After a year of government formation, the MR Seniors reaffirmed their priorities in defending a positive vision of ageing:
- Enabling people to age with dignity
- Preserving independence for as long as possible
- Recognising the role of seniors in society
- Offering greater freedom of choice
And they simultaneously analysed the decisions taken at the various levels of government:
- Support for informal carers (despite the lack of an overall Walloon plan)
- Maintaining limited indexation of pensions
- Extension of flexi-jobs to all sectors
- End of early retirement schemes
- Signing documents via smartphone
- More cameras to strengthen security and creation of an ANPR network
- Reform of social rent
The MR Seniors are also making their voices heard in current debates: mobility, health, pensions, equal opportunities…
They reaffirm the need for accessibility of BPost services, especially in villages.
As part of the hospital reform, the priority is the speed of emergency care and the development of home care and services.
End-of-life care - and all the ethical debates that stem from it - must be approached in a fully humane way, respecting the wishes of the individual, so that the “quality” of end of life becomes a priority.
Discussions on pension reform are ongoing. The MR Seniors remain attentive to the situation of survivor's pension beneficiaries. Our priorities include automating the opening of rights, to avoid often complex administrative procedures during an already difficult period, as well as raising the ceiling on combining a survivor's pension with professional activity. This change would allow surviving spouses who wish to do so to resume or continue working without being penalised, while considerably simplifying administrative procedures.
In addition, following the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations is negotiating an international treaty dedicated to the rights of older persons.
Fundamental rights such as the prohibition of discrimination and ageism, access to healthcare and social protection, the right to dignity, security and autonomy, and the rights to work and social inclusion, will need to be adopted by all members.
This legal gap will take several months to fill.
The MR Seniors are contributing fully to the analyses and proposals that will be incorporated into this convention.
The MR Seniors champion a positive vision of ageing, convinced that the experience, commitment, knowledge-sharing and economic contribution of older people represent a wealth for society as a whole