Romania faces the challenge of an ageing population

Ageing has become a global challenge. This is what studies have shown, warning that the increasing number of old people threatens the social security, pensions and health systems.

România Internațional, 03.12.2014, 14:21

Ageing has become a global challenge. This is what studies have shown, warning that the increasing number of old people threatens the social security, pensions and health systems, in both developed and developing countries. It is the young people whose number is constantly decreasing, that will have to support the elderly. According to the EU’s Statistical office Eurostat, in the next few decades over, one third of Europe’s population will be aged over 60.

There is a similar tendency in Romania, where the ageing pace of the population will increase at the same time with the number of newborn going down and life expectancy going up. This is the conclusion of a report entitled “Romania is growing old — challenges and solutions”, made public recently by the Romanian Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Over 16% of Romania’s population is aged over 65, according to a 2011 census and by 2050 their number is expected to grow even more. The survey conducted by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation tried to discover the reality behind figures and statistics and bring to the surface some real life stories.

Ioana Paunescu is 101 years old and is Romania’s first female electromechanical engineer. She survived two world wars and, at the age of 73, remarried to escape the grip of loneliness:

Ioana Paunescu: “We were both widowers and we decided to form a couple so that we wouldn’t be alone. It’s been 28 years since we got married. We are both the same age, 101. We have had a normal life together. Now it’s more difficult, because my husband has Alzheimer so I must take care of him. He is unable to speak so we can’t discuss anything anymore. It’s hard. I have somebody to help me because I can no longer cook. My arms and legs don’t help me anymore; I cannot keep my balance or walk without support.”

Another category of old people is that supported by other family members. Laura Tudor is 52 and her life changed completely when her mother, aged 89, broe a hip and became bedridden. She couldn’t afford hiring a care aid so every day she struggles to take care of her mother as well as her own family:

Laura Tudor: “It is a very difficult situation which takes a lot of my time, because I also have a job and a family of my own. It’s quite hard to do everything. Luckily, we have two apartments on the same floor and I can take care of two homes at the same time. My husband and I have considered getting some extra help, but we cannot afford it, we don’t have enough money. So I do what I can. I can help my mother physically, that I can do. But she probably needs someone to talk to her more. I have neither the patience nor the time to do it. My mother’s state affects me a lot, because I have to witness a progressive, slow and incurable degeneration process, with a predictable end.”

There are only 131 nursing homes in Romania, which can accommodate 7,152 people. Petru Rotarciuc is aged 63 and lives in a nursing home in the Leorda village, Botosani county. One nurse and two carers are assisting all 70 people there, who are resigned to the situation:

Petru Rotarciuc: “At first I was left without a job. I tried to find a job but my age was a pretext not to be hired. I had no money to pay for my apartment so I ended up on the streets. I lived on the streets for more than a year, until someone with the county council brought me here at the center. It’s much better here than outside, in the rain. I have a roof over my head and I’ll continue to stay here for as long as I live. I was married once but my wife passed away and I know nothing of my three children since they left home. I looked for them but never found them. I miss them. I don’t need anything from them, just to see them again and have the chance to talk to them. “

The report by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation also includes some positive data: the poverty rate in the case of old people aged over 65, decreased in Romania from 65% in 2007 to 35% in 2013, but it is still twice the EU average, which stands at 18%. Another positive thing was the introduction, in 2009, of a minimum guaranteed pension of 356 lei, with almost half a million beneficiaries, of whom 123,000 are farmers living on the verge of poverty. However, there are serious reasons for concern, says Victoria Stoiciu, program coordinator with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation:

Victoria Stoiciu: ” We continue to have one of the lowest state pensions in the EU and one of the lowest replacement rates, defined as the ratio between the average pension and the average wage. Another reason for concern is the significant polarization within different categories of pensioners. In 2009, 81% of Romania’s pensioners had pensions under 1,000 lei per month. A quarter of pensions are below the monthly consumer basket, which is under 444 lei. 40% of pensions, that is 2 million, are below the subsistence level set in 2014 by the National Statistics Institute, at 587 lei. Another highly vulnerable category is formed by retired farmers, with 98% of them having pensions below the minimum subsistence level.”

The lack of assistance at home, the insufficient number of nursing homes and personnel, the high prices for the sick pensioners who would want to live in such centers, but in the private system, are only some of the aspects defining the living standards of the elderly in Romania.