Basque strategy with the elderly

The longevity revolution is one of the social and economic challenges facing today's society. In response, public policies have been developing different strategies with the aim of advancing in the well-being and care of aging people, but also in how to adapt society to this aging process from the life cycle approach.

Starting from this new perspective, the Basque Government has drawn up the new Basque Strategy with the Elderly 2021-2024. A strategy based on the need to generate a new approach to the aging process from the active role of the elderly themselves, and governed by the following principles: equality, diversity, equity, self-realization, co-creation and solidarity between generations.

Inspired by them, the Basque strategy deploys five lines of intervention whose objectives are: Fostering active citizenship based on rights, participation and friendly communities; Facilitate transitions and the development of the life project; Support anticipation, prevention and the promotion of autonomy; Promote a social care policy and the transition to a new long-term care model; and Generate knowledge from research and innovation and the promotion of the silver economy.

This document includes a first part that describes the starting context from the analysis of longevity trends in the Basque Country, the analysis of policies on aging at the international, national and Basque level and the methodology used to design this Strategy. Then follow the different sections of vision, general objectives and principles, which are the framework that governs it.

This is followed by the five Axes of Intervention that contemplate the different objectives and commitments assumed for the coming years.​

• Axis I. Active citizenship
• Axis II. Transitions and life project
• Axis III. Autonomy and Fragility
• Axis IV. Attention and Care
• Axis V. Research and Innovation

And, finally, the driving projects that will structure, in practice, the different objectives and commitments acquired. In addition, the summary of the Evaluation of the Basque Active Aging Strategy (EVEA) 2015-2020 is included as an annex, the lessons learned from which have also been the basis for the design of this document.