Prof. (Dr.) Karuna Hazarika
(drkaruna97@gmail.com)
The United Nations International Day of Older People is observed annually on October 1st to increase public awareness of the potential and challenges associated with an ageing population and to encourage community members to take on these issues. As employees, caretakers, volunteers, activists, and community builders, older people are essential to the health of our neighbourhoods and communities. But ageism and other societal and physical constraints frequently obscure or diminish these important contributions. We all have a role to play in promoting and enabling the contributions of older people and improving the quality of life for seniors in our neighbourhoods and communities. We are honouring older people on this International Day of Older People for the important role they play and have the potential to play, in making our community a better place to be. Having elderly people in our lives, be they close relatives, close friends, or just individuals we know in general, is a blessing. Elderly individuals are rich sources of knowledge, expertise, and anecdotes. They might serve as a reminder to keep working hard or as a warning about potential threats. Whenever and whenever we can, we should seek their advice. Regretfully, we frequently have a tendency to forget about or, worse, outright disregard the elderly individuals in our lives.
Worldwide, the average lifespan is increasing. Nowadays, the majority of people may expect to live well into their sixties and beyond. This year theme: “Ageing with Dignity.” The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide. Global population ageing is a big trend that is changing societies all over the world. In half of the world’s countries, the life expectancy at birth has increased to above 75 years, a 25-year increase since 1950. Every country on earth is seeing an increase in the proportion of elderly citizens as well as their overall number. By 2030, one in six people on the earth will be 60 years of age or older. The numbers of people 60 and older have increased throughout this time, from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, there will be twice as many people 60 years of age or older on the planet—roughly 2 billion. It is projected that the population of those 80 years of age or older would triple to 426 million by 2050.
While high-income nations were first to see this shift in population distribution towards older ages, or “population ageing” (for instance, in Japan, where 30% of the population is already over 60), low- and middle-income nations are currently seeing the biggest change. Two-thirds of people over 60 worldwide will reside in low- and middle-income nations by 2050. The ageing population is expected to significantly impact society, impacting labour markets, housing, transportation, social security, family dynamics, and generational relationships. Policies and programmes should utilize older individuals’ capacity for development, as they contribute to society’s best interests. Political and financial strains may arise in the coming decades over public healthcare, pensions, and social safety nets.
Women comprise most of the elderly population since they typically outlive men. Around the world, women could expect to live more than four years longer in 1950 than men. By 2021, the difference between the two had expanded to more than five years. Pervasive misconceptions, unfavourable attitudes, and presumptions about older people are some of the most significant obstacles to creating effective public policy on ageing. Older people are often stigmatized as being dependent, feeble, out of touch, or a burden, despite the overwhelming body of data demonstrating their numerous contributions to society. Ageism impedes both our ability to capitalize on the enormous human potential that older people represent and older people’s freedom to live the lives they choose.
Great diversity is what defines senior age. Certain 80-year-olds possess physical and mental abilities that are comparable to those of 20-year-olds. For simple tasks like getting dressed and eating, some people of the same age may need a lot of assistance and care. All older individuals—whether they are independent, in need of care, or somewhere in between—should have better access to technology through the design of policy. The cumulative effects of advantage and disadvantage throughout a person’s life account for a significant amount of the variability in ability and situation seen in older age. Our social and physical surroundings have a significant impact on healthy ageing. Nonetheless, our interactions with our surroundings are influenced by things like the household we were raised in, our social orientation, our ethnicity, and financial resources.
There are older people who are just as diverse as younger people, and some of them share comparable physical and mental abilities. This variability is mostly caused by the ways that opportunities and health-related behaviour are influenced by social and physical settings. Personal variables, such as family, sex, and ethnicity, can lead to health inequities. The stereotype that older people are weak or reliant can result in discrimination and influence the formulation of public policies. The lives of older people are also impacted by ageist views, globalisation, migration, urbanisation, technological breakthroughs, and shifting gender norms. To guarantee that older people age well, a comprehensive public health response needs to address these developments and formulate policies appropriately. Opportunities arise from living longer, not just for elderly individuals and their families but also for society at large. The opportunity to pursue new endeavours, such as additional learning attitude, a new career, or the long-neglected passion, is afforded by extra years. In many more ways, older people support their families and communities. However, one factor—health—has a major influence on the scope of these opportunities and contributions.
Among the common ailments that elderly people face include diabetes, depression, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, back and neck discomfort, osteoarthritis, cataracts, refractive errors, hearing loss, etc. As usual, such people are more likely to have multiple ailments at once as they get older. A further feature of ageing is the rise of multiple complex health states together, referred to as geriatric syndromes. They include weakness, stumbles, delirium, pressure ulcers, and urine incontinence. They are frequently the result of several underlying conditions. As people age, their dexterity and mobility naturally decline, making daily tasks more difficult. This can lead to people gradually taking care of themselves and preventing them from engaging in social activities, pursuing interests, or engaging in leisure activities. More assistance is required to enable older adults to live independently through products and programs that emphasise safety, balance, fitness, and mobility, as well as to ensure they can continue to thrive as individuals.
The care of the elderly has become a significant issue in India due to the country’s increasingly ageing population, the breakdown of joint families, the constant influence of modernisation, and the adoption of new lifestyles like nuclear amilies. Under the prevalent value-based joint family system in India, caring for the elderly has never been a problem. But as nuclear families become more common, elderly people’s susceptibility is rising quickly due to rising levels of education, urbanisation, and industry. Elderly folks discover that society has no need for them after they retire and that their children no longer come to them for advice. This insight frequently causes feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, and status loss. Role relationships now need to shift since nuclear families are becoming more common. Elder abuse and neglect occur in numerous forms, both inside and outside the family, as a result of the younger and older family members’ coping abilities being tested by a variety of situations.
A global initiative including governments, civil society, international organisations, professionals, academia, media, and the commercial sector, the UN General Assembly has proclaimed 2021–2030 to be the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. Building on the WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan and the United Nations Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, the Decade seeks to promote longer and healthier lives via collaborative action. By altering perceptions of ageing and ageism, creating communities that value older people’s skills, offering person-centred integrated care, and offering high-quality long-term care, it seeks to lessen health disparities and enhance the lives of older individuals, their families, and communities.
This yearly event honours the contributions of senior citizens and raises awareness of issues affecting their quality of life. On this day, we have the chance to remember the wisdom, needs, and contributions of our elderly and to recommit to ensuring their well-being. They embody the core values of our society, and we owe it to them to treat them with the decency they merit. Elders are revered and highly esteemed in many cultures worldwide. They are consulted for counsel and direction in many facets of life since they are revered as the custodians of wisdom. Let us think twice and do our job to show respect and feelings towards elders, as they are also similar to a tree’s roots. They provide the family strength and stability at all times, and they make the perfect mentor for all of us. As we move forward, it is imperative to continue strengthening the initiatives to provide a secure and respectful life for the elderly.