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Swiss people only feel old from the age of 80

Swiss people only feel old from the age of 80
Swiss people only feel old from the age of 80 Keystone-SDA

The Swiss perceive ‘old age’ to start at their 80th birthday, which is a more optimistic assessment than in previous decades. In the 1990s the average Swiss person felt the final stage of life started at 69, surveys reveal.

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The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) announced the findings of its latest age perception survey, called Panorama Society Switzerland, on Monday.

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The study revealed that life conditions in the ‘third age’ (65 to 80) are considerably better than in the later ‘fourth age’, when people increasingly experience illness and dependency.

Researchers noted a growing diversity in living and household arrangements after retirement. On the one hand, there are more options, but on the other hand there are also inequalities in terms of financial situation and health.

Despite the generally good situation of the older population, poverty in old age is still present.

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According to the publication, long-term care has also changed against the backdrop of increasing life expectancy and diversity. Institutional care in retirement and nursing homes is declining, while outpatient care, day care, night care and short stays in retirement and nursing homes are on the rise.

In addition to the FSO, the universities of Fribourg and Neuchâtel and the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW) also contributed to the publication.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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