Neccessary Adaptations for an Aging Population Essay

With increasing quality of healthcare, many countries around the world are now experiencing an ageing population. This involves a change in the demographic composition of the elderly and the young in a population. This means that there is a decrease in fertility rates with an increase in the number of elderly people (over 65). Therefore, the average age of the population is increasing. According to WHO, â€Å"this population ageing can be seen as a success story for public health policies, but it also challenges society to adapt, in order to maximize the health and functional capacity of older people as well as their social participation and security.† The UK is considered to have an ageing population (2013- 10 million over 65 in UK); some†¦show more content†¦Despite the challenges of an ageing population, the elderly can present many benefits to society through various ways. By increasing life expectancy, people will be living for longer. This is a very important benefit as they can be enjoying a longer and healthier life. Moreover, many elderly have the ability to continue to work. Therefore, it is important to provide them with choice to work for longer years if they are able to. This will benefit society as they are more experienced and often have better knowledge compared to younger people. This is more likely to improve the economy (not as some may have thought). Many retired people contribute to the community by carrying out voluntary work in different areas. They do voluntary work in schools, hospitals and for charities. Moreover, many retired people care for children of the family allowing parents to work and continue contributing to the economy. This shows that elderly can remain active contributors to their families, communities and the economy of the country. Active ageing is a very important concept that needs to be achieved. This refers to the contribution of elderly to the economy and society rather than just being physically active. Therefore, active ageing aims to increase healthy life expectancy as well as quality of life of the elderly. As a result the elderly can contribute significantly to their families, communities and societies.