Report on the situation of the elderly in the Federal Republic of Germany

The United Nations' World Assembly on Aging takes place in Vienna from 26 July to 6 August 1982. Its aim is to draw world public attention to the expected strong rise in the number of older people throughout the world, especially in the developing countries. Long-term perspectives and programmes for the well-being of the elderly themselves and of the entire population, of which they are only a part, are to be elaborated. All member states of the United Nations have been called on to participate in the preparations for the World Assembly on Aging and in the discussion taking place in this context. They have been asked to submit national reports on the present and on the expected number of older people, on their present and future life-situations, and on the existing systems of social security as well as on specific supportive services. It is the will of the organisers of the World Assembly on Aging that these analyses lead to the elaboration of national and international action programmes for the benefit of the elderly and their social and material environments.

The Federal Ministry of Youth, Family and Health commissioned the German Centre of Gerontology (Deutsches Zentrum für Altersfragen e. V.) with the compilation of this “Report on the Situation of the Elderly in the Federal Republic of Germany". The policy for the elderly and the system of their social security is described in this volume by the ministry itself. An analysis of the problem situations and an attempt at a definition of development trends were made by a working group convened by the German Centre of Gerontology. The working group was assisted by a large number of practitioners and scientists active in the field of care for the elderly and gerontology. Included was the Section of the German Gerontological Society responsible for "Care for and Work with the Elderly". The splitting of the report into two parts gives scope for differing emphases and evaluations and thus mirrors the state of discussion in the Federal Republic of Germany.

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