More than 15,000 elderly people live alone in the Balearic Islands. This is one of the data that appears in the Yearbook of Aging, presented this Thursday in Palma. Unwanted loneliness, older adult sexuality, ageism, and unwanted loneliness make up a significant portion of the content in the aforementioned directory.
The unwanted loneliness of the elderly
The document, an initiative of the Educational and Social Research and Training Group (Gifes) of the Department of Pedagogy and Specific Didactics and the Chair of Dependency Care and Promotion of Personal Autonomy of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB ), includes its seventeenth edition, a total of 22 articles analyze issues such as life expectancy, ageism, unwanted loneliness and the digital divide among older people in the Balearic Islands.
The study, led by Dr. Carmen Ortebrings together contributions from a total of 51 professionals and researchers working on themes related to aging, and reflects the diversity of different large groups of people and the different ways of aging.
The study begins with an article signed byr Carmen Orte, Marga Vives, María Valero de Vicente, Liberto Macías, Lidia Sánchez and Deima Jonusaitytewhich presents a specific training model on ageism and the person-centered care model aimed at professionals working in residential environments in Mallorca.
The objective of the proposal is to pave the way for the development of strategic lines of prevention and action against ageism, towards the promotion of good treatment and improvement of the quality of life of older people, reports Europa Press.
An innovative theme of this edition is the exploration of sexuality in old age, based on the experiences of 70 women between 55 and 99 years of age from the centers for the promotion of autonomy of the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS), giving one-dimensional visibility often ignored and made invisible and seeking to “break taboos”.
In the article Loneliness and elderly people in the Balearic Islands: current situation and future projections, Ferran Didac Lluch explains that in 2023 there were approximately 15,316 people (4,800 men and 10,515 women) in a significant degree of loneliness, of whom 3,653 women and 1,956 men have always felt alone. “Future scenarios (2037) predict a significant increase in loneliness among older people. “We have the ingredients to create a perfect storm,” he explains.
Grandparents take care of their grandchildren
For his part, Maria by Pilar Moyà and Angela Ramis They expose the situation of grandparents who become the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. The article concludes that implementing ongoing support for foster families is essential to overcoming challenges and ensuring that children receive the attention and care they deserve.
As indicated in a statement from the Consell de Mallorca, which participates in the Yearbook, 64% of family placements are carried out by elderly people, They have thus become a support for family conciliation and a reference for their grandchildren.
The quality of life of older people is also the subject of studies in different articles, and some are linked to health problems, such as low vision or Parkinson’s disease. Different cases of drug use and the corresponding rehabilitation processes in people over 55 are also discussed, for which it is necessary to establish specific recovery routes.
“It is important to listen to the voices of older people and respect the way each person has decided to age, from the care they wish to receive to preventive tasks. Talking about aging means talking about the need to promote autonomy, adapt resources and promote initiatives so that they maintain healthy habits, integrated within the community and in accordance with their life project. “, highlighted in the presentation the president of IMAS and island minister of Social Protection, Guillermo Sánchez.
In addition to the Consell de Mallorca, the Department of Family and Social Affairs of the Government and the UIB also collaborate in the edition of the Yearbook of Aging. Likewise, it receives support from the Guillem Cifre Foundation of Colonya de la Caixa de Estalvis de Pollença, Colonya and the Balearic Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology.
