Survey in Upper Austria

War, inflation, care: the fears of senior citizens

One issue that worries many older people in society is increasing digitalization and the fear of no longer being able to keep up.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Lsantilli)

A major survey conducted by the Linz-based pollsters IMAS sheds light on the thoughts of Upper Austrians over the age of 60. Another topic: loneliness.

It's about the over-60s generation: most of them grew up in a time when doing without was often still the order of the day. But what worries and fears plague the older generation now?

War in Ukraine, Israel and Lebanon
Opinion researchers at the Linz-based IMAS Institute asked senior citizens which different developments in our society cause them personal concern. The events in the Russian-Ukrainian war or the conflict in Israel and Lebanon certainly have an impact on the mood of older Austrians, as 82 percent of those surveyed (a total of 406 Upper Austrians over 60 took part in the study) are very or at least somewhat worried and are afraid of war.

Cash is safe against cyber attacks and it works always and everywhere. It is also easier to keep an eye on your spending. For senior citizens, cash means freedom, self-determination, privacy and security.

Seniorenbund-Obmann Josef Pühringer, ÖVP

Bild: © Harald Dostal / 2023

Concerns about a lack of nursing staff and economic development
Immigration and the influx of refugees in Europe are just as important, followed ten percentage points behind (72%) by price increases. Senior citizens in the country are also very concerned about the shortage of nursing staff, which is repeatedly addressed by political parties - with varying degrees of success. Economic development in general and medical care in the event of illness in particular are also at the top of the list of concerns for older people in our province.

Senior citizens' representative Pühringer: "Cash means freedom"
The constantly feared abolition of cash and increasing digitalization are further points raised in the survey (see also chart on the right). Senior citizens' association chairman and former governor Josef Pühringer refers to the study and also sees cash as having a social function: "Cash is secure against cyber attacks and it works anytime and anywhere. You can also keep a better eye on your spending. For senior citizens, cash means freedom, self-determination, privacy and security." 

Kommentar

Umfassender Auftrag an die Politik

There is not much difference: like the elderly, the young are also afraid of war, and the horrendous price increases make life a real burden for many. What's more, not everything is running smoothly in the health and care sector either - and people are expressing this clearly, for example in this IMAS survey, which we report on here.

Robert Loy

(Bild: Harald Dostal, Krone KREATIV)

Politicians - whether in Upper Austria or at federal level - would do well to align their actions with the concerns and fears of older people. After all, they used to create what politicians now administer.