How do old people live in Georgia?

Georgia’s Public Defender believes that the rights of older persons in Georgia “still cannot respond to modern challenges and international approaches.”

Ucha Nanuashvili says the majority of old people do not have access to adequate housing, social services or protection mechanisms, and therefore they are at risk of poverty, homelessness and isolation.

“They are often subjected to violence. The existing state programs do not provide for alternative care services for the elderly and no needs-based programs are being developed,” the Ombudsman said.

The Public Defender's Office monitors the protection of the rights of older people. Last year's parliamentary report focused on the difficult socio-economic conditions and challenges faced by older persons; recommendations were also developed.

To solve the problem, the Public Defender suggested making the process of preparation of state policy documents and an action plan more active.

“The adoption of the State Policy Concept on the Ageing of the Georgian Population by the Parliament of Georgia in 2016 can be considered a step forward. According to the concept, the Government of Georgia was instructed to develop and approve a national action plan for 2016-2018 till August 1, 2016. However, the action plan has not yet been developed,” Nanuashvili says.

The Public Defender believes that the national action plan development process must be completed as soon as possible and the Government must adopt a document which will trrigger engagement of the issue of ageing in different sector policies and programs, as well as proper protection of the rights of older persons.

“We should say no to ageism, which often intercrosses with other forms of discrimination, (discrimination on grounds of gender, disability, ethnicity, etc) by our positive activities,” Nanuashvili says.

The problem is very obvious in Georgia; one can see a large number of elderly men and women asking for help in streets or rummaging in garbage bins.

Pensions offered in Georgia are not enough for elderly people to pay monthly obligations and at the same time eat properly.

There are so many problems in Georgia that need to be settled that the problem of the elderly population is still out of focus.

However, the solving of some issues could play a vital role in settling the problems of the elderly population.

Economic development, for example, will enable the relevant bodies to take steps and launch programmes to make elderly people's lives easier. ease the being of the elderly people. At the present, many elderly people are at risk from starving or freezing to death in the winter.