Age-Inclusive Healthcare Sustainability: Romania’s Regulatory and Initiatives Landscape in the European Union Context

Abstract

Sustainable healthcare is “healthcare that is economical and has a positive impact on society”. Considering the definition of sustainable healthcare and the increase in life expectancy, the healthcare system is expected to face an increase in presentations addressed to healthcare facilities of older persons with multiple chronic diseases. Age-friendly environments support active living of older persons and healthcare support in their home. Our goal was to assess how the regulatory landscape undertaken in Romania and the ongoing research project initiatives with Romanian partners reflect the concept of age-friendly environments. Romania had a poor overall active aging index (rank 26/28) and a decrease in life expectancy by 1.4 years in 2020, with a high gender gap of 8 years in favor of women. Key findings highlight the integration of EU principles into Romania’s policies, which emphasize inclusivity, non-discrimination, and active aging. Romania’s involvement in European collaborative initiatives is primarily through private associations, lacking representation from governmental structures. National focus in Romania has been on social services for the elderly. The partners in ongoing research projects range from enterprises to universities and research institutes. The majority of ongoing research focuses on assistive technology solutions. The findings underscore the importance of national, regional, and local attention to the environmental and societal aspects of age-friendly initiatives, alongside promoting technology acceptance and adoption.