Country Report - Spain

TRANSAGE Report Summery
SITUATION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN CASTILE AND LEON (RETIRED)
An approach from the region of Castile and Leon, Spain
1. Demographic characteristics of the region
The Region of Castile and Leon is comprised of
nine provinces, with an area of 94.2 thousand
square km (18% of the Spanish territory). It is the
largest region of Spain with a population of 2.563
million people with a density of 27.5 inhabitants
per square km.
In the decades of the 60s, 70s and 80s there was
a strong migration from the countryside to the
cities looking for work in industry and services, so
that the population is concentrated in provincial
capitals and cities of the county seat. The rest of
the territory is practically deserted and it is
becoming an aging population. More than 1500
municipalities have a lower population than 500
inhabitants each.
Based on a brief analysis of the data, we see that
in our community, of all 2248 municipalities, 1982,
has less than 1,000 inhabitants, which represents 88% of all municipalities.
There is only one city with over 50,000 inhabitants. In this sense the population
is predominantly rural.
Another characteristic of our population is the condition of the elderly. In fact, the
rural population of the region itself concentrates high levels of older people.
If we consider the population data distributed by age according to the following
table exposed (in January 2009), we see that more than 400,000 people are
over 60 years old in the region, representing almost 30% of the total.
Total rural population:
People more than
years old
%
1474780
60
438.713
29,7476912
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exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.
2. Social characteristics of the region
In the decades of the '80s and '90s, (with the entry into the EEC) there is an
economic improvement and an increase in the college students. There is a delay
in the formation of married couples, so there is a drastic drop in the birth rate.
These facts, among others are reason that we currently have a population with a
high rate of older people (retirees).
The region can be characterized as a depopulated rural area, with only older
people. In this sense, younger people tend to seek personal and professional
development in areas closest to the largest populations in the region. This
feature makes it necessary to develop new ways to care for the elderly.
3. The economics of the region
The economic characteristics of this region are based on three areas:
o The industry
o The food
o Cultural tourism
¾ Industry
It has been developed mainly in two provinces, Valladolid and Burgos.
In Valladolid the car factories Iveco (formerly Pegasus), FASA Renault and
FASA in Villamuriel (Palencia) represents the most heavy industry.
In Burgos there is a more established industrial base. The city of Burgos is
situated on the axis of communication between Portugal and France on one side
and between Madrid and northern Spain on the other, in addition to its proximity
to the Basque country; it becomes an industrial emergency centre from the 70s
in Spain.
¾ The food
We can emphasize on:
Beef cattle in mountainous areas, pigs in the province of Segovia and
Salamanca, and poultry in the province of Valladolid;
The wine area with multiple designations of origin, such as Ribera del Duero,
Cigales, Wheel, Tierra de Medina, Toro, El Bierzo and Cebreros;
Agriculture is the most distinct region of Bierzo by its microclimate between
mountains, river banks and grains in the flat dry plains.
¾ Cultural tourism
Cultural tourism is predominant in this region of Castile and Leon. It has a great
artistic heritage, both religious and civil, with three capital cities recognized by
UNESCO as world heritage: Salamanca, Avila and Segovia; and the cities of
Leon and Burgos with its Gothic cathedrals of international renown.
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exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.
It also has many Romanesque monuments around the French Way to Santiago
that crosses east to west across the northern part of the Region.
The Castile-Leon region, rich in history specifically tied to the political activity of
Spain of the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, boasts among its variety of
monuments of universal wealth. That makes the tourism in the area performed
by people who seek to establish links with those times.
4. Legal framework and conditions for retired
The Legal Framework in Spain for retirees collects benefits by the government
(state), both economic and health.
Every worker is required to contribute along with the company a fee to INPSS
depending on the income, gaining the right to a pension paid from age 65,
according to their contribution base with at least 15 years quoted. You can also
retire after 60 years with a reduction in pay for each year until age 65, and at any
age with a work disability percentage, paid by the degree of disability.
All workers are covered with health
care, paying 40% of the cost of drugs,
but retirees have access to free
medicines.
Although the conditions of life of
retirees may change in coming years,
the fact is that so far reached the
standard of living for older people in
Spain and in the region of CastileLeon, has been significant since Spain
joined the European Union.
5. Situation of the elderly people in the region
5.1. Statistics
In late 2009, Spain has 7 826.416 pensioners monthly receiving an average of
850 Euros in the case of contributory pensions, and somewhat less in the case
of other kinds of pensions.
5.2. Analysis of new opportunities for development activities
In this community exists a wide program of activities, but we observe in the study
done, that almost all are aimed at people valid, which can participate freely as
there are places available. It is necessary to promote activities for older
DEPENDENT people with lack of economic resources. They can’t access to a
private residence and the few public residential places are not enough. The
waiting list is too long and the administrative procedures are lengthy.
5.3. Development of activities
There are several programs of activities for elderly people:
El presente proyecto ha sido financiado con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea. Esta publicación es responsabilidad
exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.
• Active training sponsored by the Public Administration of the Region, both at
the Autonomous Community and municipalities.
¾ Through the Civic Centre. They are the centres of public character,
coordinated by technical staff, focused on developing services,
designed to allow users of different ages to develop activities advised
by qualified personnel. These activities include some as Classrooms
duties, workshops focused on diverse topics as music, dance, theatre,
etc... In this sense, the activities for the elderly in community centres
enjoy a special consideration: Education workshops memory, Dance,
Yoga, Gymnastics, etc...
¾ Universities: Private and Public. Activity that intends to make the
elderly people to learn. In this sense private centres, as Progesti@
offer activities in areas of personal development and training
throughout the life.
¾ Adult Education Collective (CEPA). Adult Education Schools are
permanently filled and the level of demand is increasingly high.
• Thematic courses on partnerships
There are many groups of citizens who, under the name of various
associations organise several training courses and focus on specific
topics that are often funded from the government, such as art
workshops, crafts, languages, etc.
• Sport-gym-pool
Municipal Sports Foundation has developed a great deal of work
aimed to enable older people conducting daily exercise and sporting
activities. These activities are in high demand from the general
population and the organization of activities of this kind is increasing.
• Active Aging
¾
¾
Leisure and healthy lifestyles
ƒ Special holiday programs for the elderly.
Both by the
IMSERSO, and from the government of Castile and Leon.
The tourist trips for seniors, especially during winter or
autumn, have been a special attraction for this group, which
had not considered among its chances a tourist offer.
ƒ Day Centres for older people. Although its implementation
is relatively recent in the region, especially in rural areas,
the fact is that the demand is increasing. The care centres
for elderly people with a varied level of supply of services,
aims to offer the opportunity to engage in other activities the
user.
Culture and education
•
A wide range of socio / cultural participation of elderly
people. This is certainly a reality that is reflected more in
urban than rural areas.
El presente proyecto ha sido financiado con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea. Esta publicación es responsabilidad
exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.
•
¾
Courses and occupational activities for older people development of centres such as Progesti@, the University
of Experience, etc. They are developed especially in the
recent 10 years and promote a whole range of training and
educational activities, as well as playful entertainment
alternative that has come to cover a new field of needs in
the region. In this regard, it should be noted that in recent
years we can find many retired people with training levels
much higher than the average in Spain until the late 80s.
For this reason, the wide range of education in these
centres responds to a huge need.
Participation and solidarity
ƒ Volunteering and associations. The ongoing effort of the
local authority and regional levels among older people
enhance their own status as citizens to enable selforganizing themselves in associations of participation in
different areas and develop activities in the form of voluntary
work.
ƒ Ecological gardens. Project of training and recreational
activities for seniors, funded by the City Council and
organized by INEA Valladolid. It should provide an option
for recreation, leisure, human relationships, work,
relationship with nature, and learning from older people who
meet the requirements for access to these gardens.
6. FOLKLORE
Spain is a multicultural country, with large differences between the communities
by the variety of climate, natural resources of each region and the influence of
other cultures that lived together in the centuries.
So we can talk about different musical instruments typical of each region and its
most representative dances.
The Community of Castile and Leon is currently composed of nine provinces
(Leon, Zamora, Salamanca, Valladolid, Palencia, Burgos, Soria, Segovia and
Avila), whose historical process has remained within a linguistic unit.
Traditional music is composed of those tunes that accompany the individual and
collective singing, as well as the melodies, performed by vocal or instrumental
support, used for dances. We must not forget all the words spoken, with long or
short duration (short stories, tongue twisters, toasts, etc.) using a chant or
recitative melodic formula to support the expressiveness of the text. The study
of this art - Ethnomusicology devotes the attention.
More important than the collection of material is the commitment by some
musicologists to unravel the task of analyzing the characteristics of the
traditional repertoire musician. In that sense the works of Miguel Manzano
El presente proyecto ha sido financiado con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea. Esta publicación es responsabilidad
exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.
(Songbook) and Miguel Angel Palacios (Introduction)
have cleared the way for future researchers.
Castile’s typical instrument: The Dulzaina.
7. GASTRONOMY
Gastronomy is the cultural expression of a people at the table. On the tablecloth
food draws the full potential of a territory that culminates in the kitchens of
restaurants, having remained unchanged in the dietary habits of its inhabitants
for centuries.
The cuisine of Castile and Leon nowadays
coexist in equal parts, between the traditional
recipe, which keeps intact their dishes and
ingredients, and the newly designed kitchen
that prevails in most European restaurants.
Due to the large geographical area and,
crucially, the landscape and cultural diversity of
the region, the popular recipe is very abundant
and extremely varied.
It is common to find in the villages of the region bakery foods and dishes
holidays over 300 years old, remaining unchanged its presentation and most of
the ingredients. This is a feature that characterizes the strength of the kitchen in
Castile and Leon.
Log in regional cuisine is to discover one of the deals in pork and sausages, and
enjoy a wine of great tradition land.
Our cuisine is based on three main pillars: the raw materials, the origins and the
territorial factor.
El presente proyecto ha sido financiado con el apoyo de la Comisión Europea. Esta publicación es responsabilidad
exclusiva de su autor. La Comisión no es responsable del uso que pueda hacerse de la información aquí difundida.