Paradigm Shift over Ageing Population
Paradigm Shift over Ageing Population: Government should Change Focus
Throughout the years, the proportion of elderly among the world population has been increasing, while the proportion of children has been decreasing (Why Aging Population Matters, 2007). This fact has brought a new challenge to nations: the ageing population issue. In order to resolve this issue, understanding the reasons why it is a problem is certainly needed, which can be done by delving into the conditions of being old.
Two major problems that occur in the old generations are health and labor issues, with each issue related to the other. As people grow old, it is inevitable that their bodies adopt several health setbacks, resulting in the growing needs of medical services which often cost large amounts of money. Sadly, as time goes by, the other problem comes along. Most elderly become unaware of the present days’ technologies and needs, hence decreasing their chances of employment. As the result, their income rates decrease accordingly, making them unable to cover their own medical fees.
To settle this particular problem, governments have been allocating money obtained from taxes on the young to subsidize the elderly’ medical needs (Glied, S. A., 2008). However, as the number of old people increases, the tax rate can no longer negotiate with the amounts of subsidies needed. Therefore, another solution to the challenge of an ageing population is needed immediately.
Until now, governments are still concentrating on how to provide enough facilities for the elderly and how to keep the inadequate old employees employed (Lee, H. L., 2009). Retraining old workers was mentioned as one of the solutions. However, looking at the ageing population rate, it is predictable that these methods are insufficient to cope with the challenge.
Before people get old, they are young first. Therefore, the increasing number of elderly is actually equivalent to the number of young people previously. To deal
Throughout the years, the proportion of elderly among the world population has been increasing, while the proportion of children has been decreasing (Why Aging Population Matters, 2007). This fact has brought a new challenge to nations: the ageing population issue. In order to resolve this issue, understanding the reasons why it is a problem is certainly needed, which can be done by delving into the conditions of being old.
Two major problems that occur in the old generations are health and labor issues, with each issue related to the other. As people grow old, it is inevitable that their bodies adopt several health setbacks, resulting in the growing needs of medical services which often cost large amounts of money. Sadly, as time goes by, the other problem comes along. Most elderly become unaware of the present days’ technologies and needs, hence decreasing their chances of employment. As the result, their income rates decrease accordingly, making them unable to cover their own medical fees.
To settle this particular problem, governments have been allocating money obtained from taxes on the young to subsidize the elderly’ medical needs (Glied, S. A., 2008). However, as the number of old people increases, the tax rate can no longer negotiate with the amounts of subsidies needed. Therefore, another solution to the challenge of an ageing population is needed immediately.
Until now, governments are still concentrating on how to provide enough facilities for the elderly and how to keep the inadequate old employees employed (Lee, H. L., 2009). Retraining old workers was mentioned as one of the solutions. However, looking at the ageing population rate, it is predictable that these methods are insufficient to cope with the challenge.
Before people get old, they are young first. Therefore, the increasing number of elderly is actually equivalent to the number of young people previously. To deal
References: Fritz, W. Get into the Habit of Thinking. (2006). Retrieved September 12, 2010 from http://www.intelligent-systems.com.ar/intsyst/thinkin.htm Glied, S. A. (2008, March). Health Care Financing, Efficiency, and Equity. In C. Flood, C. Tuohy, & M. Stabile (Eds.)(2008). Exploring Social Insurance: Can a Dose of Europe Cure Canadian Health Care Finance? Canada: School of Policy Studies Queen’s University. Henkens, K. & Shultz, K. S. (2010). Introduction to the changing nature of retirement: an international perspective. K. Henkens & K. Shultz (Eds.) (2010). International Journal of Manpower. Lee, H.L. (2009). Preparing for an aging population: The Singapore experience. The Journal: Winter 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2010 from http://www.nus.edu.sg/nec/InnoAge/documents/AARPjournalwinter09_PMLee.pdf National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, & U.S. Department of State (2007, March). Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perpective. In A. C. Iadarola, R. Li & R. M. Li (Eds.)(2007). Schrier, D. Consequences of an Aging Population: Can Existing Levels of Social Services be Sustained? Retrieved September 10, 2010 from http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/DATA/pop/pop/agingpop.pdf Speiser, M. (2009). The Power of Continuous Improvement. Retrieved September 12, 2010 from http://gigaom.com/2009/08/30/the-power-of-continuous-improvement/