Life expectancy in Europe is growing and so are the needs at the various stages of old age. This confronts us with major challenges not only our medical and care systems have to meet, but also our overall social life is changing. What is important is to distribute responsibilities on several shoulders and not leave people alone. In particular in old age, when costs of medical and care services threaten to become too high for individuals to cope with, we need a joint effort of solidarity to grant aging with dignity.  It is equally important to let the elderly participate in social life, a challenge for society as a whole, and accessibility in all sectors is an essential prerequisite. At the same time, personal responsibility has to be strengthened, as the key factor for active aging is individual health awareness. All seniors want to stay healthy and keep their mobility so they can enjoy retirement. This means to always pay attention to one’s physical, mental and social needs, which is the cornerstone of active aging in good health.

As all European countries are faced with these tremendous tasks, this international symposium "The Future of Aging" can provide invigorating new impulses for meeting the challenges of an aging society.

Mag.a Sonja Wehsely
City Councillor for Health and Social Affairs