One of the Ideas that are changing the world: Aging Gracefully

According to TIME magazine, society now thinks that grey-haired societies are not a problem. In fact, it is hardly fair to consider them an evitable burden to society. True, taking care of the elderly will incur huge costs and place certain strains on the working adults, stretching already overburdened pension and healthcare systems. However, it has been observed that the elderly these days are staying active, not at all sitting idly at home, waiting for people to cater to their every need.

The combination of declining birth rate and longer longevity has led to a startling demographic development. Currently, more than a quarter of the population in Japan are older than 60 and that figure is set to increase to 42% in 2050. In a country with more than 32000 centenarians, a 92 year old woman commented that she still has 8 years to go before she considers herself elderly. This brings into focus the way the elderly view themselves, that they are not too old and not irrelevant just yet. In fact, one in three Japanese aged 60 or over is still part of the work force and also, elderly are doing everything with energy, from working, turning kimonos into cool patchwork designs and even doing math frills to keep mentally fit. With people continuing to contribute productivity to society, we have to re-evaluate what we mean by old.

Furthermore, the elderly do not spend their remaining years being thrifty and saving up for future generations. Businesses catering to the so-called silver economy are booming, offering everything from elderly-friendly housing to trips for retiree globetrotters. From generation to generation, people’s take on life have changed. This generation of elderly are increasingly indulgent, willing to spend their savings on themselves. The image in our heads of frail and elderly people is slowly but surely changing, elderly these days can now be considered still hip and glamorous.