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The world’s population is ageing, as people are generally living for longer. However, despite the longevity of modern life expectancy, there are prominent challenges in protecting the rights of older persons. One of the main challenges is finding data that will provide a better understanding of the issues faced by older persons.
The European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) has taken the lead on this issue. During a side event at the Eighth Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG8) on 7 July 2017 at the United Nations Headquarters, ENNHRI launched their report titled, “We have the same rights: The Human Rights of Older Persons in Long-term Care in Europe.” Bridging some of the gap in data, ENNHRI, looks at the quality of the Long-term Care (LTC) institutions across Europe.
With the amount of people aged 65 years and older expected to double by 2060 in Europe, the ENNHRI saw an urgent need to evaluate the current LTC structures. As it stands today, there would be a supply and demand imbalance; people seeking LTC will outnumber the spaces that states can provide. Moving forward, ENNHRI, suggests that encouraging active ageing and increasing the productivity of the LTC structures today will help to reduce future demand. The ENNHRI also emphasized the need for LTC to be centred upon a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), putting the person first.
ENNHRI had 3 aims when conducting research for their report. The first was to identify the human rights standards relevant to LTC. ENNHRI outlined 13 human rights that included choice, autonomy and legal capacity, participation and social inclusion, privacy and family life, and dignity. Second, they described the human rights situation in LTC in Europe. Lastly, they raised awareness of HRBA to all stakeholders in LTC, particularly making older persons aware of their rights.
The report shows that the majority of caregivers in LTC facilities were instinctively using a person centred HRBA to inform their work, valuing older care users as individuals, respecting their dignity and independence, and understanding the value of social interaction. However, there was a significant variety in how each LTC facility respected the 13 human rights. Although there were no clear signs of torture or deliberate abuse, there were concerns in some LTC facilities in all of the countries examined when it came to upholding dignity, right to privacy, autonomy, participation, and access to justice.
ENNHRI concluded that by investing in high quality care entrenched in a HRBA will help to (re)build trust in the LTC system. Furthermore, the HRBA aims to empower older persons to know and claim their rights. This would increase the accountability of duty bearers who are responsible for respecting and protecting the rights of older persons.
To read the full report, click here.
For more information on this issue please visit OEWG8 or DSPD websites.
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Source: UNSDN, ENNHRI