[:hr]Ombudswoman of Croatia and ENNHRI Chair Lora Vidović presented the main findings of the ENNHRI’s Older Persons Project to several MEPs and representatives of other EU institutions during the event “Towards a UN Convention on the rights of older persons?” at the EU Parliament on 28 September 2016.
Institutions from six countries participated in the 18 month long research on human rights of older persons in the long-term care, which included a review of national legislation and policies and visits to care homes with interviews with older persons and stakeholders. It will result in recommendations to help improve the human rights situation of older persons in or seeking long-term care in Europe.
“During the monitoring, we have identified some practices which could lead to breaches of human rights, for example the freedom of movement, right to privacy and to autonomy, as well as the right to the highest attainable standard of health. I am confident all the stakeholders will respond to our recommendations in their pursuit to improve the human rights situation of older persons in long term care”, said Vidović.
Ombudswoman and ENNHRI Chair noted how the lack of explicit mention of older persons in many treaties could result in under reporting of implementation of those treaties in relation to older persons. There was also a possibility of certain gaps in the human rights protection of older persons in or seeking long-term care. “Even though human rights apply to all, the fact that older persons are not explicitly referred to in the treaties might represent a challenge to their protection, which could be strengthened with a Convention on the Human Rights of Older Persons”, concluded Vidović.
The meeting was organized jointly by ENNHRI and AGE Platform Europe, with the support of the EPP Group of the European Parliament, on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons.
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