Understanding: What is the human rights approach to Ageing?

By 2050, the number of people aged 60 and over is projected to double, highlighting humanity’s longevity but also the inherent challenges. This shift requires a fundamental re-evaluation of societal priorities, leading to the crucial question: What is the human rights approach to Ageing?

Quick Summary

The human rights approach to ageing is a framework that champions older people as rights-holders, emphasizing their dignity, equality, and participation across all societal domains, rather than viewing them as passive recipients of care. It mandates states and institutions to build systems that recognize and protect these inherent rights, thereby promoting inclusive and equitable societies for all.

Key Points

• Paradigm Shift: The human rights approach reframes older people as active rights-holders, moving away from a needs-based welfare model.

• Core Principles: This framework is based on embracing all human rights, respecting equality, ensuring participation, and monitoring accountability.

• Specific Rights: Key rights include independence, freedom from abuse, dignity, access to health and social security, and freedom from age discrimination in work.

• Addressing Ageism: The approach confronts ageism and intersecting discrimination, which are major barriers to older people's rights.

• Ongoing Advocacy: There is a global movement advocating for a binding UN Convention to strengthen the legal protection of older persons' rights.

From Welfare to Rights: A Foundational Shift

Traditionally, policies on ageing have focused on a deficit or needs-based model, viewing older people as needing social protection. The human rights approach to Ageing fundamentally changes this perspective, recognizing older individuals as active citizens with inherent rights that must be upheld throughout their lives. This approach emphasizes that age does not diminish a person's rights and that older people are entitled to dignity and equality, helping to combat ageism and promote their full societal participation.

The Core Principles of a Human Rights Approach

A rights-based approach to ageing is guided by key principles:

• Embracing All Human Rights: Older people are entitled to the full range of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights, which are universal and interdependent.
• Equality and Non-Discrimination: This principle actively combats ageism and ensures fair treatment, also recognizing that older people can face discrimination based on multiple factors like gender, race, or disability.
• Participation and Inclusion: Older people must be involved in decisions and policies that affect them, ensuring the approach is collaborative, not just something done for them.
• Accountability and Monitoring: States are responsible for protecting older persons' rights, requiring systems to monitor progress and identify gaps.

Key Rights of Older Persons

While a specific legally-binding UN convention for older persons is still being sought, various instruments outline crucial rights. These include:

1. Right to Independence and Autonomy: The right to make personal choices, including living arrangements, challenging paternalistic views.
2. Right to Freedom from Violence and Abuse: Protection from physical, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse, as well as neglect.
3. Right to Dignity and Security: Entitlement to respectful treatment and security in all environments, including long-term care.
4. Right to Health and Palliative Care: Non-discriminatory access to comprehensive healthcare, including palliative care, based on informed consent.
5. Right to Social Security: Access to social security to ensure a dignified life, particularly for vulnerable older individuals.
6. Right to Work: The right to decent work opportunities free from age-based discrimination.

Ageism: A Major Obstacle

Ageism is a significant barrier to the realization of older persons' rights, often leading to their exclusion and mistreatment. When combined with other forms of discrimination, it creates complex disadvantages for marginalized older populations. The human rights approach directly addresses these systemic issues, advocating for changes to overcome discriminatory patterns.

Comparison: Welfare vs. Rights Approach

Feature	Traditional Welfare Model	Human Rights Approach
Perspective	Views older people as passive recipients of care based on need.	Views older people as active rights-holders with universal entitlements.
Basis	Focuses on providing services and resources based on institutional discretion.	Focuses on obligations of states to respect, protect, and fulfill older people's rights.
Older Person's Role	Often passive, with decisions made for them by professionals or family.	Active participation, empowering older persons in decision-making processes.
Accountability	Primarily tied to service provider performance and funding, with limited external oversight.	Includes robust monitoring and assessment of state accountability for human rights obligations.
Focus of Care	Often reactive, addressing crises or specific deficiencies.	Proactive and holistic, focused on empowering individuals and creating rights-respecting environments.

The Call for a UN Convention

Existing international documents like the UN Principles for Older Persons are not legally binding. There is strong advocacy, supported by organizations like HelpAge International, for a legally-binding UN convention to provide a clear framework for protecting the rights of older persons and holding governments accountable.

For more on global efforts, visit HelpAge International.

Implementing a human rights approach requires:

• Legal Reform: Strengthening laws to eliminate age discrimination and align with human rights standards.
• Awareness: Educating the public to challenge ageist stereotypes.
• Training: Providing capacity building for professionals working with older people.
• Data: Collecting better data to inform policy.

Conclusion

Shifting from a needs-based to a human rights-based approach is vital for creating inclusive societies. By prioritizing the principles of human rights, equality, participation, and accountability, we can ensure that older people's rights are protected, they are free from discrimination, and their contributions are valued.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary difference between a welfare and a human rights approach to ageing?

The core difference is perspective: a welfare approach views older people as needing assistance based on deficiency, while a human rights approach sees them as rights-holders entitled to dignity, equality, and participation.

How does the human rights approach combat ageism?

It directly challenges ageist stereotypes and discriminatory practices by emphasizing the equal rights and inherent dignity of older persons, demanding legislative and social changes to address systemic bias.

Why is a legally binding UN Convention for older persons considered necessary?

Currently, many protections are based on non-binding principles, which carry only a moral weight. A legally binding convention would create an explicit and legally enforceable framework to ensure governments uphold the rights of older people.

How can older people be more involved in decisions that affect them?

The human rights approach emphasizes the importance of participation and inclusion. This can be achieved by actively involving older people in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of policies and services, moving away from top-down decision-making.

What role does long-term care play in the human rights approach?

In a human rights framework, long-term care settings must uphold the rights of older persons to dignity, privacy, and informed consent. Regulations must protect against abuse and negligence, ensuring compassionate and high-quality care.

How does a human rights approach address multiple discrimination?

It recognizes that age can intersect with other factors like gender, disability, or race to create unique disadvantages. Policies must therefore address these multiple layers of discrimination to ensure truly equitable outcomes for all older persons.

What are some practical steps a government can take to implement this approach?

Governments can start by reforming laws to prohibit age discrimination, developing public awareness campaigns, training professionals in rights-based care, and improving data collection to inform evidence-based policy.