In Poland, the number of older people is growing every year, and the forecasts show that this situation will continue for the coming years, as people born in the period of the baby boom will get older. How are people over 65?

According to European standards, elderly people are considered to be 65 years of age or older. For many people, the retirement age does not matter much, as they remain professionally and socially active. But it is commonly felt that aging is a time of struggling with many diseases, a time of isolation, a time of rejection and loneliness. What is life like for older people in Poland? How do they perceive their situation?

In my own eyes

In 2016, the CSO published the results of the survey "Quality of life of elderly people in Poland". The responses obtained from the respondents prove that life for older people is not easy.

54% of respondents believe that they have a good financial situation, but 29% of people aged 65 and over live in poverty. When asked about their he alth, they most often answer that it is neither good nor bad (50%). 25% assess their he alth condition as bad. They spend their free time mainly in front of the TV. They do not go to the cinema and concerts (82%), museums (81%), do not play sports (83%), do not listen to music (55%), do not rest outdoors (23%), do not meet friends in a cafe or club (71%). 64% of respondents read the newspaper only once a week.

Interviewers also asked about computer knowledge. 75% of people aged 65 and over have never used it, 13% admit that they use it every day or almost every day, 16% look for information online, and 9% use online banking.

According to the Angel Care report prepared in 2015 by the first comprehensive center for seniors in Wrocław, access to professional medical care is very important for over 55% of seniors, and for 25% important. As many as 96% of older people believe that regular physical activity is very important for their he alth. They don't take it because they have bad habits. Another reason is that the offer of organized exercises for this one is often not adapted to their physical abilities. As many as 96% of seniors believe that social activity is also important for he alth and well-being, i.e. meetings with friends, participation in local events, etc. But, as the seniors themselves point out, often notuse these opportunities because their he alth does not allow them (46%), or because they are not interested in it (27%).

Worth knowing

Break stereotypes

Life expectancy in Poland is slightly above 77 years, and it is forecast to increase. This means that a person in their sixties has many years of life ahead of them. What is its quality? The statistics show an unpleasant picture of Polish old age. And although more and more elderly people are physically, professionally and socially active, the majority remain passive.

The reason for what seniors themselves admit are bad habits. We still have no idea for our old age. Women are usually involved in raising their grandchildren, running their children's home, and men are either sitting in front of the TV or accompanying their partners with household chores. And yet life in retirement does not have to be boring and devoid of emotions.

It is also not true that you need a lot of money to experience old age in an interesting way. In Poland, in all provinces, there are a total of 520 universities of the third age, where you can listen not only to interesting lectures, but also to make new friends. In 2016, they had over 130,000. listeners. There are seniors' clubs in community centers and housing estates, which offer various activities - from language learning, through gymnastics, painting, needlework, to interesting excursions. The offer of local governments for seniors is also getting richer. Classes are often free or for a symbolic fee of a few zlotys. You just have to want to use them.

No help in violence

The World He alth Organization is sounding the alarm - every sixth senior is a victim of violence or experiences various forms of ill-treatment. The results of the study were recently published in Lancet Global He alth. Data was collected from 28 countries. They prove that 16% of people over the age of 60 experience some form of violence.

As a rule, it is psychological violence (over 11%), financial abuse (6.8%), neglect (4.2%), physical violence (2.6%), sexual violence (0.9% ). Prof. Andrzej Araszkiewicz, a psychiatrist, member of the National Council of Seniors, leaves no illusions, saying that the violence against the elderly in Poland is endless. Senior is just a slogan, the level of care for seniors is at an embarrassing level.

There is a shortage of real nursing homes, places for day care and psychiatric wards. The research of the Polish Academy of Sciences shows that violence against the elderly in the Polish version is most often isolating them from the world. Poking, jerking, pushing, name-calling, taking money and forcing to write is the order of the day.of the will. In July this year. The Ombudsman, Adam Bodnar, announced the results of inspections carried out in nursing homes. The hair is standing on the head. Being tied to a bed or chair, using icy baths, access bans for relatives, secreting food, administering psychotropic drugs without consulting a doctor, using vulgar words, referring to "you", not respecting intimacy are just some of the scandalous behavior of nursing home workers.

Unfortunately, the charges of these institutions do not even tell their relatives about the violence or aggression used against them. They fear that when the family leaves, their fate will be even worse. The scale of violence against the elderly is greater in cities than in the countryside. It also happens here, but the neighbors are more inquisitive and react faster to harm than anonymous people in the cities.

Important

Obesity and malnutrition

A significant proportion of the elderly are overweight or obese. 70% of the elderly have too much body weight, and every fourth of them is obese (BMI>30). Men are more likely to be overweight and women are obese. This problem is often linked to a poor diet. Older seniors eat vegetables and fruit less often. Malnutrition is a very serious problem. According to estimated data, malnutrition affects 5-10% of all elderly people. Among long-term care patients or residents of social welfare homes, malnutrition is found in 30-60% of people.

There is a law, but …

On September 11, 2015, the Act on Elderly People was passed (Journal of Laws of 2015, item 1705), which imposes an obligation on public administration bodies, state organizational units and other organizations involved in shaping the situation of older people to monitor the situation of older people in Poland.

The authors of the act consider an elderly person who has reached the age of 60. The Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy collected information on the situation of older people in 2015. What do they show? The average monthly expenditure per one person aged 60 is PLN 1,459.97. Seniors rarely assess their financial situation as very good or good, and more often as average or rather bad. Every third person living alone in the countryside believes that he or she is in a bad financial situation. Money is usually scarce for food and medications prescribed by a doctor. Sanitary conditions in apartments occupied by seniors are worse than average and not adapted to their needs and possibilities. Seniors complain about the high cost of maintaining an apartment and architectural barriers.

Worth knowing

At the end of 2015, 38.4 million people lived in Poland, including over 8.8million were people aged 60 or more (approx. 23%). Over the past 25 years, the size of this group has increased by nearly a half. It is almost 1/4 of the society, but still remains on the margins of the activities of decision-makers and politicians. We need a larger and larger group, incl. in terms of medical care, urgently needed.

Common he alth problems of seniors

A year ago, the National He alth Fund examined data on treatment in hospitals for people over 65 years of age. The analysis shows that the most common causes of hospitalization were cardiological, ophthalmic, vascular and orthopedic diseases. What he alth problems most often affect seniors?

  • Alzheimer's disease - it is incurable and consists in the degeneration of the central nervous system. By using the right therapy, you can slow down its progress.
  • Parkinson's disease - it is caused by the death of nerve cells in the substantia nigra that produce dopamine. It is not curable, but thanks to modern drugs and therapies it is possible to improve the patient's quality of life.
  • Osteoporosis is a threat to every fourth woman after the age of 60 and every second woman after 70. Approximately 21% of women are affected, and 40% are diagnosed with osteopenia (reduced bone mineral density). There are effective therapies, but only 10% of patients use them.
  • Ischemic stroke - old age is one of the risk factors. Heart disease, hypertension, inflammation of the veins, obesity and lack of exercise also increase the chance of developing the disease.
  • Diabetes - older people are most often affected by type 2 diabetes, which is why after the age of 60. Blood glucose level should be tested twice a year.
  • Hypertension - is one of the most neglected ailments. If left untreated, it can lead to a heart attack, circulatory failure or stroke.
  • Coronary artery disease - the cause is atherosclerosis. Too little oxygen and nutrients reach the heart through the narrowed arteries. The heart muscle is hypoxic, less contractile and weaker. When the artery is completely occluded, an infarction occurs.
  • Hearing and vision problems resulting from the aging of the body. Amblyopia due to macular degeneration or cataracts is a serious problem.
  • Cancer - old age increases the risk of cancer development by several dozen percent. In seniors, cancers of the trachea, bronchi, lungs and large intestine are most often found.
  • Depressed mood - older people are often dim, sad. In contrast, depression in seniors is rarely recognized and well-treated.
  • Induced urinary incontinenceincl. the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles affects both women and men. Unfortunately, although there are many NHF reimbursed methods for treating urinary incontinence, many people still do not take it.

And we'll be old too

Due to the widespread cult of youth, there is no respect for the elderly in society. We are irritated by people walking slowly around the store, getting on the bus with difficulty. We don't want to see their needs and desires. This happens not only in families, but also in he althcare facilities.

A survey by the Polish Society of Gerontology shows that every fifth elderly person complained about improper treatment in clinics or hospitals. Old age in Poland is too often sad, lonely and very poor. Of course, it can be said that everyone ages differently, that you have to be young at heart, that you can enroll in a university of the third age, that you can … There are many foundations in the country that try to change the fate of old people, but they do not reach everyone, nor do they meet all their needs. And reality screams.

Most old people don't know where to get help or support. Will the Act on the Elderly Change this situation? I do not think so. For something to change, we must first learn to respect the elderly, find time for them, and be patient. Why? For example, out of pure selfishness … After all, we will also - sooner or later - be old.

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