Demographic statistics are clear: municipalities within the East Planning Region, compared to urban centers like Skopje, are characterized by a higher percentage of elderly population. Population ageing stands as one of the defining demographic realities of the 21st century.
Thanks to the Interreg Europe programme, our region has a unique opportunity to create a proactive approach to this shared European challenge. By embracing the principles of active ageing, we are becoming pioneers in building more resilient, vital, and stronger communities with an enhanced quality of life.
Through the “ACTAge” project, the East Planning Region is exchanging best practices with European partners to translate measures and strategies into a societal transformation from reactive to proactive. This shift is also crucial in combating social isolation, which profoundly impacts the mental and physical health of older adults.
Within the framework of the Project, the Centre for Development of the East Planning Region is joining forces with local and national stakeholders to create an integrated care system for the elderly. Our goal is not a fragmented approach, but a collective, regional solution to these challenges!
In essence, active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.
The best existing example in the region of such a regional response and approach to elderly care is the „Dr. Ivan Vlashki“ Care Home for the Elderly in Berovo. This institution does not operate in isolation for just one municipality; rather, it represents a regional care hub that opens its doors and capacities to older citizens from the entire East Planning Region. The joint efforts of the Centre for Development of the East Planning Region, the Ministry of Local Self-Government, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and the Municipality of Berovo, have already proven that when institutions unite with a common goal to improve conditions for the elderly, the region gains a sustainable model for long-term care and dignified ageing.
However, the real challenge for the future is how to upgrade the existing infrastructure in the region to maximize active and healthy ageing. What can be improved in the future within both institutional and non-institutional care to encourage an active lifestyle? What are the best active ageing models that can be replicated?
The main focus and direct result of the „ACTAge“ project for the East Planning Region is the enhancement of strategic policies in the region through the development of new strategies and measures. By delivering a comprehensive analysis of elderly welfare and related social aspects, as well as developing a new long-term regional development strategy, the project will provide the answers to the questions raised above and pave the way for establishing future active ageing centers in the region.
By planning innovative content within the new strategic documents, the East Planning Region aims to pave a way where facilities like the „Dr. Ivan Vlashki“ Care Home for the Elderly in Berovo and similar future centers will not be just ‘accommodation’, but spaces where ageing is experienced actively and in step with modern times.
Investing in our older fellow citizens is an investment in all of us. With this initiative, we are not only supporting the well-being of a single generation, but we are building a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous society for all residents of the region.
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