Social aspects of aging and quality of life of the elderly

Age as a phenomenon attracted the attention of society for a long time. However, even after a large number of studies, exhaustive works and many theories, there is still no consensus on what age is and how exactly the processes that precede it take place. The position of the elderly is influenced by social, economic, and cultural factors in society. Today, the number of old people in Europe is increasing. Modern countries seek to create the conditions for the implementation of comprehensive strategies that target the elderly, their well-being, their health and their quality of life. In Serbia, the aging of the population will significantly reduce the workforce in the coming years. Such a trend can have a negative influence on the economic position of our country. It is, therefore, necessary to introduce programs that will advocate continued education and new policy reforms for the elderly. Quality of life represents the general well-being of an individual or community. Quality of life indicators can be diverse and have different individual significance to different populations. Given the demographic changes that have led to the aging of the population, as well as the longer life expectancy, new measures of social and health policies towards the elderly are mostly focused on raising the quality of life of this population. According to some data, four out of five old people suffer from some chronic illness, while the most common needs of the elderly are related to medical and social support, which can significantly affect the quality of life of the elderly. Demographic factors, socioeconomic and health factors, lifestyle, physical activity, stress and social support should be mentioned as the most important factors in the quality of life of the elderly. Public health policy, based on the analysis of these factors and their impacts, should provide effective strategies and programs in order to raise the quality of life of the elderly.