UN decision: Austria's older people finally get protection!

UN decision: Austria's older people finally get protection!

The United Nations has adopted an important resolution that provides for the establishment of a working group to develop an international contract to protect human rights of older people. This decision is regarded by Monika Kemperle, the Federal Pensionist: Interior chairman of the ÖGB, as an important milestone for the rights of older people in Austria. Kemperle emphasizes that there are still disadvantages in many areas such as healthcare, labor market, social life and in the protection against poverty in old age that could be addressed by this Initiative. An internationally binding framework is urgently needed to close existing gaps and to promote social justice for older people. As Institute for Human Rights as a platform to promote exchange about the urgently needed normative standards for older people.

challenges in the health sector

The challenges in the healthcare system are considerable. Older people are often faced with barriers that restrict access to necessary services. Missing international standards lead to protective gaps. The discussions about health care showed that age discrimination, high deductible costs and physical access problems pose significant obstacles. Older women and people with disabilities and migration background who are discriminated against are particularly affected. This was also evident in the technical discussions of the German Institute for Human Rights, which dealt with topics such as access to health services.

In one of the discussion groups, the digital transformation in healthcare was perceived as a challenge that also disadvantaged older people. In social perception, the image of the elderly is often promoted as weak and in need of help, which affects the rights of older people. Negative age images can deteriorate access to medical services and reduce the quality of health care, such as Institute for Human Rights

the need for social inclusion

Another central topic of the vaccination conference was the social inclusion of older people. Age discrimination is not only evident in health care, but also leads to loneliness and social isolation. This problem is reinforced by the internalized AGEIM, i.e. the social prejudice that older people are worth less. These thinking patterns cause older people to not actively participate in social and political processes. The discussions at the 13th meeting of the OEWG-A make it clear that it is urgently necessary to create new socio-cultural roles for older people and to change stereotypical representations.

The upcoming meetings of the OEWG-A, in particular the 14th session in May 2024, are crucial to promote the participation of older people in public life and to ensure that their rights flow into decision-making processes. This could be another step towards the urgently needed social justice for older people and sustainably strengthen social inclusion.