Aging with dignity is possible

In Catalonia, by 2025, 20% of the population will be over 65 years old. According to the latest projections from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia, the population aged 65 and over in Catalan municipalities will increase by 94% between 2024 and 2034. Therefore, not only will there be more population, but it will also be older, with a trend towards aging in 9 out of 10 municipalities. Aging is one of the collective challenges that today's societies must face.

With the aim of responding to this challenge, the ARA (Argentine National Association of Associations), in collaboration with the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation, organized the event "Aging as a Dignified and Active Stage of Life." The debate, held on September 17 at the La Pedrera Auditorium, began with a presentation by Xevi Verdaguer, a psychoneuroimmunologist, nutritionist, and science communicator, who focused on the quality of life during aging.

Journalist Albert Om then moderated a roundtable discussion with Juan Manuel Pérez-Castejón, head of the Geriatrics Department at Hospital Clínic; Marta Torras, director of Dignified Aging at the Catalonia La Pedrera Foundation; and Josep Maria Argimon Pallàs, director of Healthcare Relations at the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. They reflected on the social, medical, and human challenges of aging with dignity.

In his speech, Xevi Verdaguer, who preferred to talk about longevity rather than aging, focused on the health parameters that must be taken into account to improve our standard of living. Diet, exercise, and rest are the pillars that make the difference: "Age is a risk factor, but it's not what makes us older. Gene expression can be changed based on our lifestyle. Everything is modifiable."

We can decide how we want to age

"Aging is inevitable, whether we like it or not. The important thing is to age gracefully," asserted Josep Maria Argimon Pallàs. To achieve this, he recommended starting early by staying cognitively and physically active, with a healthy and socializing diet, because "loneliness is a risk factor, since the social aspect of life is as important, if not more important, than health, to live a dignified life." He also advocated for relearning to respect and involve older people: "We older people can contribute many things," he said.

Since 2013, the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation has promoted the Memory Reinforcement Program for people in the early stages of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. These programs include activities that promote a healthy lifestyle and a series of cognitive and physical practices that help maintain abilities and time. "The program represents a change in the lives of those who participate, who go from being afraid to actively working for their health, improving both their mood and that of their families," commented Marta Torras. She proposed a change in society's attitude toward the elderly: "The basis for dignified aging is giving them their rightful place so they can lead an active life and be integrated into society."

Along the same lines, and based on the assertion that the concept of old age is evolving, Juan Manuel Pérez-Castejón explained that in order to age gracefully, it is essential that older people have spaces for participation, can contribute their experiences, and be heard: "The older adult community has much more power." When it came to addressing the flow of people with dementia through the healthcare system, Pérez-Castejón recalled that the system is made up of everyone: users and professionals alike, who also have the capacity to try to promote change. However, above all, it is necessary to design friendlier, more inclusive, equitable, and more careful itineraries for when a person enters the healthcare system.

The conversation ended by imagining where we will be in 10 years, and all participants agreed that, given that society is always improving, we will have improved. And while AI can bring dangers, "if we're smart as a society and use it well, it can be useful," Torras concluded.