THE PRACTICE OF CARING FOR THE ELDERLY POPULATION AND PEOPLE WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Abstract

The purpose of the review is to analyze the practices of caring for the elderly population and people with cognitive impairments in the focus of the XXI century among the peoples of different countries. Materials and methods. Using the method of scientometric analysis, 20 articles from WoS and Scopus on historical anthropology, demography, and social security were studied. The information is synthesized and taken in accordance with the purpose of the study. Results. Learning the transformation in the practices of caring for the elderly population and people with cognitive impairments is a relevant interdisciplinary direction in anthropology. The relevance of the topic is emphasized by current demographic changes, the evolution of cultural values and modernization of care systems for the older generation. The data obtained show the evolution of society in relation to the elderly population with possible mental disorders. The selected models of care contribute to understanding the trends in the development of the society. For Europe, significant partners as a source of care in old age and the existence of “Money for care” and “Kind care” schemes, organized individual and family consultations by phone or ad hoc. In Canadian society, according to existing government programs, the emphasis in palliative care is placed on long-term care homes. Assistance in Africa is becoming a collective responsibility of family members, with frequent use of biomedical and non-medical methods of treatment. The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are characterized by a fragmented system of facilitation and assistance to older people. Conclusions. The author notes social isolation of the older generation and the state unpredictability of using the knowledge resource as intellectual capital in the economy. At the same time, there is a timely response of the UN to the ongoing demographic processes and promotion of the WHO program to create the concept of a “city favorable for older people”. Properly organized guardianship will help the elderly to maintain self-esteem. The demographic and economic processes taking place in the historical moment are changing the attitude of society to this problem. The author expects that a positive orientation of caring for the elderly population and people with cognitive impairments observed in the XXI century will not change its course. The information provided in this article is useful for specialists working in the field of history, sociology, healthcare, guardianship, etc., as well as in the framework of improving information support in the specialty 5.6.4. Ethnology, anthropology and ethnography.