The public thinks that people over 50 are suffering in particular from a low standard of living and rising costs, with their weakened health and inadequate medical care posing another problem. This stems from a survey by the agency Focus conducted in order to find out how the public sees the most serious problems facing old people in Slovakia, Zora Butorova from the Institute of Public Questions informed. 86% of respondents see low standards of living and rising costs as major problems for older people, while 78% identify health and medical care as such. About a quarter (26 percent) of the public see loneliness or feelings of uselessness as the major problems. According to one fifth (21 percent) of those interviewed, a lack of respect for their needs, discrimination and undervaluing by the state and society are among the most serious problems for seniors.
Discrimination against older people on the job market and the inaccessibility or low quality of social services for people dependent on care are seen as further issues. The weakened effectiveness of older people, their inability to keep up with the times and their backwardness in education are seen as the seventh problematic area.
According to the Institute of Public Questions, the perception of the problems of older people has significantly changed since 2011, with the public attributing much greater weight to three problems. The financial situation of older people, weakening of the health of older people and inadequate medical care are perceived more critically. "Thirdly, much greater weight is attributed to the loneliness of older people, their exclusion from society and feelings of uselessness", added Butorova.
The survey was done from 4 to 14 August on a sample of 1212 respondents aged over 18.
Source: TASR
