15A) Health and Social Care Issue – Ageing Population

Population Trend

• Local – median age of the population rising
• World – ageing population is more prominent in the developed countries than developing countries

Related problems

• Increase in elderly dependency ratio
• Impact and implications on the health / social care system
  • Increase in health care expenditure
  • Increase in social security payments

Government Strategies

• Increasing the working population
• Increasing the fertility rate

Active Ageing

• The process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age

Policy Objectives

• A sense of security – to meet the basic needs of the elderly
• A sense of belonging – to assist the elderly to stay in their homes / community in which they have a sense of belonging
• A feeling of health and worthiness – to unleash the potentials of the elderly and cultivate a sense of self-worthiness

Five Pillars of Old Age Protection

(World Bank)

• Zero Pillar: a non-contributory, publicly-managed and financed pension or social security scheme
• First Pillar: a publicly-managed, mandatory contribution system
• Second Pillar: a privately-managed, mandatory contribution system
• Third Pillar: voluntary personal savings
• Fourth Pillar: public services, informal support and personal assets