Common concerns, varied solutions

WHO/Europe has identified a series of priority interventions that address many of the concerns common to older people across the Region. These interventions focus on falls and disease prevention, public support for informal care, better-adapted formal health care and the creation of age-friendly environments that provide greater security and opportunities for physical activity. To help inform discussions on what governments are doing to support older people in these areas, and what they could be doing better, WHO/Europe has started a dialogue with older persons in various countries. Specifically, we are asking them what is good or bad about their present age and circumstances, what types of support do they need, and what options are available for them to receive it?

Additional interviews will be posted in the coming months leading up to the sixty-second session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe in September 2012, where population ageing will be a major topic of discussion. Together these interviews will illustrate a range of ways in which policy interventions and gaps affect the health and daily lives of older persons.