Aging Society 2008-06-03
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From: Longevity and Productivity: Experiences from Aging Asia ©APO 2008, ISBN: 92-833-7071-6 Selected papers of the APO Study Meeting on Productivity in Aging Societies held in the Republic of China, 17–20 July 2007. (07-RP-16-GE-STM-B) Edited by Dr. Narender Kumar Chadha Published by the Asian Productivity Organization 1-2-10 Hirakawacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan Tel: (81-3) 5226 3920 • Fax: (81-3) 5226 3950 E-mail: [email protected] • URL: www.apo-tokyo.org Disclaimer and Permission to Use This document is a part of the above-titled publication, and is provided in PDF format for educational use. It may be copied and reproduced for personal use only. For all other purposes, the APO's permission must first be obtained. The responsibility for opinions and factual matter as expressed in this document rests solely with its author(s), and its publication does not constitute an endorsement by the APO of any such expressed opinion, nor is it affirmation of the accuracy of information herein provided. Note: This title is available over the Internet as an APO e-book, and has not been published as a bound edition. Selected papers of the APO Study Meeting on Productivity in Aging Societies held in the Republic of China, 17–20 July 2007. (07-RP-16-GE-STM-B) Dr. Narender Kumar Chadha served as the volume editor. The opinions expressed in this publication do not reflect the official view of the APO. For re- production of the contents in part or in full, the APO’s prior permission is required. ©Asian Productivity Organization 2008 ISBN: 92-833-7071-6 CONTENTS Foreword Chapter 1 The Graying of the Asian Population: Issues and Challenges ............................................Narender Kumar Chadha and Kamlesh Prakash 1 Chapter 2 The Aging Population in Indonesia............................... Omas Bulan Samosir 10 Chapter 3 The Age of Concern .............................................. Narender Kumar Chadha 25 Chapter 4 Aging Society: Emerging Issues and Perspectives from the Republic of China....................................................................................... Mei-Na Hwang 34 Chapter 5 Challenges and Perspectives of Elder Care in the Republic of China ................................................................................................ Ching-Yu Chen 46 Chapter 6 Aging Societies: Emerging Issues and Perspectives from the Philippines .................................................................................. Leticia Trinidad Corillo 60 Chapter 7 Aging Societies: Emerging Issues and Perspectives from Singapore ...............................................................................Angelique Wei Ming Chan 68 Chapter 8 Aging Society and Employment for Older People in Japan: A Case Study of Good Practice .................................................................... Sumiko Ebisuno 81 Chapter 9 Aging Society—Global Trends and Issues: A Perspective from the United States.............................................................................. Priscilla Dawn Allen 101 List of Contributors ................................................................................................................ 111 FOREWORD Aging is a global concern. Thanks to improvements in public health and medicine, the life ex- pectancy of people in most parts of the world is increasing. The aged now account for a growing share of the total population of many countries. The impact of this phenomenon, often accom- panied by declining birth rates, is being felt by both developed and developing countries alike. However, the understanding of the implications of aging societies remains in its infancy in many countries. As people live longer and have fewer children, the number of workers per retired person is de- clining, thereby increasing the dependency ratio. The significantly older, unemployed population also tends to consume an increasing share of the national output by increasing total medical care and social security expenditures. This adds to the strain on society’s scarce resources. A healthy rate of real economic growth could alleviate the pressures created by these challenges, but the prospects of such growth are neither apparent nor uniform for all countries. The problems of an aging society can therefore be far greater for a developing country, although developed countries have not been able to escape their impact. All these signify the increasingly important role of higher productivity in all situations and all countries. I am of the opinion that many of the challenges arising from the increasing number of the aged can only be dealt with by a multipronged approach centered on the family, the society, and the government. The authors of the papers in this publication also think along the same lines. Each author is convinced that no single agent acting alone can bring about a change in the present situation. Contributions from all three are necessary, with the family being the primary support system. The individual chapters in this volume provide insights into each country’s approach to the issues and challenges of an aging society, outlining specific problems, programs, and policies. Chapter 1 presents an overview of the aging status of APO member countries and highlights the issues and challenges faced. Chapters 2–5 expand on the problems faced by participating mem- ber countries and elucidate how they are struggling to find effective solutions. The subsequent chapters describe practical solutions adopted by developed countries with aging societies, namely, Japan, the Republic of China, Singapore, and the USA. This publication is the result of the APO study meeting on Productivity in Aging Societies held in the Republic of China in 2007. It is the first on the subject by the APO, and I hope it facili- tates understanding of the various approaches and specific measures adopted by different countries to find ways of dealing with the impact of increased longevity and the challenges it poses to society and future generations. The APO would like to thank all the authors for their contributions and for making this volume possible. Shigeo Takenaka Secretary-General Tokyo July 2008 CHAPTER 1. THE GRAYING OF THE ASIAN POPULATION: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Dr. Narender Kumar Chadha University of Delhi Kamlesh Prakash APO Secretariat All countries—developing or developed—are experiencing an explosive growth in the population of elderly people. Better diets, improvement in medical facilities, and awareness of healthy lifestyles have brought about an increase in life expectancy rates and a decrease in mor- tality that will have an impact on many aspects of society, but at the moment very few policy- makers are aware of the long-term effects. This trend towards an increasing number of people over the age of 60 will certainly pose many problems in the near future, bringing many chal- lenges for policymakers, planners, and social activists. In order to examine long-term effects and find ways of dealing with them, the APO or- ganized a study meeting on “Productivity in Aging Societies” at Taipei, Republic of China, July 17–20, 2007. Resource countries for this conference were Japan, ROC, Singapore, and the U.S. Participant countries were Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Republic of China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The objective was to take a serious look at global aging and its impact on every participating member country of the APO. Specifically, the goals were to discuss challenges resulting from the increase in elderly populations in APO member countries; to examine approaches in public policy, employment, and health care for the elderly; and to suggest policy directions and recommendations that will enhance the quality of life and productivity of the elderly in society. Asia, one of the largest land areas on earth, is home to the largest number of elderly people in the world. At present it is witnessing an enormous explosion in the population of older people and is faced with the challenge of dealing with the implications of a graying society. Japan, with a population of 127.7 million, has 26.6 million elderly persons, accounting for 28.8% of its total population. This makes it the first super-aging society in Asia. Paradoxically, Japan also faces a declining population, expected to be below a 100 million in 2046. This is a predicament for many countries, not only in Asia but all over the world. Dr. Priscilla Allen, U.S., has noted that in the past the “disengagement theory,” whereby older people opted to drop out of activity in society, was widely accepted. The social environ- ment and the political economy did not support participation by the elderly. However, today the situation is very different. There is a worldwide effort to keep the elderly in the mainstream, to whatever extent possible, to counter the effects of the imbalance in the numbers of the old and the young. DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITIONS The extraordinary impact of this rapidly growing segment of the population can be appre- ciated when looking at the actual demographic picture. Every country is struggling with the sheer numbers of older people who need care and protection in every area of life. As stated above, there are 26.6 million people over the age of 65 in Japan, 28.8% of its total population, and this is expected increase to 30 million by 2012 and 35 million by 2018. The U.S., another developed country, is facing the same predicament. In 1914, the elderly population made up only 7% of its total