Publications

Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge, is a landmark new report published by UNFPA and HelpAge. It makes the case for governments, NGOs, global institutions, and civil society to fully commit to a concerted global effort to realign 21st century society to fit the realities of 21st century demographics.

This last printed issue of Ageing & Development reports on how little humanitarian aid is going to older people, discusses what the right to health means for older people, and highlights action and policies to better address older people’s issues and rights.

HIV is increasingly affecting older people in two key ways – they are living with HIV and providing care and support to orphaned children and family members living with HIV. This issue of Ageways highlights that older people hugely contribute to the response to HIV, and must not be neglected in HIV data, policy and programming. It profiles some of the action taken to recognise older people’s needs and contributions, raise awareness and address the discrimination and rights violations they face.

This report present a summary of the key points and response actions identified and proposed by participants attending the HelpAge regional ageing conference in Yangon, Myanmar in May 2012.

This report summarises the views and recommendations of older people from 13 countries attending the HelpAge regional conference in Yangon, Myanmar in May 2012.

Ninety per cent of care for people living with HIV is carried out in the home, by family or members of the community. Many of these carers are older people, predominantly older women. This guideline explains the various challenges faced by older carers and the training and specific support they need.

Providing care has a major economic impact on older men and women affected by HIV, at a time when their ability to earn a living is decreasing. Programmes that encourage a range of income-generating activities, particularly small-scale loans accompanied by training in business skills, can help to mitigate the economic impact of HIV on older people.

Older people are at risk of contracting HIV, may be living with HIV, or providing care to children affected by HIV. It is crucial that they have access to information on HIV so that they can protect themselves and others. However, current HIV prevention activities do not specifically target older people. This guideline shows how peer education is an effective way of providing this information to older people.

Inheritance of land and property is one area where older women face significant discrimination and abuse of their rights. This guideline explains that the inheritance rights of older women and children in households affected by HIV can be protected through support from paralegals, writing a will, and creating memory books.

As the current MDGs approach the 2015 deadline, Global AgeWatch Policy Brief 1 presents why ageing and investing in older people must be reflected in the post-2015 framework. It recommends an accountable, rights-based and age-inclusive policy framework that supports people across their life course, and across social, economic and environmental domains.

All over the world, older people are coming together to claim their rights – and becoming a real force for change. Their global grassroots movement, is called Age Demands Action (ADA). It’s the only one of its kind in the world.

This paper describes the different options that have been suggested at the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing about creating and strengthening human rights instruments to better protect and promote older people’s rights.