Istanbul Declaration on Global Aging and Care
Population Aging is the most important demographic trend of the 21st century. Throughout the world people are living longer (more people reach older age) and fertility rates are declining. The end result is increasing numbers of older people while people at younger ages are on the decrease. Population aging will affect all aspects of society: from health to social security, from environment issues to education, job opportunities, the recreational industry and family life. Rich, already aged countries aging further, but the pace and context of population aging in developing countries such as Turkey, is unprecedented.Against this background the participants of the 1st International Care Congress, Istanbul 2- 8 May,2005 have unanimously agreed that:
1. Aging is an essential part of the Development Agenda. Every effort should be made to include aging issues in the Millennium Development Goals if poverty worldwide is to be decreased by 2015.
2. The vast majority of the older population are resources to their families, to their communities and to the economy. In all countries their contribution is critical however unsung, unrewarded and unrecognized: they are more frequently providers rather than recipients of care.
3. Some older persons are vulnerable-particularly the very old, the frail, the very poor, the disabled, widows and those without a family-and they need to be protected through religion, language, cultural and gender sensitive social security systems.
4. The best insurance for quality of life in older age is health and promoting health throughout the life course in the surest way to sustain and guarantee healthy aging.
5. Health and social services should be integrated and the primary health sector is the ideal approach to offer community based services to older persons.
6. Migration-internal and to foreign countries-leads to older persons to be isolated and/or to individuals growing older, away from their birth place, often in isolation and high vulnerability. Multi-cultural care services should be established. Ethno-geriatric education is needed to provide health and care service to diverse ethnic minority elders.
7. Policies should be put in place to ensure active, productive aging, focused on non-discrimination and social inclusion-it should not be forgotten that older people have rights and not only needs.
8. All future professionals-doctors, nurses, lawyers, architects, teachers,home economists,physiotherapists, instructors of physicals education, etc.-should receive proper training in bio- psycho, social, spiritual model of aging in order to effectively deal with the multiple aspects of aging.
9. As populations age there are important ethical considerations to bear in mind-to include maintenance of dignity, respect and quality of life at the final stages of life when proper care is so essential.
10. In all societies the family is the most important source of support to older persons who need care. Family caregivers and home care services need to be acknowledged and supported to play such a key role.
11. Rights of older people should not be subjected to any form of discrimination in any walks of life.
Turkey is an ideal country to play a central role as global champion on population aging-for the values the country has for centuries espoused and nurtured, for being the natural and historical bridge between the East and the West, the rich and the poor, the developing and the developed world-and for the tolerance between cultures, religions and practices that Turkey has promoted over centuries.
The participants of the 1st International Care Congress İstanbul 2- 8 may,2005 endorses the call by the World Health Organization and the International Association of Gerontology for Turkey to champion "aging issues" within the international community in all of its multiple stages.