Over the past century life expectancy has
increased dramatically and older citizens around the globe will soon outnumber
children. By 2050, nearly one out of every four people will be older than 60
years of age.
Most
Australians are aware of the changes in our own demographic profile and the
financial and other challenges this entails, especially now that the first baby
boomers have reached retirement age. These changes have been detailed by the
Treasury’s Intergenerational Reports, and the Productivity Commission’s 2011
Caring for Older Australians report.
But
awareness of what’s happening in the Asia Pacific region is much lower, even
though this region is ageing more quickly than any other. Australian physician
John Beard, now the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) director of the
department of ageing and life course, pointed out that the population ageing
currently occurring in low- and middle-income countries is happening much more
quickly than was the case for Europe and North America.
Over
the past decade, several Asian countries, including China, Indonesia and Japan,
have seen fertility rates drop below those recorded in European countries, and
in many instances close to or below replacement level.
The
challenges of population ageing in the Asia Pacific differ from those facing
Australia. In Thailand, for example, as in many other developing countries,
children are by far the most common source of income for older people, and
expectations of filial support in old age are widely shared. The rapid
shrinking of this resource has prompted the question of what the country can do
to avoid a catastrophic breakdown in the care of its older citizens.
Meanwhile,
in developed nations, it’s widely recognised that technology will play a strong
role in the future care and support of older people.
Technologies
are available to help older adults stick to medication, diet and exercise
plans. Technology can also identify and alert professionals to potential health
problems. Devices that monitor sleep behaviour and toilet use, for instance,
can provide carers with early warning signs of urinary tract infections, a
common condition affecting older people.
In Australia,
new ways of providing primary care through Telehealth and Telecare are being
established. And social connection is being facilitated through the internet.
Several studies have shown that older people can learn how to use computers and
enthusiastically adopt new opportunities to stay in contact with younger
generations.
The
internet and mobile phones have vastly improved communication between older and
younger people in India, says Ravi Samuel, honorary secretary for Vision Age
India. But other writers have expressed scepticism about the applicability of
many technologies to developing countries.
The
problem is twofold. First is the issue of cost, which is exacerbated in rural
areas. The second is how apt the technology is; technologies are incongruous
when people’s basic needs are not being met.
According
to Beard, promoting healthy ageing into the future requires new ways of
approaching later life: “[We] need to reinvent the way we think about ageing
itself … keeping people healthy for as long as possible, and giving them the
opportunity to do the things they want and that society needs.”
As baby
boomers age, we will expect to be able to access better services and supports
than what previous generations had. More imaginative, flexible, culturally
appropriate solutions are needed. With imagination, enthusiasm, and investment
from government and the private sector, the challenges of ageing societies can
be successfully addressed.
theconversation.edu.au
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