by many of them’, further highlighted CEOMA. ‘This is an issue that requires the involvement of everyone’.
