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JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

The WHO states in the document Aktiv Altern:
Rahmenbedingungen und Vorschläge für politisches Handeln
(2002, p. 12) that active ageing is characteristic of individuals as
well as groups of population. “The word active is related to
incessant participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and
civic life. It does not mean only the possibility to stay physically
active or included in the working process” (Aktiv Altern:
Rahmenbedingungen und Vorschläge für politisches Handeln,
2002, p. 12). It is also written in this document that older people
can participate actively in the life of their families, peers,
surroundings and country even though they are not active in the
working process anymore, or they can have some kind of
disability.

I. Tomeš and

L. Bočková (2017, p. 46) say that the Index of

active ageing introduced the new perception of active ageing
into the practice: “Active ageing refers to situations when people
continue with their participation in the labour market and they
are involved in other non-paid activities as well (e.g. providing
healthcare within a family or voluntarism). They live in a
healthy, independent and safe way during the time they get
older”. The mentioned index of active ageing is based on four
attributes:

1.

employment (indicators: the level of employment at the age
of 55 - 59, 60 - 64, 65 - 69 and 70 - 74);

participation in the society (indicators: voluntary activities,
care about children and grandchildren, care about older
adults and political participation);

independent, healthy and safe life (indicators: physical
activities, approach to healthcare, independent life, secure
financial situation, physical safety and lifelong learning);

capacity and favourable environment for active ageing
(indicators: remaining length of life after the age of 55,
length of healthy life after the age of 55, mental well-being,
usage of ICT, social relationships and acquired education)
(Active Ageing Index for 28 European Union Countries,
2014, pp. 14 –

15; Tomeš, Bočková, 2017, pp. 46 – 47).

According to the propagation material Active Ageing compiled
by

A. Račková and R. Ochaba (2012) on the occasion of the

European year of active ageing and solidarity between
generations, this active ageing is based on four principles: active
participation in the labour market and communitarian life, active
work in the household and active spending of leisure time.

J. Hasmanová Marhánková (2013, pp. 18 – 19), inspired with the
work of  K. Boudiny (2012), mentions three approaches to active
ageing. The first, one-dimensional approach is typical of the
social politics of the European states. Active ageing is defined
there in the economic context as the participation of seniors in
the labour market. The second, multidimensional approach
defines several levels of active ageing, including the active
spending of leisure time. Unfortunately, this approach tends to
divide the leisure time into active and passive one and this leads
to the exclusion of certain groups of population from the
category of actively ageing people (e.g. groups with
unfavourable health condition). The third approach does not look
at active ageing only from the point of view of activity and
behaviour of people. It perceives the active ageing as “a life
situation that enables people to stay self-dependent, providing
them satisfactory conditions for the personal development.
However, this conception makes active ageing impossible /
unreachable for those who are already dependent on other people
due to their worsened health condition” (in: Hasmanová
Marhánková, 2013, p. 19).

Participation in social life is one of those three principles of
active ageing mentioned in the definition by WHO. This
participation is divided in three following areas:

1)

Offer of educational and formational possibilities in every
age (basic education and minimal knowledge in healthcare,
lifelong education in different areas, such as ICT, new
agricultural techniques, etc.);

Active participation of older people in the economic
development by means of formal and informal work
relationships and non-paid work according to their needs,
preferences and abilities (fight with the poverty and
possibilities to earn money, formal and informal work,
non-paid activity);

Full participation of older people in family and
communitarian life (transport, involvement of older people
in planning, realization and evaluation of healthcare,
recreational and social programmes; society for all age
groups; real and positive view at the process of ageing;
supporting of the access of women to all possibilities of
active participation; organizations for protecting the rights
and interests of older people) (Aktiv Altern:
Rahmenbedingungen und Vorschläge für politisches
Handeln, 2002, pp. 51 – 52).

Referring to below mentioned authors, J. Hasmanová
Marhánková (2010) says that this activity gradually gets the
character of the so called ”universal good”. This concept is
based on the gerontological works which present the advantages
of active lifestyle in the old age (Katz, S., 2000). On the other
hand, this connection of activity with the life in the old age is in
opposition to the traditional perceiving of the old age
characterized with the decrease of physical and psychical
functions or passivity (Hazan, 1994; Katz, 1996). The author
agrees with the opinion of M. Andrews (1999) that “positive
images of ageing often blend with the images of the productive
age or youth and all specific features of the old age are ignored”
(in: Hasmanová Marhánková, 2010, p. 216). For this reason, it is
indispensable to understand the concept of activity in the senior
age in a correct way when we compare it to the activity in the
pre-productive and productive age.

Several factors influence active ageing. The WHO divides them
in the following way:

1/ health condition and social care (supporting of health,
prevention of illnesses, nursing care, long-term care, care about
mental health),
2/ influence of behaviour (smoking, physical activity, healthy
diet, care about the oral cavity and teeth, alcohol, medicaments,
iatrogenia, consistent observance of the therapy),
3/ personal factors

(biological and genetic factors,

psychological factors - e.g. intelligence and cognitive abilities),
4/ surroundings (safety of surroundings - e.g. wheelchair access,
safety at home, risk of falls, clear water and air, safe food),
5/ social factors (access to social help and care, protection
against violence and exploiting, possibilities of further
education),
6/ economic factors (income, work, social insurance),
whereas culture and gender are perceived as universal factors
(Aktiv Altern: Rahmenbedingungen und Vorschläge für
politisches Handeln, 2002, pp. 19 – 32).

Based on our experience and quoted literature in our study, we
would like to say that, in general, active ageing (as an integrated
unit formed of two key words: active and ageing) represents a
conscious or unconscious process occurring during all the life
(or only in a certain phase) which influences all (or only
selected) personal features and human body (i.e. physical,
psychical, social and spiritual aspects). This process is accepted
or not accepted by the ageing person and its basis consists of
exclusively voluntary or involuntary human activity (not
passivity). This point of view takes into consideration all
possibilities and limitations of the given person. On the other
hand, active old age (as an integrated unit formed of two key
words: active and old age) represents a conscious or
unconscious period of life which is accepted or not accepted by
the senior. The basis of this life period lies in exclusively

voluntary or involuntary human activity (not passivity) that
respects the possibilities and limitations of the senior (Határ,
2018).

Z. Bútorová et al. (2013b, p. 13) mention the creation of three
important documents in Slovakia in the year 2013 that support

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