Welfare Reform on the Web (December 2009): Care of the elderly - overseas

Empirical research on health, ageing and retirement in Europe

Journal of European Social Policy, vol. 19, 2009, p. 293-386

SHARE, the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, provides longitudinal data on the life circumstances of some 45,000 individuals aged 50 and over in 14 European countries. SHARE constitutes a unique data infrastructure for researchers from various disciplines to better understand the individual and population ageing process. The five studies in this special issue show that the multidisciplinary, longitudinal and cross-national comparative data of SHARE permit a much better understanding of ageing and retirement in Europe than was possible before. The articles examine:

1. the impact of educational level on changes in health among elders
2. links between social engagement and psychological well-being
3. ways in which older people are socially connected
4. the role of pension and social security institutions in shaping European patterns of work and retirement
5. income and wealth distributions among older people in contemporary Europe.