Ageing and the welfare state: welfare policies and attitudes in the Baltic and Nordic countries

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Baltijos šalys (Baltic states); Šiaurės šalys (Nordic countries); Kartos; Parama šeimai; Vyresnio amžiaus žmonės; Gerovės valstybės; Family policy; Generations; Family support; Elderly people; Welfare state.

ENThis chapter aims to document the current trends in the Baltic and Nordic welfare policies on ageing from a comparative perspective and to reveal senior citizens' subjective perceptions of their socioeconomic situation and their attitudes towards the role of government in ensuring safety. The analyses show essential existential gaps among younger and older generations in the three Baltic states, if poverty, age discrimination and income security are taken into account. The situation, as expected, is more positive in the Nordic countries. However, Finland exhibits similarities with Estonia and Lithuania in terms of overall satisfaction of elderly people with their household income, attitudes towards means-tests and preference for stronger support from the government. This is explained by the lower availability of long-term services in Finland, and especially in the three Baltic states, and an emphasis on familial care. [Publisher annotation]