Age-Related Features of Preparing for Old Age: Population Strategies in the Context of Implementation of State Programs for Older Adults

Against the background of global population aging and the transformation of public perceptions of old age, it becomes relevant to search for effective measures to ensure a high quality of life for the elderly. Of particular interest is the understanding of how the efforts undertaken by different socio-demographic groups to prepare for old age correlate with support measures and conditions created in the framework of state social policy for older adults (national projects “Older Generation” and “Long and Active Life”, strategy of actions in the interests of senior citizens in the Russian Federation, etc.). Thus, the aim of the work is to identify strategies for preparing for old age in different age groups. This will make it possible to trace the consistency of individual practices with the public policy, and to assess its potential and limitations. The empirical basis includes data from a sociological survey of the adult population of the Vologda Region (N = 1,500) conducted in January – February 2025. We use cluster and factor analysis methods to study the relationship between value concepts of a prosperous old age and strategies for preparing for it, as well as to establish age-specific features of their perception and formation. We find that good health, financial stability and family ties form the basis of subjective ideas about prosperous old age. Cluster analysis reveals the variability of their combinations, which indicates the absence of a single normative image of prosperous old age. We identify four main components that form strategies for preparing for old age: activity, labor, social, and health. It is proved that each age group chooses its own trajectories to prepare for old age. The revealed imbalances between the ideas of prosperous old age and the practices of achieving it indicate a low level of preparation for old age. The findings of the study provide materials for the development and revision of targeted social policy programs and national projects aimed at improving the quality of life at any age.