Peculiarities of aging issues in the context of social support for elderly people

The article updates the peculiarities of the problem of aging in the context of social support for elderly people. Therefore, the purpose of the article is the need for timely social prevention of elderly people. Population aging is a topical issue not only in Slovakia, but also in other countries of the European Union and the world. Each country has its own tools of assistance, social services and care for this category of people. Somewhere at a higher level, somewhere, on the contrary, a lower level of provision of social services for people of respectable age. Aging means a new challenge in life, which should not be feared, although it is accompanied by such characteristics as conservatism, limitation, regression, decline, etc. Conversely, if old age comes to a well-prepared person who knows how to deal with it, it becomes a life challenge for him and can be one of the periods that inspires and interests. And therefore approaches to the interpretation of the process of aging and old age should be very positive. According to the author M. Bleg (2013), the aging index in 2060 should reach 220%. The author refers to citizens aged 65 and over as post-productive parts of the population. He assumes that in 2060 the population of post-productive age will reach the largest age group. The scientist predicts that the number of elderly people will increase by 65% more in five decades. Compared to 2011, this growth is 2.5 times. That is, every third person in the Slovak Republic will be at least 65 years old in 2060. The most pronounced load index will be composed of elderly people and thus it will affect the overall load index. Aging and old age are an important stage of the ontogenetic development of an individual and are a natural part of the human life cycle. They are an individual and social phenomenon. Since self-sufficiency decreases with age, an elderly person cannot meet his basic needs by himself, which leads to increased dependence on other people and often to a forced change of life.