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Writer: Betül Olgun
In today’s world, average life expectation is rising and population is getting older. While in 2019, there were 1 billion people older than 60 age, expected to increase 1,4 billion people with the 34% increase rate in 2030. By 2050, it is estimated that 60+ aged people will reach 2,1 billion in the worldwide. According to the statistics of World Health Organization (WHO) since the beginning of recorded the number of people aged 65 or older will outnumber children under age 5. Driven by falling fertility rates and remarkable increases in life expectancy, population aging will continue, even accelerate.
According to WHO’s definition “elderly” has been defined as a chronological age of 65 years old or older. “Old age” period starts at 65 age is divided into 3 periods:
Due to not being homogenous period of ageing, the WHO facilitate to define and meet the needs of old aged people by dividing periods. For instance, while young old people are likely to live as middle old people, old old people need health services more than other stage of old aged people.
In the parallel of population aging; the United Nations (UN) declared Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030 which is a global collaboration that brings together diverse sectors and stakeholders including governments, civil society, international organizations, professionals, academic institutions, the media and the private sector to improve the lives of older people, their families and communities. The collaboration focuses on four action areas that are strongly interconnected:
The UN Decade of Healthy Aging not only asks us to take action on aging, but also asks us to think about old age and ageism. For this reason, 4 main focus points were identified in the Core Report for the Decade of Healthy Aging:
While increasing rate of old population in last 10 years led to intervention at global level; either the UN or public authorities cannot stay irrelevant. These aims above as the parallel of the UN Sustainable Development Goals encourage public authorities to take an action about this issue.
The third and fourth action areas of Main Report of Decade of Healthy Ageing are clearly relevant with public health. According to the WHO’s declarations; the basis of these areas are increasing cardiovascular and chronic lung disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer with the increasing aging of global population; and may be prevented by promoting healthy behaviours (e.g. healthy diet, avoiding smoking and the harmful use of alcohol, maintaining regular physical activity). Enabling older people to make these choices, however, requires the social determinants of health to be addressed to widen the opportunities for healthy ageing. The studies reveals that special actions should be taken for older people in three steps: (1) precautionary action for curable disease, (2) disease healing and (3) development of rehabilitation services and care services after disease.
Türkiye, also declared his special focus on aging and health of older people in 11th Development Plan 2019-2023. In this regard, the main objective is to protect young and dynamic demographic structure; and to increase the quality of life of elderly by enabling them participate in economic and social life effectively, maintaining their lives independently and actively, availing them of high quality long-term care, health and other services and creating active aging environments.
From active aging perspective aims and actions were developed which are basis of development of social politics about aging. Recommendations are gathering into 5 main topics: active aging, social inclusion, development of corporate structure, data sources about elderliness and elder care services models. With the parallel of UN aims, it is planned to reach each goals under these topics at the end of 2023.
Main Report of Decade of Healthy Ageing which is published after declaration of Decade of Healthy Aging 2021-2030; mentioned that in worldwide 14% of older people are in lack of meet their basic needs. This situation is clearly linked with public health and it is forced to re-construction of public health according to give attention to the changing needs of older people.
Either Main Report of Decade of Healthy Ageing or 11th Development Plan Specialization Commission of Aging (Yaşlılık Özel İhtisas Komisyonu) Report foresees main changes in public health are: to regularly follow up needs of elder people by family doctors; give information to elder people about any changes in health system; prepare political papers and take special actions about Alzheimer, dementia which is known as older disease and encourage gerontology. In addition to these, it is needed to institutionalization of health and care services to meet the care needs of healthy aging people who live alone or with their family and continue their healthy lives.
Healthy aging is defined as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age. While life expectancy is increasing, healthy aging is defined in national and international politics documents is seen as main goal to getting older healthy and live a quality life.
It is widely expected that health services play a major role in healthy aging and from the social inclusion perspective protection against illness, access to qualified health services, awareness about protection of health are the main necessity of healthy aging.
To re-shape public health according to new needs of older people will contribute to economy and social policy including future’s and today’s older people and will be basis of development and wealth of older aging population.
Global report on ageism
World Health Organization, Geneva, 2021
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240016866
Erişim: 17.10.2021
On Birinci Kalkınma Planı (2019-2023) Yaşlılık Özel İhtisas Komisyonu, 2018
https://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/YaslanmaOzelIhtisasKomisyonuRaporu.pdf
Erişim: 17.10.2021
Yaşlılık Tanımı, Yaşlılık Kavramı, Epidemiyolojik Özellikler
Türkiye Solunum Araştırmaları Derneği
https://www.solunum.org.tr/TusadData/Book/677/17102018112853-001.pdf
Erişim: 17.10.2021
Dünyada ve Türkiye’de Yaşlılık
Uluslararası Bilimsel Araştırmalar Dergisi
Cilt: 3, Sayı: 1, Sayfa: 219-229, Bahar, Yıl: 2018
