Definitions of older populations in institutions

15. A basic premise of the work of the Task Force is that populations of older persons living in institutions are usually excluded from statistics gathered via household surveys3. This premise rests on several fundamental assumptions: namely, that the terms ‘older persons’, ‘living’, and ‘institutions’ are well-defined and that they are used uniformly across countries and across surveys within a given country. When these assumptions are examined more closely, however, it becomes apparent that these terms are not, in fact, so clearly defined and applied. In particular the concept of an institution is often defined through omission (i.e. by considering what is not taken to be a private household and covered in household surveys), rather than a positive definition based on a clear set of criteria.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Reduced Inequalities

Partnerships for the Goals