KULTUROLOŠKO-POVIJESNI ASPEKTI STARENJA I OBOLIJEVANJA

Abstract

In this work the author analyses cultural and historical aspects of ageing and getting ill with the help of contemporary relevant literature. It is the author's conclusion that none of the theories define the proper way of researching such a complex process of ageing and the ageing individuals' situation. The main purpose of sociologic studies is to help understand the process of ageing and defining social and healthcare policies in every day conditions and thus affecting the attitude of every individual, family and the society itself towards the constantly growing group of elderly ill persons. The understanding of the concept of old age and the ageing process is helpful when it comes to affirmation of those behaviour patterns that are an alternative to the previously one-sided, stigmatized and at times segregation-like attitude pointed at the persons of over 65 years of age. Such politics would be quite helpful for institutionally guided social and health care reforms in order to enable a different quality, in some segments an entirely different approach to the elderly citizens hoping that they would not feel redundant and dispoasable as a part of society as it is the usual case in the difficult conditions of a country in transition. Furthermore, maybe it would be possible to reach the answers to more and more complex and important social, healthcare, Iegal, economic and ethical questions that are: a) actual, b) insufficiently covered, c) lacking an overall and detailed defining in our country and in our language.