People are living longer, and as average life expectancy continues to rise, the likelihood of experiencing physical and cognitive impairments, including dementia and other age-related conditions, increases. With an ageing society, ensuring adequate care, legal support and protection for older adults has become one of the most pressing societal challenges of our time. It is increasingly uncertain whether the growing demand for support can be accommodated effectively. The judiciary and organisations of professional representatives are, in many instances, already under considerable pressure due to financial and staffing constraints. At the same time, families have become smaller and more complex, with relatives often living farther apart, making it harder for them to step in when needed. In addition to this societal challenge, a further challenge from a human rights perspective lies in moving away from a system premised on protecting adults through restrictions on their legal capacity towards one centred on supporting adults in the exercise of their legal capacity.

This research line aims to improve (older) people’s access to adequate care, support and protection, working towards a system that is compliant with human rights norms and principles.

Past and present projects and cooperations include:

•  TPR (Journal of Private Law) rotating chair 2024-2025 (UHasselt – Tim Wuyts)
•  TPR (Journal of Private Law) rotating chair 2025-2026 (VU-ACFL – Rieneke Stelma-Roorda)
•  FL-EUR – Empowerment and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (UAntwerpen – Frederik Swennen, UHasselt – Tim Wuyts, VU-ACFL – Masha Antokolskaia, Kees Blankman and Rieneke Stelma-Roorda, UU-UCERF – Wendy Schrama and Femke de Kievit)
•  E-Adult (VUB – Elisabeth Alofs, VU-ACFL – Rieneke Stelma-Roorda) in cooperation with NorFam