Photo from European Commission's website
Our demands
- Joint letter with the European Disability Forum and the European Federation of Public Service Unions asking the European Parliament to investigate the failures in addressing and managing the COVID-19 crisis in the long-term care sector, 01 July
- Press release - Elder abuse has been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 June
- AGE letter to EU Commission Vice President Šuica, Commissioner Schmit and Commissioner Kyriakides calling for EU action in the field of long-term care, 10 June
- New report - Recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, 03 June
- Press release - Crisis set us apart, the recovery must bring us together, AGE report says, 03 June
- Press release - COVID-19 reveals violations of older people’s rights, AGE report says, 19 May
- Updated report - AGE updated report on human rights concerns during COVID-19, 18 May
- Press release - United Nations: 140 countries jointly call for respect of the rights and dignity of older people and global solidarity, 13 May
- Press release - People of all ages need to build together a post-pandemic world designed for everyone and for the planet, jointly with the European Youth Forum, 28 April
- AGE letter to the EU Commission and European Council Presidents, 17 April
- Press release - Residential institutions in the eye of the COVID-19 storm: governments must act quickly to protect residents and personnel, 16 April
- AGE letters to EU Commissioners for Health - Equality - Jobs and Social Rights, 15 April
- Press release - Investment in health for all: the best reward we can give to nurses, 6 April
- AGE letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 6 April
Latest EU news
- Official resources on COVID-19 vaccination
- Third report of the Fundamental Rights Agency on COVID-19 including a Focus on Older People
- European Commission proposes roadmap to lifting coronavirus containment measures
- European Commission's President recommends maintaining confinement of older persons until COVID-19 vaccine becomes available
- Commissioner Dalli's statement on COVID-19 & older persons and joint letter to EU governments
- Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative + additional support to workers and businesses
> More news, resources and good practices are to be found below on this page
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As the coronavirus COVID-19 is spreading across Europe and worldwide, national authorities and EU institutions do their utmost to address the pandemic. Their key objective is to ensure that across the European Union, hospitals and health care professionals will maintain their capacity to provide intensive care to all who need urgent medical attention.
With this webpage, we wish to contribute to the general effort by providing reliable information on the pandemic and the challenges it raises to older persons and to all of us as a society. You will also find recommendatios, good practices and initiatives from our members and other partners.
Solidarity as the best response
While EU countries seek to coordinate their efforts and pool resources and knowledge to address the pandemic, many EU countries have taken containment measures to slow down the spread of the virus and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with too many very severe cases. Yet, public authorities efforts will only pay off if each of us takes action and acts responsibly.
No one is invincible: we are all at risk of getting infected by the virus. But older persons, persons with disabilities, or persons with pre-existing medical conditions might suffer much more severe consequences. Respecting the containment measures are an act of solidarity with those at risk of most serious outcomes and with the health and care professionals that are on the frontline.
“This is a time when we need to help each other within our families, neighbourhoods and communities. We need to rebuild solidarity and social fabric that are so important when a crisis of such magnitude strikes. To fight the virus, greater solidarity and respect for each other are needed from all of us!”.
Anne-Sophie Parent, AGE Secretary General
Physical distancing should not mean social distancing
Containment measures often imply distancing (often called ‘social distancing’) ensuring that individuals will stay physically away from one another. If physical distancing is required to constrain the virus spread, it should not not break our social bonds. There are many alternative ways to stay connected remotely with our dear ones, e.g. through telephone, regular post, internet and social media.
While the current time of quarantine shows how digital technologies can help connect people, they also remind us, perhaps more blatantly than ever, of the inequalities that exist in accessing them. Using internet and virtual communication means may be a challenge for older persons who do not use them in their daily lives.
COVID-19 and human rights in older age
Older persons have the same rights as others, and these must be equally protected during the pandemic.
As evidence collected from our member organisations and external experts demonstrate, the coronavirus pandemic poses distinct threats to the equal enjoyment of human rights by older persons, namely in terms of access to health and social care, discrimination and social exclusion. We are particularly concerned by the situation of older people in residential settings, those who live alone and older persons who receive care at home. In our publication COVID-19 and human rights concerns for older persons we explain why older persons needs particular attention to ensure their rights are equally protected during the pandemic.
Learn more about the human rights implications of COVID-19 for older persons on our dedicated webpage
Initiatives and good practices about COVID-19
Below you can find the list of the main news we published in relation to COVID-19. Most of them have been developed thanks to the input collected from our member organisations. We thank them for their time and for the tremendous job they are doing on the ground!
This list is regularly updated. If you are aware of inspiring initiatives taking place in your region, please share it with us: anne.melard@age-platform.eu
> AGE members mobilised for COVID-19 vaccination
> Good practices and initiatives to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic
Useful resources
COVID-19 general information:
- from the World Health Organisation (WHO - available in different languages)
- from the European Commission (available in all EU languages)
- from the European Medicines Agency (EMA)
- from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC)
- from the Council of the European Union
- WHO Health Alert on COVID-19 via WhatsApp
COVID-19 vaccination
- from the World Health Organisation (WHO) - vaccine introduction toolkit
- from the European Medicine Agency (EMA)
Guidance for individuals:
- How to stay physically active (WHO)
- How to maintain good mental health (WHO)
- Food and nutrition tips during self-quarantine (WHO)
- Advice by consumer groups (European Consumer Organisation - BEUC)
- Beware of falsified medicines from unregistered websites (EMA)
- Guidance and advice for older persons (HelpAge International)
- For informal carers – Eurocarers provides practical support
Guidance for healthcare professionals:
- Infection Prevention and Control guidelines for long-term care facilities (WHO)
- European Union Geriatric Medicine Society and Task Force on COVID-19
Other guidance or recommendations:
- Strengthening the Health Systems Response to COVID-19 (WHO / Europe)
- Preventing and addressing social stigma associated with COVID-19 (WHO)
- European Social & Economic Committee's call for unprecedented solidarity amongst Member States to respond to COVID-19
- Effective and inclusive communication - guidelines from the Framework Institute
COVID-19 and older persons:
- EU Commissioner for Equality (Helena Dalli)'s statement on COVID-19 and Older Persons
- A Defining Moment for Informed, Inclusive and Targeted Response - policy brief by the United Nations Department of Economic & Social Affairs (UN DESA)
- Recomendaciones generales para la atencion a personas mayores desde una perspectiva de derechos humanos (UN CEPAL)
- COVID-19 and the health & well-being of older people: WHO Europe's Press briefing (video)
+ Q&A on COVID-19 for older people (WHO) - Statement by the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS) + EuGMS Task Force on COVID-19
- Coronavirus and older people - Information to low or middle income countries
- Resources and statement from the International Federation of Aging (IFA)
COVID-19 and Human Rights:
- Factsheet (2 April) - COVID-19 and Older Persons by EU Commissioner for Equality
- European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) reports:
- Statement (11 May) - Support to the UN Secretary General's Policy Brief on The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Persons by 146 Member States support the UN Secretary General Policy Brief
- Statement (1 May) - Our response to COVID-19 must respect the rights and dignity of older people and Policy Brief - The Impact of COVID-19 on older people by UN Secretary General
- Statement (20 May) - Lessons to be drawn from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Long-Term Care facilities by Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights
- Council of Europe webpage - The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights and the rule of law
- Database of National Human Rights Institutions' responses to the impact of COVID-19
- Database of National Equality Bodies' responses to the impact of COVID-19
More resources can be found on our dedicated page on COVID-19 and human rights of older people.
Positions of AGE member organisations:
- European Seniors’ Union (ESU) resolution: 'Europe’s Recovery; building the future of fair and resilient societies - including all generations’
- German National Association of Senior Citizens' Organisations - BAGSO : statements on COVID-10 & older persons - on UN Convention on Older Persons' Rights - on progressive release of lockdown measures (in DE) - COVID-19 webpage (Germany) - on the first lessons to be drawn: 'Now more than ever! Improving the living conditions of older persons'
- Confédération Française des Retraités (CFR) - statement on older persons' extended confinement (Fance)
- Fédération internationales des Associations de Personnes Agées (FIAPA): Age et déconfinement (France)
- OLD'UP concerns about COVID-19 exit strategy (France)
- Confederacíon Española De Organizaciones De Mayores (CEOMA) - statement on COVID-10 confinement and older persons' rights (Spain)
- SPF Seniorama - statement on COVID-19 and care for older persons (Sweden)
- Age UK: response to more care home deaths (UK) - Report on COVID-19 and its impact on the human rights of older people
- ZDU response to EU COVID-19 exite strategy (Slovenia)
Civil society statements:
- The Social Platform statement and Responses of the Social Platform's Members
- Disability: the European Disability Forum compiled resources
- Dementia: Alzheimer Europe has information and advice
- Poverty : the European Anti-Poverty Network released a statement
- Racism: the European Network Against Racism hosts online diaries about ongoing concerns from their members
- Gender: the European Women’s Lobby calls on gender equal responses to the crisis and warns of the increased risk of domestic violence during isolation; Women Against Violence Europe has also published a list of Specialist Support Services
- Public health: statement from the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
- Alzheimer: Alzheimer Europe's position on the allocation of scarce medical + press release