01/10/2024 Equality and Non-Discrimination
“Human rights should not be denied or limited with age”, said Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler, (Austria, EPP/CD) on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons (1 October). Ms Eder-Gitschthaler, rapporteur on “Overcoming age-based discrimination against older persons”, underlines that access to rights and their enjoyment should be ensured regardless of the number of right-holders and of the cost of ensuring that older persons enjoy the rights they are entitled to.
As the 2024 theme for this international day is “Ageing with dignity: the importance of strengthening care and support systems for older persons worldwide”, Ms Eder-Gitschthaler recalls Assembly’s Resolution 2168 (2017) “Human rights of older persons and their comprehensive care”, which noted that accessing good-quality health care and long-term care still remains a challenge for many older persons in Europe.
The Assembly recommended a series of measures to improve care for older persons and prevent their social exclusion, including to foster a person-centred approach in the provision of care, by organising it around the needs and preferences of older persons and involving them in its planning.