Active ageing

EU urged not to overlook blind people in new food labelling rules

Laura Ferrara, an Italian MEP from the anti-system Five Star Movement, urged the European Commission to improve access to food information for blind and visually impaired people when it reviews the bloc's food labelling rules in the coming months.

Two-thirds of deaths of under 75-year-olds could have been prevented

In 2016, the deaths of 1.2 million Europeans under 75 were considered premature and could have been prevented, according to a report by Eurostat. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.

COPD is on the European Commission’s agenda, EU health chief says

Diagnosis tools like spirometry should be promoted in order to monitor lung systems and prevent the spreading of illness like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the second cause of death worldwide, the EU's Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com.

Regulating consumers?

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Over the years, sales and marketing restrictions have piled up on food, drinks and alcohol products. Some are now beginning to worry about a “slippery slope” where tobacco-style regulations – and taxation – are being applied to a whole range of consumer products in the name of public health objectives.

Report finds human rights abuses in Europe’s nursing homes

Ahead of the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day tomorrow (15 June), a new report heats up the discussion about the conditions of the elderly in Europe’s nursing homes.

Study: Dementia healthcare services need to be redesigned

People with dementia remain under-diagnosed and lack comprehensive and continuing health care, a report has found, urging policy-makers to focus on primary care services. EURACTIV.com reports from Copenhagen.

Alzheimer Europe chief: Holistic approach needed to tackle dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia remain underdiagnosed in most European countries, Jean Georges told EURACTIV.

Rising dementia numbers in EU causes alarm

The European Union is stepping up efforts to combat dementia, but is being urged to do more, as 18.7 million EU citizens are expected to suffer from the illness by 2050.

Is Europe ready for Alzheimer’s?

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The European Union has launched a series of initiatives to support people living with Alzheimer's disease, a mental deterioration typically associated with old age that impairs memory, thinking and behaviour. EurActitv brings you the latest from the 26th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Copenhagen.

Malta tops EU obesity rankings, Romania thinnest

Malta has the highest proportion of obese adults in Europe, according to EU figures released yesterday (20 October), while Romania is the least obese.

Europe must keep its promises to older people under the SDGs

Today, 928 million people are aged 60 and over – by 2050 that number will grow to 2 billion. An ageing worldwide demographic presents new challenges requiring our attention both close to home and further afield, writes Mairead McGuinness.

Tackling age-related diseases through better prevention

In an attempt to address the challenges of ageing and demographic change in Europe, a group of MEPs has agreed to work together to bring disease prevention to the top of the European agenda on active and healthy ageing both at EU and national level.

Reframing the longevity and ageing

The problem of an ever ageing population is not unsolvable, especially if retirement is not an obligation. What may prove tricky is what measures to take to keep older people active, ambitions and hungry for achievement, writes Žiga Turk.

How to escape the intergenerational injustice trap in Europe’s aging societies

Politicians are likely to be influenced by the electorate’s demographic power structures. With European societies aging rapidly, how are policy makers going to overcome this bias? Invest tax revenues in intergenerational measures and allow parents to cast proxy votes for their children, says Daniel Schraad-Tischler.

Blind Europeans divided by living standards, united by obstacles

SPECIAL REPORT / Research shows that living standards for the blind vary considerably across the European Union, but a uniformly ageing demographic and the challenges of modern technology afflict all people with visual impairments in the same way.

Blind rights activist: ‘In the UK, 66% of visually impaired are unemployed’

There are huge variations in employment conditions for visually impaired Europeans, but those countries offering more modern solutions do not always provide the best chances, says Fred Reid.

Sharp contrast in jobless levels for Europe’s blind

SPECIAL REPORT/Unemployment rates amongst the visually impaired in Europe are highest in Romania, at 90%, and lowest in Sweden, where it dips below 60%, findings of an ongoing EU-backed research project show.

Germany eyes implants for ageing population

SPECIAL REPORT / With an ageing population and blindness on the rise, German ophthalmic experts are taking strides to find innovative solutions to the sight crisis looming over Europe with pioneering implant technology.

French population to match Germany’s by 2055

The population of France is forecast to match that of Germany – currently the largest in Western Europe – by 2055, reports Carine Fourteau of Mediapart.

Austerity: Healthcare in hardship

Healthcare budgets constitute one of the largest chunks of public expenditure throughout the EU, and the associated industry is considered one of Europe’s success stories. Europeans consider healthcare as one of the benchmarks that sets the continent apart in terms of quality of life from other nations. But the ageing demographic, and the shock of the financial crisis have brought the contrast between Europe’s ideals and reality sharply into focus.

EU tables pensions plan, but it is ‘not ambitious enough’

The European Commission’s proposals on pensions presented yesterday (16 February) by the EU employment and social affairs chief, László Andor, was met by a flurry of criticism.

The ageing demographic: Nothing to fear but fear itself

Sweden's prime minister suggested recently that in future citizens might have to work until 75 before receiving pensions. Fears are widespread about the knock-on effects of the sharply ageing demographic in Europe. Leading demographer Andreas Edel argues that Europeans need to look on the bright side of a longer life.