A/HRC/33/44 preferences and abilities. Different activities will, for instance, be available for older persons with cognitive impairment or reduced mobility than those who are frail and have a partial or total lack of autonomy. 46. An interesting approach is the co-location of facilities for childcare and eldercare, which allows for the introduction of innovative programmes and the generation of interaction between the very young and the older persons. 47. Geriatric services are an essential element of care programmes for older persons in order to meet the needs of an ageing society, as their patterns of disease presentation differ from those of younger persons. They respond to treatments and therapies in different ways, and frequently have complex social needs that are related to their chronic medical conditions. The recognition of geriatrics as a medical specialty, specialized training of doctors and nurses and the establishment of geriatric centres in public and private care settings will help ensure the availability of geriatric services in various care settings and facilities. 48. Restraints are often used in the care of older persons with dementia. Methods include locked doors, forced bathing and the use of psychotropic substances, even though that may not be permitted by law. Providing information and education about how to avoid the use of restraints for both professionals and relatives will contribute to protecting the dignity of older persons and their right to decide without being restrained. That provision might encompass handbooks for professionals, informal caregivers and relatives, online training, web-based education, films, podcasts and applications to raise awareness about the rights of older persons with dementia in care settings. 49. Some countries have involved their national human rights institutions in monitoring how the human rights of older persons living in or seeking long-term care are being upheld, through visits to care institutions and interviews with authorities and other stakeholders. That helps to promote a human rights-based approach to long-term care and enables the human rights institutions to collect meaningful and qualitative data on how human rights are taken into consideration in policy and in practice. 50. A different approach that is sometimes taken is for institutional care settings or services that provide home care to carry out self-evaluations of their practices. The objective is that a positive attitude is adopted and that a culture of good as opposed to illtreatment is created, while at the same time an awareness of the inherent risks is maintained. D. Social protection 51. The 2010 report of the independent expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty on the social protection of older persons (A/HRC/14/31) continues to constitute an important resource, as it provides an overview of the main protection gaps and challenges older persons face. 52. Poverty and lack of income security constitute major concerns for many older persons. Social transfers, in particular adequate pensions, significantly contribute to ensuring the financial security of older persons and are a suitable means of reducing the atrisk-of-poverty rate, their vulnerability and social exclusion. 53. A number of countries have universal basic retirement pensions and provide disability pensions and other additional allowances to supplement old age pensions in order to ensure a reasonable income for older persons and to protect them from poverty. It is important that the pensions are calculated giving due consideration to the true cost of living. Moreover, the non-contributory systems that some countries have established are preferable 10 GE.16-11742