There is growing awareness that ‘active ageing’, social engagement and community
participation can radically alter for the better how later life is experienced. The challenge for society is to make these
things happen.
Traditionally the old-age dependency ratio, OADR (the number
of people aged over 65 to people of working age), was used to assess the burden to the society of supporting elderly people. The
increase of that ratio was considered to reflect the growing burden of the ageing population on the pensions system. But
this measure is now out of date because people live longer and someone at age 65 is not an old person anymore.The same problem
occurs if policy-makers use the old-age dependency ratio as an indicator of the burden of ageing on health care costs.
View clips from documentary - The Boomer Century: 1946–2046hosted by Ken Dychtwald, one of the leading American thinkers on the 'Age
Wave'.
'Use it and grow it'. A brain that is being stretched is building cognitive reserve.
Read about the concept of Cognitive Reserve on SharpBrains.
Traditionally the old-age dependency ratio,
OADR (the number of people aged over 65 to people of working age), was used to assess the burden to the society of supporting
elderly people. The increase of that ratio was considered to reflect the growing burden of the ageing population on the
pensions system. But this measure is now out of date, say the authors of the study, because people live longer and someone
at age 65 is not an old person anymore.The same problem occurs if policy-makers use the old-age dependency ratio as an indicator
of the burden of ageing on health care costs.
