Old age

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s society is ageing quite significantly, shows data released by the Statistics Office for International Youth Day, observed on Friday. The number of those between the ages of 15 and 29 dropped by 15% over the past decade, while the number of those aged 65 or more increased by 29%.

The number of the elderly people in Türkiye has risen by 24 percent in the last five years, the country's family and social services minister has said.

Derya Yanık made a presentation to the U.N. European Economic Commission's "Ageing Conference," held in Italy's capital Rome, about the latest data on the country's elderly people.

The average lifespan of a Turkish citizen has risen to 80, with one living a healthy life until 58 and then struggling with a chronic disease afterwards, an expert has warned the parliamentary commission on elderly health.

The Turkish parliament has established a commission, following a joint proposal by five political parties, to evaluate the problems of the country's elderly people and produce solutions for them.

The move came after Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop's call, on behalf of the elderly, in a speech at a ceremony on "Respect to Elderlies Week" between March 18 and 24.

The Bulgarian population is ageing and this will cause major problems in the payment of pensions in the coming years. The share of people over the age of 65 relative to the total population will increase from about 21% in 2019 to 31% in 2070. This is written in the Country's Convergence Programme, which was recently sent to the European Commission, informs Trud daily.

She said she and her sister were both abused and her grandmother facilitated it

A new study has found that frailty increases the risk of mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Turkey has its elders to thank for abiding orders to stay home and thus making the COVID-19 pandemic manageable, the head of a seniors' advocacy group told Hürriyet Daily News.

But there is need for more cooperation and coordination among government, local administrations and civil society to make their lives easier, according to Gülüstü Salur.

Elderly people above the age of 65 are expected to be allowed to go out for four hours on May 10, as Turkey begins to ease its coronavirus restrictions, although triggering debate on whether they should be accompanied by another person during their outing.

Since the government introduced a public lockdown last month to curb the spread of the coronavirus, and the focus has shifted to online transactions and social exchanges, many less tech-savvy elderly people are struggling to adapt. 

Although it's too early for conclusions, experts working with the elderly point to a trend.