Impact Of Aging People
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of an Ageing Population
Contents
1. 1 Introduction
2. 2 Advantages of an Ageing Population
1. 2.1 Community contribution
2. 2.2 Lower crime rate
3. 2.3 Familial advantages
3. 3 Disadvantage: Increased economic pressure to sustain older generations
1. 3.1 Decreased participation rates
2. 3.2 Increased dependency rates
3. 3.3 Increased fiscal gap
4. 4 Disadvantage: The Generation Gap and its Implications
5. 5 Disadvantage: Social Issues Associated with an Ageing Population
6. 6 Disadvantage: Immigration and Baby Boomers are Contributing to the Ageing Population
1. 6.1 Immigration
2. 6.2 Baby Boomers
7. 7 Conclusion
Introduction
There is no doubt that Australia’s population is ageing, therefore it is crucial to investigate what repercussions it will have on the wider community. We seek to determine whether a higher proportion of aged citizens will be beneficial to the Australian community, or a burden in the future. In this section, we will address the advantages and disadvantages of our aging population. By identifying the positive and negatives of the issue, we will then be able to suggest how to solve the problem for the future.
Advantages of an Ageing Population
The ageing population is often stereotyped as a burden and their detrimental impact on the economy is exaggerated causing their significant societal contributions to be overlooked. More precise analysis and research show that having an ageing population is often advantageous in terms of lower health care costs in later years of life and other beneficial contributions to the community. It appears that associating an ageing population with immense medical and social care expenses is a common misconception. The baby boomer generation has been observed to have better health and is more physically active than preceding generations in Australia (Healy 2004). It has been researched that approximately a quarter of all health related expenses in a person’s life are spent on their
Contents
1. 1 Introduction
2. 2 Advantages of an Ageing Population
1. 2.1 Community contribution
2. 2.2 Lower crime rate
3. 2.3 Familial advantages
3. 3 Disadvantage: Increased economic pressure to sustain older generations
1. 3.1 Decreased participation rates
2. 3.2 Increased dependency rates
3. 3.3 Increased fiscal gap
4. 4 Disadvantage: The Generation Gap and its Implications
5. 5 Disadvantage: Social Issues Associated with an Ageing Population
6. 6 Disadvantage: Immigration and Baby Boomers are Contributing to the Ageing Population
1. 6.1 Immigration
2. 6.2 Baby Boomers
7. 7 Conclusion
Introduction
There is no doubt that Australia’s population is ageing, therefore it is crucial to investigate what repercussions it will have on the wider community. We seek to determine whether a higher proportion of aged citizens will be beneficial to the Australian community, or a burden in the future. In this section, we will address the advantages and disadvantages of our aging population. By identifying the positive and negatives of the issue, we will then be able to suggest how to solve the problem for the future.
Advantages of an Ageing Population
The ageing population is often stereotyped as a burden and their detrimental impact on the economy is exaggerated causing their significant societal contributions to be overlooked. More precise analysis and research show that having an ageing population is often advantageous in terms of lower health care costs in later years of life and other beneficial contributions to the community. It appears that associating an ageing population with immense medical and social care expenses is a common misconception. The baby boomer generation has been observed to have better health and is more physically active than preceding generations in Australia (Healy 2004). It has been researched that approximately a quarter of all health related expenses in a person’s life are spent on their