This weblog publish is written by Sarmitė Mikulionienė and Gražina Rapolienė in regards to the outcomes of ageing in Lithuania.
Lithuania is an ageing nation, subsequently social integration of day by day practices and points associated to dwelling preparations have turn into an vital analysis and coverage agenda of the nation. We’ll introduce the demographic profile of Lithuania’s older inhabitants (60+), and their perceived welfare and social dangers rising throughout the life course, equivalent to social exclusion, isolation and loneliness.
Demographic Profile of Older Lithuanians
By way of demographic ageing, Lithuania is just like the remainder of Europe: in 2017, the share of inhabitants aged 65 and over was 19.3 %, being near the EU-28 common. Over the previous 4 many years, Lithuania witnessed basic modifications within the inhabitants’s age construction: the share of inhabitants aged 65 and over elevated by 76 % between 1974 and 2017. In Lithuania, the method of demographic ageing was pushed by falling start charges. To a sure extent, the variety of older individuals additionally elevated as a consequence of mortality declines / features in life expectancy. Though common life expectancy among the many oldest outdated additionally elevated in Lithuania, the contribution of this indicator to inhabitants ageing might be thought to be low, taking into consideration the truth that the inhabitants aged 85 and over is barely 9.4 % of the full variety of individuals aged 65 and over in Lithuania, and this stays among the many lowest in Europe. Over the last 20 years, as in comparison with earlier ones, intensified inhabitants ageing was strongly influenced by migration flows which have dramatically modified: Lithuania was a rustic of immigration in Soviet occasions (the stream of incoming inhabitants was higher than the outflow), however it grew to become a rustic of emigration (the variety of emigrants exceeds immigrants) after the re-establishment of the State in 1990.
Basically, dwelling alone just isn’t quite common among the many Lithuanian inhabitants. In 2011, solely 13.2 % of the full Lithuanian inhabitants lived alone (being the sixteenth nation among the many EU Member States). Nevertheless, wanting on the proportion of the 65-and-over inhabitants dwelling alone, Lithuania is ranked second after Denmark (45.6 %) in 2017 (Determine 1). Furthermore, the proportion of older adults dwelling alone steadily elevated in Lithuania over a number of many years: in 1989, each fourth grownup (25.8 %) aged 65 and over lived alone, in 2001 this share was 29.8 %, and reached a 3rd (33.1 %) in 2011.
Determine 1. Proportion of the inhabitants aged 65 and over dwelling alone – EU-SILC survey, 2017 (Eurostat 2019).
Dwelling in single-person households is a selected attribute of older girls. For instance, in 2011, each second Lithuanian girls (47.8 %) aged between 80 and 84 lived alone. The share of males dwelling alone was considerably decrease for a similar age group – solely a fourth (26 %). Accordingly, ageing alone is turning into an more and more widespread expertise in older age resulting in elevated ranges of loneliness (Determine 2).
Determine 2. Scores (out of three) of social and emotional loneliness in response to the De Jong Gierveld quick scales by age teams, Lithuania, 2017. Supply: OPLA survey (N=1009), 2017
Narratives of Dwelling Alone
Older individuals themselves consider dwelling alone provides them freedom, autonomy and helps to take care of good relationships with household as a consequence of dwelling at distance. Nevertheless, as our qualitative analysis (N=27) exhibits such a type of dwelling might typically not be intentionally chosen, however relatively imposed by circumstances, i.e. the demise of a partner, divorce or being single or dwelling with mother and father till their demise. Rising loneliness, declining well being, rising feeling of insecurity, nervousness in regards to the future, and difficulties in day by day dwelling make older adults dwelling alone contemplate totally different options of dwelling with somebody: transferring to their youngsters’s dwelling or to care properties, getting married or transferring in with a companion, long-term dwelling lease along with care obligations, and so on. Nevertheless, options are ultimately rejected as unsatisfactory and dwelling alone is commonly accepted as inevitability. It’s of observe that Lithuanian older individuals interviewed for our analysis mission present a lack of know-how of private empowerment, placing their wants after these of others or underestimating them on account of decreased consolation ranges of others. Such disempowerment can also be influenced by the stigmatisation of ageing and internalisation of age stereotypes, prompting older individuals to face apart to keep away from inflicting issues to others.
Social Exclusion Dangers for Older Individuals Dwelling Alone
Regardless of the fragmentary nature of the empirical indicators that characterise social exclusion, analysis permits us to not less than draw a dotted line figuring out the size that pose social exclusion dangers for older individuals in Lithuania, particularly these dwelling alone. In lots of instances, it’s the materials assets of older individuals in Lithuania, particularly of these dwelling alone, that need to be recognized as posing a danger to their social inclusion. Quite a few vital parameters of the spatial area, equivalent to housing facilities, public transport infrastructure, security on the place of residence, and so on. additionally present that a big a part of older individuals in Lithuania is at a drawback and should expertise social exclusion as a consequence of environmental obstacles. The digital divide amongst older individuals continues to be above the typical within the nation, though this issue will weaken with each upcoming technology of seniors.
Our analysis has recognized fairly widespread manifestations of ageism in public life skilled by older individuals, particularly these dwelling alone. In scientific literature, such manifestations are considered as discouraging obstacles stopping older individuals from significant involvement in society. Our analysis has revealed that frequency of communication with different individuals for a lot of older individuals in Lithuania is definitely teetering on the sting of what many researchers contemplate as social isolation because it doesn’t even attain one individual a day (9 individuals in 10 days) for these dwelling alone, whereas for these dwelling with others is barely greater (13 individuals in 10 days). 5.7 % of individuals aged 60 and over dwelling alone in Lithuania didn’t talk with anybody within the week earlier than the survey. Nearly one fifth of older adults in Lithuania (18 %) have unsustainable social relationships, i.e. they might not have kinfolk or buddies to ask for assist in occasions of want.
Do older individuals dwelling alone discover their exclusion? Our analysis exhibits that within the case of Lithuania the reply is sure. Their narratives about their membership in society have extra to do with social exclusion than with inclusion. Inclusion is commonly even formulated negatively, as if denying the implied (culturally rooted) exclusion and exhibiting oneself as an exception, regardless of belonging to the marginalised class, for instance, utilizing expressions like “I don’t ask [for anything]”, “I’m not a parasite”, “I don’t really feel like I’m in some way wacky” referring to outdated age stigma. A very powerful space of exclusion recognized by the members is the withdrawal from the labour market and the associated lack of the sensation of being wanted by others and the lack of social relationships.
Different facets of social exclusion highlighted by the members embrace age-related lower of their social worth and well being. Then again, components contributing to social inclusion would come with good well being, private autonomy, day-to-day communication, work or help for others, in addition to participation in public occasions. It can be crucial subsequently to create areas and events for older individuals, particularly for these dwelling alone, to soundly and meaningfully take part in social life with respect to neighbourhood, public transport, premises for group actions, and so on. Older individuals ought to be impressed and empowered to hunt social participation and self-realization by way of strengthening bodily and psychological well being, encouraging others to take part. Means to foster management, mentoring, digital inclusion of older individuals, and psychological help in case of mourning may very well be of assist. On a broader scope, schooling about hurt of outdated age stigma for people and society, in addition to about social exclusion, loneliness and isolation may increase social initiatives for intergenerational integration.
Associated publications:
Mikulionienė, S., Rapolienė, G., Valavičienė N. (2018). “Vyresnio amžiaus žmonės, gyvenimas po vieną ir socialinė atskirtis” [“Older people, solo living and social exclusion”]. Monograph. Lithuanian Social Analysis Centre, Vilnius: Baltoprint. ISBN 978-9955-531-62-3 (printed model) ISBN 978-9955-531-64-7 (digital model) (Abstract in English)
С. Микуленене, А. Юркевич, Г. Раполене (2019). „Потребность в общении и poль эйджизма в eе реализации: качественное исследование пожилых людей“. Успехи геронтологии [S. Mikulionienė, A.Jurkevits, G.Rapolienė. Need for communication and the role of ageist attitudes in its fulfilment: a qualitative study of older people. Advances in Gerontology] 32 (1-2): 273-281.
Rapolienė, G., Mikulionienė, S., Gedvilaitė – Kordušienė, M., Jurkevits, A. (2018). Socialiai įtraukti ar atskirti? Vyresnio amžiaus žmonių, gyvenančių vienų, patirtys. [The Socially Included or Excluded? The Experiences of Older People Living Alone] Socialinė teorija, empirija, politika ir praktika 16, p. 70-82. https://doi.org/10.15388/STEPP.2018.16.11441
Sarmitė Mikulionienė is a Director of Lithuanian Social Analysis Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania. Her analysis pursuits are ageism, demography of ageing, generations, social exclusion and lifelong studying. She is a member of the EAST Community of Oxford Institute on Ageing, Worldwide Community for the Research of Intergenerational Points. At present, she is concerned within the mission “Constructing older individuals’s well-being: empowerment insurance policies, monitoring indicators and the voice of older individuals”.
Gražina Rapolienė is analysis fellow on the Lithuanian Social Analysis Centre. She is a member of the working group on civic exclusion of the COST Motion on old-age exclusion in Europe (ROSEnet) and was a MC within the COST Motion on ageism. Examples of her publications embrace “Ageing Identification: Do Theories Match Experiences?” and “Previous Age Stigmatization”. Her analysis pursuits: social exclusion, ageism, ageing id, representations in media, and consumption.
