Given the magnitude of the global aging population, the United Nations is calling aging in place a Top-10 priority. In a recent report focused on aging in the 21st Century, the U.N. cites challenges ahead for the older generations with a note of aging in place being a top concern.
The report, Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge, details the implications as well as how remaining in one place is paramount.
Approximately 58 million people are turning 60 each year, roughly equivalent to two people celebrating their sixtieth birthday each second. In less than a decade, the current 60+ population of 810 million will reach 1 billion, according to U.N. data.
“The social and economic implications of this phenomenon are profound, extending far beyond the individual older person and the immediate family, touching broader society and the global community in unprecedented ways,” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the report’s preface.
Going forward, society must address the challenges presenting by a rapidly aging population and maximize the opportunities that are presented.
One recommendation is to help seniors who wish to remain in their homes:
“Support communities and families to develop support systems which ensure that frail older persons receive the long-term care they need and promote active and healthy ageing at the local level to facilitate ageing in place,” the report says.
Other top-ten priority actions include supporting international and national efforts to develop comparative research on aging; ensuring the inclusion of aging and the needs of older persons in all national development policies and programs; and ensuring that aging issues are “adequately reflected” in the post-2015 development agenda.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
