Day of the Elderly on 1st October

From 1991 onwards, the International Day of the Elderly, which has been proclaimed by the UN, has taken place on 1st October. In more than 30 years, however, it has not yet been possible to bring age discrimination under control in everyday life.

The International Day of the Elderly, established by the UN, has been held on 1 October every year since 1991. This day is intended to draw attention to the situation and concerns of the older generation and to promote solidarity between the generations. The Cantonal Senior Citizens' Association (Kantonalen Seniorenverband) of Zug have thereby published a statement.

Age discrimination is still widespread today
Today's seniors are in a more comfortable situation than previous generations in terms of their physical and cognitive abilities. They accordingly also place higher demands on their environment, and don’t want to be disadvantaged compared to younger people, says the statement. Direct and indirect forms of discrimination are still the order of the day in various areas of life, however.

Overt and covert age discrimination exists in various areas. It is thereby important to address the discrimination of seniors in everyday life without any taboo areas, and to demand that it be remedied. Discrimination against older people in renting out apartments and granting mortgages is one clear and direct form of discrimination.

The issue of age discrimination has not been resolved, even after 30 years.             Symbolic image: Fundacion MAPFRE

Older people in the labour market are often forced to take early retirement against their will and on poor terms. Public institutions, such as nursing homes, also tend to restrict the freedom of action of older residents, for example, by imposing a rigid daily structure (breakfast at 8 a.m. and dinner at 5.30 p.m.) or not allowing seniors to leave this life in a self-determined manner through a euthanasia organisation.

In addition to the obvious forms of discrimination, there are also cases of indirect discrimination. This is the case, for example, when services from insurance companies, offices, etc. are only available online and some elderly people have difficulties in handling this. Or if too little seating and disabled toilets are made available in public spaces, thereby massively restricting the social participation of senior citizens.

Politicians are challenged
It is imperative that we deal with direct and indirect age discrimination, point it out where it occurs, and remedy it. Above all, politics is challenged to do something here, because age does not yet have a really powerful lobby.

In the canton of Zug, the Cantonal Association of Senior Citizens (KSVZ) is committed to ensuring that senior citizens' needs and concerns are heard. For example, it calls for the establishment of day care centres for older people who do not live in a care institution, and they also ask that the concentration of emergency care at a single location in the canton be dispensed with, for the benefit of the elderly population.