The UNGA has declared 2021–2030 the UN Decade of Healthy Aging
By Himanshu Rath
The world is aging faster. By 2030, one in six people in the world will be aged 60 years or over. The share of the elderly population will increase to 1.4 billion by then. The number of older persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach above 425 million.
In high-income countries like Japan, and many European countries, almost 1/3rd of the population is already over 60 years old. It is now low-income and middle-income countries that are experiencing the greatest change in demographic structure. It is expected that by 2050, 2/3rd of the world’s elderly population will be in low to middle-income countries.
Beyond biological changes, aging is often associated with other life transitions such as retirement, resettlement in a newer environment and psychological ups and downs. Fast-changing demographic structure is directly associated with an ever-increasing elderly population with health issues
With fast-changing demographics, the elderly population with common conditions in older age viz. Hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia have increased rapidly over the years.
In old age, physical and social environments affect health directly or through barriers or incentives that affect opportunities, decisions and health behavior. Maintaining healthy behaviors throughout life, particularly eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity and living in a hygienic environment, all contribute to reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases, improving physical and mental capacity and delaying care dependency.
Supportive physical and social environments remain a greater need in prime old age. In developing countries like India, safe and accessible public buildings and transport, and places that are easy to walk around, are hardly seen.
In most countries, the healthcare system is struggling to invent methods and instruments to address geriatric-related and infectious diseases, while millions of elderly individuals have neither the access nor capability to cope with diseases, particularly pandemics like Covid-19.
The Emerging Challenges
Older people experience significant declines in capacities. Older people are often assumed to be frail or dependent and a burden to society. They have to face discrimination at almost all levels, due to the ever-widening inter-generational gap and lack of social interaction.
Long-Term Palliative Care
The demand for long-term care is soaring in many countries as the population of older people grows larger, especially at ages 80 and above. Public spending in most countries has not been sufficient to cover the growing demand for long-term care.
Skill Training and Retooling
Since a majority of older people are active and healthy, most of them prefer to remain gainfully engaged in old age. However, due to the fast-changing work culture and environment, they hardly find themselves fit to adjust to new work environments. Hence, they need skill training/retooling so that they can get a second job or some kind of gainful engagement in old age.
Social Inclusion
A healthier, more positive way to consider ways in which we can help is to work towards social inclusion for older people in our community. For them, this means having good relationships with friends and family, and feeling useful, needed and respected. Most older people have to live alone in their old age due to various reasons. Hence, they need to be encouraged for social inclusion and initiatives like forming self-help groups of older people, etc. can also be promoted.
Participation in the Mainstream
Many older people find themselves marginalized/isolated in old age. They need to be motivated and encouraged to participate in mainstream activities at all levels. By ensuring their participation in various government/non-government run schemes, their experience, knowledge and wisdom can also be utilized.
Social Security
Non-availability or poor social security schemes are among the most emerging challenges in low and middle-income countries like India. Governments must prioritize social security in their policies/plans and ensure adequate social security for all in old age. The need for social security, in the US, can also be understood by the fact that the number of Americans aged 65 and older working full-time has more than doubled since the turn of the century. In 2000, just 4.2% of older people worked full-time, while in 2021, 8.6% of the elderly were active workers.
Psychological Well-being
Fast-changing demographic structure has resulted in the popularity of nuclear families, fewer children and more elderly and ultimately, loneliness in old age. Loneliness and isolation in old age leads to many psychological issues i.e. depression, restlessness, anxiety, stress, insomnia, dementia, etc. it is anticipated that the number of older people with mental and behavioral health problems will reach 15 million in 2030 in the US alone.
Road Map Ahead
There is a need to address the pitiable public approach towards the older people and other ageist attitudes, which lead to discrimination, and affect the way policies are developed and implemented.
Globalization, technological developments (in transport and communication), urbanization, migration and changing gender norms are influencing the lives of older people in direct and indirect ways. Concerned stakeholders must take stock of these current and projected trends and frame policies accordingly.
Most older people are still digitally illiterate and find themselves incompetent in the modern world of technology. Special attention should be given to digital education for the retired and older people.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared 2021–2030 the UN Decade of Healthy Aging. It is a global collaboration bringing together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media and the private sector for 10 years of concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to foster longer and healthier lives.
Given fast-changing demographic structure, the focus of the concerned stakeholders must be on ensuring a better and brighter tomorrow for older people.
For more info, Contact: [email protected], WhatsApp: +919810030979, Address: Agewell Foundation USA Inc., 62W 47th ST STE 707, New York, NY-10036, www.agewellfoundationusa.org
Himanshu Rath is head of the Agewell Foundation USA Inc. It is a 501(c)(3) registered Non-Profit initiative, committed to working for the welfare of destitute Old People desperately needing assistance.