Basque Active Ageing Strategy 2015-2020

From the Department of Employment and Social Policy of the Basque Government, aware of the important transformation that the society is experiencing as a result of the ageing process, with the collaboration of the Matia Institute technical team, the Strategy for Active Ageing has been developed for next five years.

Certainly, living many years is a clear indicator of success of a society the means that make it possible to live longer and better that has made a significant effort to make available to their citizens; media as a solid social protection system that guarantees universal access to health services, education, attention to situations of disability and dependency and a clear commitment to innovation and knowledge generation, to identify key good age. Additionally, the Basque society has endorsed the recommendations from different areas of knowledge and through various areas of public administration, scientific societies and other organisations of the gerontological field are constantly being made to achieve active, positive, healthy ageing and integrated into the development of the country, territory, city or town.

It is in the context of a committed and enthusiastic society with the permanent construction of wellbeing for its population, where it is integrated with prospects of success society, this Active Ageing Strategy, in which all citizens, regardless of their age, can be reflected and can also identify recommendations applicable to their daily lives. Because ageing well is a lifelong task that requires personal and collective responsibility.

Objectives

The 2015-2020 Active Ageing Strategy is based on four basic principles: dignity, autonomy, participation and joint responsibility, and is divided into three areas, each with its overall objective that displays a series of "operational objectives" and a set of actions.

The first area seeks to promote "a social and organisational change" in the Basque Country to generate "a model of governance" according to the structure of its population and the role of ageing people, in the areas of public and private policies.

"Anticipation and prevention" is the area of ​​the document that sets out measures for strengthening the "autonomy and independence" of the elderly, while the third major strategic section is dedicated to promoting "friendliness and participation" in building the society of wellness.

Eternal collaboration

In developing this Strategy it has relied on expert opinions regarding active ageing. Among others, the following have participated in the process: leaders of the associative movement for the elderly; heads of the planning programme for the elderly in the local authorities; representatives for planning programmes over large Basque municipalities, as well as EUDEL; professionals and experts recognised in gerontology; heads of policies related to the Basque Government: Departments with jurisdiction over housing, health, education; and representatives from Emakunde.