AGE General Assembly adopts European Charter of rights and responsibilities of older people in need of long-term care and calls for greater solidarity between generations as response to the crisis

Gathered in Brussels on 6-7 May 2010 for their annual General Assembly, AGE Platform Europe members agreed to strengthen their work on the fight against elder abuse and the promotion of quality long-term care services and to plea for greater cooperation and solidarity between generations to help develop fairer and more sustainable social models. In particular they called on the European Commission to promote greater cooperation and solidarity between generations as a response to the present crisis and to propose 2012 to be the European Year on Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity; Member States to adopt an adequate minimum pension as a tool to fight poverty and social exclusion among older people;EU institutions and Member States to adopt European mandatory quality standards for long-term care as a tool to fight elder abuse and promote the dignity and well being of older people; Member States to fight age discrimination both in and outside employment and remove barriers that prevent older citizens from enjoying their fundamental freedoms as any other EU citizens.

Adoption of European Charter of the Rights and Responsibilities of Older People in Need of Long-term Care and Assistance

In line with their policy objectives to combat elder abuse and protect the dignity and wellbeing of older people who become dependant, AGE General Assembly adopted a European Charter of the Rights and Responsibilities of Older People in Need of Longterm Care and Assistance which will serve as a basis for their work on European quality standards for long-term care. This European Charter aims to raise awareness of the rights that everyone, regardless of their age and ability, should continue to enjoy. The Charter also seeks to empower potential victims to protect themselves. An accompanying guide is developed to explain how these rights can be implemented in practice to ensure that the dignity and right to self determination of older people are protected. It is anticipated that the Charter will be instrumental in achieving policy
change at EU and national level to protect the dignity of older people who become
dependent on others such as through the adoption of European quality standards for
long-term care - a demand the AGE General Assembly unanimously supported in its
Declaration last year.

For more information:
The AGE Resolution at:
http://www.ageplatform.eu/images/stories/AGE_Platform_Europe_2010_General_Assembly_Declaratio
n_Final.pdf
The European Charter can be accessed at: http://www.age-platform.eu/en/daphne