|
|
|
Introduction
By 2020, half the adults in the UK will be aged 50 or over and this
holds true for most of Europe, creating an audience of some 130 million
people. And this isn't just something that is happening in Europe. Worldwide
we are moving from a youthful population to a mature population, so
that by 2050, the UN projects a rise of 65-84 year olds from 400 million
to 1.3 billion.
Why
is the population getting older?
The UK example
People
are living longer
- In 1901 life expectancy for men was 49 and 45 for women. By 2001,
it will be 75 for men and 80 for women
- In 1951 there were 300
centenarians. In 2031 there will be 36,000
- The number of people aged
85 and over trebled between 1961 and 1996 from 350,000 to nearly 1.1
million
Birth rates are decreasing
- In 1961 there were 3.5 million under fives which will fall to 1.6
million by 2030
- Women are having children later and fewer babies are being born
- In just one generation, the number of first time marriages has
halved
'Baby boomers' are reaching
maturity
- Postwar 'baby boomers' will be entering their fifties and sixties
as we start the new millennium.
In
broad terms, what sort of issues does the ageing population create?
How to support the growing number of retired people with fewer younger
people in the workforce?
- In 1961 there were almost four people of working age to support
each pensioner; by 2040 there will only be two
- From 1991 to 2001 the proportion of 20-34 year olds in the population
will drop from 21% to 14%
How to provide housing
and amenities, especially for elderly, single occupants?
- In 1994, 18% of men and 39% of women in the 65-74 age group in
Britain lived alone, rising to 33% of men and 59% of women aged 75
and over
- The largest increase among lone dwellers has been among men under
65, which is projected to overtake women and become the biggest group
within 10 years
How to restructure work
- types of work and environments - to include the growing older workforce?
- In 1994, only 51% of men aged 60-64 and 69.3% of women aged 45-59
were working
- By 2000, 35% of the labour force will be aged 45 or over. By 2010,
almost 40% will be over 45 while only 17% will be aged 16 to 24
How to care for the
increasing number of older people?
- Disability increases with age, whether physiological - such as
vision, strength, dexterity - or psychological - memory, reaction
time
- Projections of the number (and percentage) of severely disabled
over 65 year olds in the UK in 2011 and 2051 are 1.4 million (2.2%)
and 2.3 million (3.9%) respectively
How to include old people
in society?
- With travel and global mobility threatening the closeness of the
traditional family unit, social exclusion amongst the elderly is a
real possibility, especially amongst single older men
We live in a cult of youth
so there is a social stigma attached to ageing and products targeting
the elderly, in spite of the over 50s considerable wealth and savings
|
