Is “active ageing” more than “live longer, work longer”? European attempt’s towards “social participation” and “independent living” through the Belgian lens

Moulaert, Thibauld
(2013) XXth World Congress, International Association of Geriatry and Gerontology, Digital Ageing: New Horizon for Health Care and Active Aging — Location: Seoul, Korea (23.June.2013)

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  • Moulaert, ThibauldUCLouvain
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Abstract
Introduction : European institutions have considered “active ageing” as a policy answer to rethink ageing population since 1990’s. If the 1999 momentum opens a theoretical avenue for a holistic vision of “active ageing', policy translation reduced it to “working longer” during the 2000's.Ten years later, 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012) keeps “work longer” at the agenda but adds two other avenues for “active ageing” : “social participation” and “independent living”. Method : Financed by the Belgian Social Security for supporting the Belgian version of EY2012, we collected all belgian applications of 'active ageing' policies in early 2012. Results : The three different avenues for “active ageing” illustrates a specific national context characterized by a high institutional complexity. We show that a) “working longer” options are still numerous and mainly institutionally organized, b) “social participation” opens the more avenues for the “holistic” translation of “active ageing” with a special interest for the empowerment of older people via the emergence of a specific “Federal Consultative Board for Seniors” (Conseil Consultatif Federal des Aines) at the occasion of EY2012, many actions from older citizen groups like the Flemish Elderly Council (the Vlaamse Ouderenraad) to consider “active ageing” as a “win-win” strategy showing the diversity of elderly’s activities and the Walloon Region’s inspiration from “Age Friendly Cities” by WHO as a renewed option to organize local government policies towards ageing population, c) “independent living” refers to little innovative measures. Conclusion : Conclusion focusses on challenges and social conditions for an 'active ageing' reform.
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Moulaert, T. (2013). Is “active ageing” more than “live longer, work longer”? European attempt’s towards “social participation” and “independent living” through the Belgian lens. XXth World Congress, International Association of Geriatry and Gerontology, Digital Ageing: New Horizon for Health Care and Active Aging, Seoul, Korea. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/40519