April 2022

How AI and robots are caring for the elderly in Taiwan’s ageing society

The idea that cities today will have a disproportionate number of elderly would have been laughable a mere century ago. As recently as 1950, global mortality rates for children were five times higher than they are now, according to Our World in Data. Yet, advancements in healthcare and sanitation standards are helping adults live longer than ever before. Taiwan, in particular, is estimated to become a super-aged society by 2025, with one in five being over 65 years old, said...

Homeless Population Aging in Japan

The proportion of homeless people aged 70 or over in the total homeless population in Japan surged to 34.4 pct in 2021 from 19.7 pct in 2016, a welfare ministry survey has found. The survey on people without housing, held about every five years, also showed that the average age of homeless people rose by 2.1 years to 63.6 years. In the survey, conducted in November 2021, homeless people in Tokyo's 23 special wards, ordinance-designated major cities and other cities were...

China may see negative population growth in 2022, 12 years earlier than UN prediction: experts

Experts said that population aging may lead China to count more deaths than births in 2022, 12 years earlier than the UN predicted. They suggested boosting commercial insurance to support the elderly given the current inadequate old age welfare system. Chinese people aged over 65 have surpassed 14% of the total population in 2021, which is an important indicator and means the country has formally become an aged society, said Zheng Bingwen, director of the Center for International Social Security...

Bad Retirement Savers Expect to Die Young

By Allison Bell What workers think about their retirement savings is closely related to how long they think they will live, according to a new Club Vita life expectancy survey. Workers who said that their savings would be enough to pay for a comfortable retirement agreed with Club Vita about how long they might live. Workers who said their savings would be too small to pay for a comfortable retirement predicted that they would die about 7.1 years earlier than Club Vita would have...

Japan’s population down 640,000 in 2021, biggest drop on record

Japan's population totaled 125,502,000 as of Oct. 1, down 644,000 from a year earlier, marking the biggest decline on record, according to government data released Friday. The fall was attributed to stricter border restrictions propelled by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. The tally includes foreign nationals. Tokyo's population shrank for the first time in 26 years. All of Japan's 47 prefectures except Okinawa posted a fall in the number of residents in the year to...

US. America's Senior Homeless Population is Growing as More Retire on Streets

US. Senior Homeless Population is Growing as More Retire on Streets

Karla Finocchio's slide into homelessness began when she split with her partner of 18 years and temporarily moved in with a cousin. The 55-year-old planned to use her $800-a-month disability check to get an apartment after back surgery. But she soon was sleeping in her old pickup protected by her German Shepherd mix Scrappy, unable to afford housing in Phoenix, where median monthly rents soared 33% during the coronavirus pandemic to over $1,220 for a one-bedroom, according to ApartmentList.com. Finocchio is...

Cities that Plan for Age-Readiness can Reap Lasting Social and Economic Benefits: New World Bank Report

Cities that Plan for Age-Readiness can Reap Lasting Social and Economic Benefits: New World Bank Report

As the world gets older and cities expand to accommodate more people, focusing on making urban infrastructure and services ‘age-ready’ — conducive for older persons and younger ones alike — can have universal social and economic benefits, a new World Bank report shows. “Silver Hues: Building Age-Ready Cities” builds on the reality that for the first time in history, there are more persons aged 65 years or over than there are children under five. In fact, by 2050, one in...

Aging in the LGBTQ+ Community

Aging in the LGBTQ+ Community

The Wyomissing Public Library will hold an event to learn more about the older LGBTQ+ population, and how we can improve to create a more equitable society for all. The LGBTQ+ population faces many disparities, one of them being disproportionate challenges brought up during the aging process. When compared to their heterosexual counterparts, LGBTQ+ elders are more likely to experience discrimination in housing, have a lower income, and are more likely to express a lack of social support. Check @Bctv.org for...

Why Society Needs To Change How We Think About Aging

Why Society Needs To Change How We Think About Aging

With the Age Discrimination in Employment Act coming into force back in 1967, the notion of age discrimination has a long history. Unfortunately, it’s an issue that we still grapple with today, and whereas it’s easy to assume it’s only a problem for those in and around retirement age, a survey from Senior Living suggests it can kick in as early as our 40s. The research, which saw over 1,100 Americans over 40 years of age quizzed about their workplace...

March 2022

Finland’s ageing population increasing at record speed

Finland’s ageing population increasing at record speed

Finland’s elderly, one of the world’s largest cohorts compared to the country’s remaining population, is growing rapidly, a new survey has found. Finland ranks third among OECD countries in terms of the largest share of people over 65, the report compiled by the UK-based organisation, Ageing in Place reveals. With 22.49%, Finland trails behind Italy with 23.37% and Japan with 28.79%. This figure also saw a rapid increase in Finland as only 17.26% fitted in that bracket in 2010. The trend can...