On 1 October the International Day of Older Persons took place. In this context, it must be stressed that in September 2016 the INSOCAT report no 7 for the improvement of social action was presented, entitled The elderly, poverty and vulnerability, about the current situation of elderly people in Catalonia.

The report stresses the vulnerability of the elderly and the impact of the economic crisis. For example, it is highlighted that 61.3% of people over 65 in Catalonia have difficulties to meet ends meet each month, due to the expense of food and basic living conditions (having an appropriate temperature at home). This situation is more serious for women because their levels of poverty and loneliness are higher. Specifically, 22.4% of elderly people live alone and 75.5% of these are women.

The conclusions clarify that the reduction in the risk of poverty among the elderly is due to the fact that the general population has become more impoverished, and not because of any improvement in this group’s welfare. Accordingly, the role played by the elderly within the family is noted, which in many cases turns out to be the main factor which sustains the family. This economic context leads to different generations living together unwillingly, which may affect the quality of life of the elderly, as this can cause or regenerate conflict within this environment. Section 6.2 of the report therefore analyses the mistreatment of the elderly with data from the Catalonia Public Safety Review Special Edition: The Elderly, which the Generalitat of Catalonia’s Department of the Interior carried out in 2014.

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