The Essence of Successful Aging: Life Quality and Well-being

By Dr Martin Zsarnoczky

Martin Zsarnoczky’s newest research is dealing with an extremely current and exciting topic. The Essences of a Successful Old Age, Life Quality and Well-Being is a book which fits into the trend that western science shows great interest in regarding the problems of ageing societies.

The author is continuing his previous researches when he is examining the status of the ageing society of the Hungarian city in Nagykanizsa. The analysis of the historic effects of achieving a middle-class status and comparing it to the present is exciting, see hypotheses. Before Martin Zsarnoczky delves into a detailed account of his research results, we are getting a nuanced picture of the old age politics of the UN and EU with the help of an international outlook. We get a picture of the tendencies happening today regarding economic life and specifically tourism, within this topic. We can read an analysis of the domestic situation and its dynamic changes. The research methodology is complex and nuanced, therefore the results coming from it are entirely relevant and new.

The book makes itself appealing with a smooth style, ambitious vocabulary next to its scientific value. I am recommending it to everyone interested in this topic.

Dr h.c. Péter Szabó

Rector & President

Kodolányi János University

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr Martin Zsarnoczky PhD
• Release date: May 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781777213008

Book preview

PUBLISHER

INTRODUCTION

The cohesion policy of the European Union emphasizes the improvement of the well-being and quality of life of the citizens of Europe. Such an approach prioritises solidarity based upon European values facilitating equal access to well-being and appropriate quality of life. One such measure to promote solidarity is the accessibility concept re-phrased and reconsidered in 2015. The new accessibility perspective determines complex strategic objectives according to which senior citizens are considered subjects of accessibility programs.

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Demographic predictions confirm the overall ageing of Europe, and senior citizens are expected to become a dominant social segment. Presently primarily due to the respective unique cultural traditions and contexts, member states show a differing attitude toward the increasing social role of the elderly. A uniform accessibility concept would be beneficial for well-being and the quality of life for society as a whole.

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The ageing of the citizens of the European Union leads to several challenges in the field of well-being and the quality of life. While the various stakeholders represent different interests and can provide varying answers to such challenges, the care of the elderly is a major responsibility for all member states. Although the intergenerational dialogue can be seen as a positive aspect of social responsibility, the emerging communication process can be influenced by several environmental factors.

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Said criteria entail the external and internal factors related to ageing along with the identification of a successful healthy ageing process during the biological ageing of the human body while counteracting the existing stereotypes. The components of this process are an active lifestyle, vitality, success, happiness, emotional and physical well-being, and the optimal quality of life. Our work focuses on such elderly groups living in Hungary, whose activity and quality of life is significantly high.

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The results of the Hungarian senior citizen groups can highlight what factors and individual impressions can contribute to a higher level of well-being and life quality. Said findings can serve as an example or a model to follow for other elderly groups at home and abroad.

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THE NEW ERA OF AGEING

It can be hardly disputed that social changes result in new challenges. The organisations of the European Union are continuously monitoring the given social changes and attempt to provide specific answers to the resulting challenges. The expansion of the accessibility concept goes beyond the physically perceptible attributes of a given disabled group and the changed directives and definitions reflect a variety of approaches. The respective new modern perspective had a major impact on research into well-being and life quality.

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Research efforts focusing on complex societal processes suggest that in addition to the given environment and related areas, mental accessibility is a legitimate scholarly topic as well. The number of groups and individuals impacted by the concept of accessibility is growing worldwide. An ageing population not only represents a huge challenge for all society but at the same time, it could be a great economic opportunity for the future. Large multinational industrial companies have reached a point in the technology contest where great opportunities are ready to serve the IT industries’ future purposes. The evolution of the IT industry is challenging the tipping point where both economic and social problems need to be resolved. The future is here with us today when we can start creating a new lifestyle for the elderly.

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Nowadays, the world faced with a new form of demographic changes. The ageing tendencies have different perceptions worldwide. In Japan, the robotic revolution is considered as the only possible solution; meanwhile, in the Anglo-Saxon regions of the western hemisphere – in the USA, Australia and New Zealand -, silver economy is planned to be narrowed down to designated and easily controllable zones and city parts.

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In this aspect, the European Union has a clear and different vision of the possible solution, in line with the historic principles of solidarity. Based on the fundamentals of social and economic cohesion and by linking generations together, the EU aims to introduce the latest results of gerontology research and innovation technology into the daily life of the elderly.

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Figure 1. Top Ten Ageing Countries 2015-2030.

Blue coloured the member states of the European Union

(Source: own edition, https://data.oecd.org)

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The ageing trend is at the same time a great challenge and a huge possibility for the people of the European continent. Based on the analysis of various research results, experts of the European Union has started to develop new programmes that aim to offer new solutions and alternatives for those who are willing to participate in the programmes. The three main programmes: Active and Assistant Living Programme (AAL), Horizon 2020 and European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP AHA) brought together market operators, high-level business representatives and experts of the non-profit sector to work together and to get to know each other’s demands better. Since 2015 the European Union has assigned priority to the accessibility action plan and also prioritised within the concept of the seniors’ economic role (European Commission 2015a).

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Figure 2. EU population forecast by age and sex (2010, 2060)

Source: European Parliamentary Research Service (http://epthinktank.eu)

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In European society, similar to a global phenomenon, the percentage of the elderly is expected to show a dynamic and continuous increase and especially that of women in Figure 2. It is noteworthy that participation in the senior citizen economy is not precisely determined by age, but economic importance and role. The silver economy could be an area of growth. It is evident that if this new economic model is based on technology, as we see today, it will play an important role in our future. As shown in Figure 3 the current definition of the silver economy applies to those individuals over age 50 who are considered to have a stable purchasing power and form a separate or independent consumer segment in the total spectrum of the national economy.

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Figure 3. The main segments of the European Silver Economy

Source: Zsarnóczky 2016a

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According to our previous research, the main segments of the European silver economy are Media, Fashion industry, Health care services, Homecare, Real estate, Adult education, Tourism, Senior citizen home care, individual care, Health preservation services, Finance, insurance, Beauty industry, Transport, Culture, recreation, Information technology, Home delivery, Robotics, Architecture, Design, Public transport, services offered by the local markets.

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It is interesting to discover that in the western societies the members of the silver economy category not only include people living on retirement, but those who can realize income from special allowances, capital return, and early retirement plans.

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Actors that wish to fulfil the new market niche had already started experimental projects within the frameworks of the so-called Living Lab programme that aims to assess senior consumers’ demands under controlled circumstances and develop the best solutions and services for them. Among EU countries, one of the most advanced projects are in Lãnsi-Suomi, Finland, but new innovative experimental projects can also be found in Hungary; e.g. Matra Resort in Parádsasvár, where privately financed new innovative experimental projects targeting senior people are at the beginning of their implementation phase.

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Photo 1. Prizztech study tour focusing on the latest eHealth solutions in Finland. Source: own picture

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The European silver economy is a niche economic segment in which consumer habits and preferences can differ and the respective members have unique motivations related to the given objectives. The available income can significantly impact life quality and well-being, while the product and service-related costs can limit the specific selection options.

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Consequently, customer habits or customer preferences do not always imply the actual selection as the purchase decision depends on several factors. Such decisions can be impacted by the potential buyer’s life quality, well-being, experiences, cultural customs, and value systems. Such a complex decision-making process takes the number of goods, income and prices related to useful products into consideration. The economic role of senior citizens entails the total economic activity, the related products, services, and needs and the respective spending (Zsarnoczky 2016b).

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Naturally, in addition to their economic role senior citizen groups can be defined or described in other ways. Generally, in the social dimensions of the silver economy concept, the decision-makers of many industries, especially in their marketing, do not put enough emphasis on facilitating services that would target the specific demands of the 50+ age group. Although – as the circulating economic crisis had shown – the only population group with a stable and sufficient purchasing power are the senior citizens within the European Union. Representing a strong buyers’ market, the elderly cannot be considered as a homogenous group. Senior citizens are different in many ways.

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Figure 4. Population developments, by age class, EU-28 2001-2050 (Million inhabitants)

Source: Eurostat Ageing Report 2019 Edition