“An ageing population can bring economic, political and social advantages as well as disadvantages.” Discuss this view.…
Australia has a falling fertility rate due to birth control, and an increasing life expectancy due to improved living conditions, advances in health care and medicine (AIFS, 2001). Life expectancy has improved for those over 50 since the 1970’s, with medical advances in the treatment and prevention of heart disease. (Hugo, G, 2014), and now conventional views of aging such as dependency, disability, and disease are being replaced by alternative models of aging such as “aging well”, or successful aging” (Sadler, W 2010). This reality, along with new perspectives on aging, increased urbanization, international migration, and modernization, are having a pervasive affect on all aspects of aging, such as work, retirement, family structure, finances,…
An aging of population (also known as demographic aging, and population aging) is a summary term for shifts in the age distribution (i.e. age structure) of a population toward older ages. A direct consequence of the ongoing global fertility transition (decline) and of mortality decline at older ages, population aging is expected to be among the most prominent global demographic trends of the 21st century. Population aging is progressing rapidly in many industrialized countries, but those developing countries whose fertility declines began relatively early also are experiencing rapid increases in their proportion of elderly people. This pattern is expected to continue over the next few decades, eventually affecting the entire world. Population aging has many important socio-economic and health consequences, including the increase in the old-age dependency ratio. It presents challenges for public health (concerns over possible bankruptcy of Medicare and related programs) as well as for economic development (shrinking and aging of labor force, possible bankruptcy of social security systems).…
The aging phenomenon has several combining factors that play a part of the growing population; Age Dynamics: The elevated fertility rate (baby boom) from 1946 to 1964. Decline in Fertility Rate: The decrease of young people reproducing has caused an automatic increase of older people. Longevity increase: Life expectancy has increased 20 years due in part to improvements in healthcare and medical technology "The growing number of older adults increases demands on the public health system and on medical and social services.' ‘Chronic diseases, which affect older adults disproportionately, contribute to disability, diminish quality of life, and increased health and long-term care costs" (CDC, 2003). With the dramatic increase in the statics, the life expectancies has increased and healthier energetic life styles, currently enables people to live 20 to 25% of their lives in robust retirement. In…
Due to the aging economy, the elderly is expected to increase. According to Weiner, M. J. & Tilly, J. (2013) “Between 2000 and 2050, the number of older people is projected to increase by 135%. Moreover, the population aged 85 and over, which is the group most likely to need health and long-term care services, is projected to increase by 350%. Over this time period, the proportion of the population that is over the age of 65 will increase from 12.7% in 2000 to 20.3% in 2050; the proportion of the population that is age 85 and older will increase from 1.6% in 2000 to 4.8% in 2050.”(Para 2). The aging population will have a huge effect on health care because of the large amount of elderly who will need acute care. Also because there is a shortage of health care professionals such as nurses and other workers, many long- term care facilities are left with workers that do not have skills to perform their jobs correctly. Also the facilities are paying low rates making it hard to hire new employees and to keep old employees. According to Weiner, M. J.…
The number of aging population between the years of 2000 and 2050, are expected to rise over 135%. The aging population ages 85 and up whom health and long-term heath will need care services is expected to rise over 350%. Over this time period, the proportion of the population that is over the age of 65 will increase from 12.7% in 2000 to 20.3% in 2050; the proportion of the population that is age 85 and older will increase from 1.6% in 2000 to 4.8% in 2050 (Wiener & Tilly,…
Every generation leaves its mark on our society. The aging Baby Boomers, the large population born between 1946 and 1964, have had significant and broad economic, political, and social influence in the country at each stage of their lives. It will be important to consider the influence of the large aging Baby Boomer’s population impacts on our limited resources (Fey, 2010; Pruncho, 2012). In 2011, the first of the Baby Boomers turned age 65. The size of the senior population is expected to grow over the next two decades: In 2012, 13.7% of the total U.S. population was 65 years of age or older. Projections suggest an increase to 20.3% by 2030 (Ortman, Velkoff & Hogan, 2014) due to both increases in longevity and a decline in fertility (Cherlin,…
Aging, the process of growing old, begins the moment that a person is born; it is inevitable. All cultures deal with the ageing process. However, with the older population growing more rapidly, societies have to deal with it in larger number than before. ‘Baby boomers’ have a significant impact on society in when it comes to the economy, social structure and healthcare system. As the baby boomers represent 20% of the American population, it is clear that as they age, current societies are going to need to reconstruct in order to be accommodate the aging population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world population is rapidly ageing and it is expected that the number of people aged 60 years or older should increase from 605 million to 2 billion by 2050. While North American societies tend to view aging in a negative light and dread the prospect of aging, other societies on the other hand, embrace their aging population. Understanding the difference between the treatment of the elderly in East Asia and North America is important as it allows for the public to…
ii. 6.2 percent of workers income will go into social security this year. Last year was 4.2 percent…
Ageism is defined as prejudice and discrimination against older people. Schafer writes that for the ageist, elderly persons reflect the image of disease, death, and dying as well as a reminder that we will all be old one day. (2012, pp. 395-396). Another stereotype of the elderly is that they are slow and mentally dysfunctional…
The increasingly negative challenges of the aging population will continue to impact society. Federal, state, and local governments can help by educating the public about chronic disease, wellness programs, nursing faculty and staff shortages, and planning for increases to health care costs. Aging individuals should have the opportunity live comfortably without the worries of medical professional staff shortages, chronic disease, and increasing health care…
The aging population seemed like one of the most important populations suffering in our world today. The aging society has a: Declining birthrate, Increase in the life expectancy of Americans, and consist of 13% (35 million) of the United States population. (Stanley, Baca, & Eitzen, 2008) When I think of the aging population in the United States I cannot let go of the thought that their future is going to be harder as a population to survive because of the statistics rising against them. The aging population includes many different people from all over the world, which brings in the concern of sex ratio and racial composition. The sex ratio today is three elderly…
An aging population is when a country has a high number of elderly people. Elderly people are economically dependent and they depend on working people to provide for them. More money has to be therefore created to fund hospitals, nursing homes etc. This money has to be provided for by the economically dependent population. Increase in the ageing population has been accompanied many health care challenges and policy makers have been prompted to do their part and devise mechanisms of overcoming these challenges. Huge implications have been felt in the areas of organization and delivery of health care. Policy makers and other stakeholders in the health care system have faced increasing pressure to implement more cost effective and reliable care systems. One of the major shifts that have come with the increasing aged population is the need to commit more resources to manage chronic illnesses than acute illnesses. This is because, the elderly are more vulnerable to chronic illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and diabetes compared to the younger generation.…
As life expectancy continues to increase and people are living longer, the more challenges the United States has to face. The aging population is effecting the country finically and socially by the burden on the elder’s children and by government funded programs. If the aging population continues to consume more than they contribute, the working class population will not have any resources when it is time for them to retire. The process now is to make the resources expands and to ensure that the government funded programs are available in the near…
The health care system within our culture today has wrestled with the best possible way to care for the aging population. With many Americans, who are ultimately living longer than ever before because of medical advances, procedures, and medications, we are left with the question of how to effectively care for an aging population? Are patients getting the best possible care while staying in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living communities, or are nurses and other helping aids understaffed, unprepared or uneducated for the task?…