On this day of commemoration, the United Nations (UN) points out that, by 2030, the elderly will outnumber the young, even in developing countries. While life expectancy has risen significantly since 1950, the pressures on care provision and the need to adapt are also evident.
The theme “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide” emphasize “the importance of protecting the human rights of both caregivers and care recipients, promoting person-centered approaches to care that respect the dignity, beliefs, needs, and privacy of older persons, and for the right to make decisions about their care and quality of their lives.”
While we’re still in the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020–2030), it’s worth remembering that the number of elderly people is set to more than double by 2050. Data indicate a population of 761 million seniors in 2021. This figure will rise to 1.6 billion by 2050. This increase is even more rapid for people over 80.
A survey conducted in 57 countries shows that one out of two people still holds moderately or strongly ageist attitudes today. Women pay a higher price for this prejudiced behaviour because they have been subjected to gender stereotypes (sexism) throughout their lives. Consult the Government of Canada’s Consultation Guide on Ageism.
Under the circumstances, it’s essential to fight prejudice against all older people.
Reflecting on how we view the elderly
“Above all, it is the way we look at older people that must change. To be old is in itself neither a defect nor a disease nor a crime… Tomorrow, I will be a little older, and I may need to be “supported” at home and not “maintained” at home. I will need to be “considered”, not “taken care of” – I am not a burden! I will need to be “looked after”, not “watched over”.
“It doesn’t seem like much, but these words speak well of the necessary change of perspective that must be brought about in old age. It is on this condition that the elderly will be considered not as objects of care, but as subjects of law. Meeting difficulties and problems, but remaining until the end of their lives as men and women. Full-fledged citizens.”
-Michel Billé, sociologist. Newspaper Le Monde – 02/08/2020
In many regions of Quebec, a number of activities are being organized as part of Seniors’ Week. The organizations involved are keen to highlight the contribution seniors make to society, and to break their isolation.