ABSTRACT
We live in an ageing society and the evidence is that this is set to continue into the middle of the current century. Population ageing represents a great success and also presents significant challenges.1 The World Assembly on Ageing II predicted that the number of people aged 60 years and over will increase from 600 million to almost 2 billion by 2050. The increase will be most rapid in the developing countries where the older population is predicted to quadruple during the next 50 years. By 2050, 79% of the world’s population over 60 years will be in developing countries, 4% will be in countries whose economy is in transition and 18% in developed countries.2 This period will also see some dramatic changes in dependency ratios; these seek to measure the ratio of dependents (children aged 15 years and under and adults aged 65 years or over) to the number of persons in the working age group. Although a useful indicator of the level of social support needed within a country, dependency ratios make assumptions about, in particular, the nature of older age. The main assumption is that older people are dependent. In fact, older people throughout the world contribute directly or indirectly to economic development and to social care, especially the care of grandchildren.3 Desai and Tye in their study of the Asian perspective on Ageing, state that:
(T)he economic contribution of older people in developing countries is not well understood. There is no doubt, however, that there are high rates of economic participation by older men and women. Greater still is their contribution made to the informal economy. Older people have naturally assumed roles such as tending to childcare, cooking and other household tasks and taking on many part-time jobs in the informal sector. Younger adults are ‘released’ for employment purposes and the cumulative effect is beneficial to the whole household unit.4
