Assessment of the living standard of elderly people and their well-being in a changing social environment

   The current scientific article presents the results of assessing the living standard of elderly people, their well-being, livelihoods in conditions of economic instability and changing social space. Global and all-Russian official statistics indicate an increase in the ageing process of the population. Besides, there is a steady growth in the share of pensioners in its structure. In recent years, in the Russian Federation in general and in the Republic of Bashkortostan in particular, there has been a real trend of ageing population, longer life expectancy (73 years), and a greater number of senior citizens in total (28.5 %). Old age is associated with a period of loss and separation from the usual way of life. The assessment found the key problems of this category: deterioration of health, narrowing of the social world, loneliness, low living standard, and financial difficulties. It is identified that the Russian pensioners belong to the main group of the poor, especially the lonely ones. Their poverty is determined by a decline in living standards and material security, rising inflation, and the high cost of medical care along with utilities. It was revealed that for an elderly person, the main income source is a pension, and in-kind income from personal subsidiary farms is an additional one. Despite the generally low level of pensions, a significant part of non-working pensioners provides financial support to their family members at the cost of personal well-being. Therefore, family values dominate in the minds of older people, and many of their needs are realised in the household.

1. Cumming E., Henry W.E. Crowing old, the process of disengagement. New York: Basic Books; 1961. 293 p.

2. Encyclopaedia of social work. Volume 2. Trans. from Eng. Moscow: Centre of Universal Values; 1993. 441 p. (In Russian).

3. Migunova Yu.V., Sadykov R.M., Svinukhova Yu.N., Selivanova S.S., Fajzullin T.F., Fajzullin F.S. et al. Formation of the regional social capital: problems of determining the essence and factors of development: monograph. Ufa: ISER UFIC RAS; 2022. 188 p. (In Russian).

4. Egoryshev S.V., Sadykov R.M., Salimova A.V. Demographic crisis as a threat to the social development of territorial entities. Vestnik VEGU. 2019;2(100):39–48. (In Russian).

5. Frolova E.V., Rogach O.V. Social well-being of Russians in the spring of 2022. Sociological Studies. 2023;5:160–166. (In Russian). doi: 10.31857/S013216250024327-2

6. Pisanko V.A. Pessimistic and optimistic view on the social situation of the elderly in modern Russia. Scientific notes journal of St. Petersburg State Institute of Psychology and Social Work. 2018;1(29):91–96. (In Russian).

7. Sadykov R.M., Bolshakova N.L. Social protection of the municipal population. The periodical scientific and methodological electronic journal “Koncept”. 2018;6:139–146. (In Russian). doi: 10.24422/MCITO.2018.6.14506

8. Gavrikova A.V., Ishmuratova D.F., Migunova Yu.V., Sadykov R.M., Fajzullin F.S., Shagieva L.A. Social stability of the region: diagnostics and problems of development: monograph. Ufa: ISER UFIC RAS; 2017. 188 p. (In Russian).

9. Khamadeeva R.Kh., Bolshakova N.L. The role of social partnership in the modernisation of social service system for senior citizens. Social Policy and Social Partnership. 2020;5:25–30. (In Russian). doi: 10.33920/pol-01-2005-04

10. Kienko T.S. Elderly people and the pandemic: social exclusion, heterogeneity of the gerontogroup and intersectionality of age disparities. Sociological Studies. 2023;2:115–124. (In Russian). doi: 10.31857/S013216250021521-6

11. Sadykov R.M., Bolshakova N.L. Foster family for the elderly and disabled as an innovative technology of social service. Procee dings of the RAS Ufa Scientific Centre. 2023;2:106–111. (In Russian). doi: 10.31040/2222-8349-2023-0-2-106-111