Active Ageing for The Elderly : A Study of Elderly Associations in Taiwan

[[abstract]]台灣已經邁入高齡化社會，其老年人口仍持續快速上升。所謂「家有一寶，如有一老」的觀念漸漸式微，並對老或老化保持著負向態度。近年來，開始有學者想要賦予「老化」一個正向的意義。在1999年國際老人年時，WHO提出「活躍老化」並開始不斷的推廣，希望使個人在老化的過程中，除生理、心理是健康外，其更能積極參與社會活動。而先前研究發現，社會大眾對於老人之態度與老人對於自我之觀感上是有落差。許多高齡者其對於本身都抱持著較為正向態度，他們不是成天閒閒無事做的人，甚至有許多由老人自己組成之團體，替自己的福利努力。而台灣老人自組團體也是不斷增加之中，引發本研究的興趣想要探討：這些活躍參與社會活動之高齡者，他們活躍老化之傾向是如何？是否有感受到社會對於老人的看法？以及他們對於老人與自我之觀感又是如何? 因此，本研究以台灣地區老人會之高齡者為研究對象，共訪到十三位六十五歲以上之受訪者。研究發現受訪者感受到社會大眾對於老人的態度正負面皆有之；高齡者對於「老」卻是保持著較正向的態度，反而認為自己是人老心不老。而其活躍老化傾向的圖像可以分為：在生理上的獨立性；獨立不依賴的心態、對生活有高度滿意；在社會參與上，會主動參與活動，無私的服務老人、積極參與社會團體、參與公民事務；想法上對未來有具體的藍圖。 期望以這份研究來讓社會大眾瞭解，高齡者在晚年的生活中，仍然過著相當積極、活躍的生活，朝著自己的理想前進。「老」只是人生中最後一個階段，但並非代表著就是沒落，鼓勵更多的高齡者參與社會應是可以期待的目標。[[abstract]]Taiwan has become an aging society. The population of elderly increased rapidly in the past decades. It is a traditional value that the elderly people are treasures for the family, but this conception is diminishing. Since the general public have hold negative attitude for ‘old’ or ‘ageing’, many scholars would like to restore a positive term to describe ‘ageing’ in the most recent studies. The year of 1999 was advocated as the Year of Older People, when the idea of active ageing has been brought up. WHO defines active ageing as a expectation of people in healthy physical and mental conditions, and, more important, in active participation of social activities. In the previous study we have found a radical difference between the general public's attitude towards the elderly and the self-perception of the elderly. Many elderly people recognized themselves more positive and argue that they are not nothings to do for all the day. Furthermore, many elderly people devote to form organizations and to fight for their own welfare in specific and the elderly welfare in general. The organizations formed by the elderly in Taiwan are continuing to increase that induces our interesting to know: first, whether the elderly who actively participate in social activities recognize the negative feeling from the general public? Second, what are their self-perception as old people? And third, do they have a tendency of active ageing for them? This study is focusing on the members of the elderly associations in Taiwan, visiting and interviewing a total of 13 respondents over the age of 65 years old. We find that the respondents feel the general public’s attitude towards the elderly both of positive and negative, while the elderly themselves still hold more positive attitude, such as ‘be old in age, but young in mind’. And the overall picture about the tendency of active ageing for the Taiwanese elderly includes: first, physical health; second, mentally independence with high living satisfaction; third, participation in social activities and serving the other elderly without selfishness; and, finally, a clear blueprint about future. The old age is the last stage of human life, but it does not mean a declining end. Social participation should be encouraged for the elderly.[[note]]碩