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Description
Being socially connected is a universal need and a fundamental human right, but a considerable number of older people are socially excluded. Older people have an increased risk for social exclusion due to the accumulation of factors associated with age, such as poor health, loss of relatives and friends, and lower physical and social activities. Social exclusion is not only unwanted in its own right, but also because of the disruptive consequences for mental and physical health, leading to substantial social, economic and health expenditures for societies. Some people, such as older women and Roma, are especially vulnerable and have a doubled or even tripled (Roma) risk for social exclusion.
The overall aim of the project is twofold. 1) Enhancing research-based knowledge on the multidimensional nature of old age social exclusion and its consequences for mental and physical health of older adults and 2) Identifying social policy implications that take into account the national context and identifying strategies for creating conditions that minimize social exclusion of disadvantaged groups. Actions to minimize social exclusion are crucial in addressing the health needs of all, and the health needs of marginalised groups in particular.
We employ a conceptual framework consisting of five domains of social exclusion (social relations, material and financial resources, services, neighbourhood and community and the civic society), and three levels of influence (micro meso macro), allowing thus to explore the multidimensional nature of social exclusion and contributing to state of the art theory in the field.
We aim to describe and explain levels of social exclusion in later life, to assess the multidimensional nature of social exclusion, to understand the associations between old age social exclusion and health inequalities in older adults, and to identify which social groups, in addition to women and Roma.