Page 22 - Seniors Today -Volume no1

Toolkit

Seeking their

place in the sun

The issues related to ageing are numerous and have to be tackled by society with un-
derstanding, resolve, and above all, empathy, writes Sonavi Kher Desai

“Grow old along with me! The best is
Issues related to ageing have to be tackled by
society as a whole yet to be.” These inspiring words of the
poet Robert Browning would resonate
with many seniors today. More and
more seniors – people over 60 years of
age – are looking at ageing successfully
by keeping themselves healthy, fit, and
more active. However, there are several
challenges that senior citizens have to
confront as they get older.

According to the World Health
Organization, approximately 12 per cent
of the world’s population is over 60 years
old and this figure would be 22 per cent
by 2050. In India, says a report released
by the Ministry of Statistics in 2016,
citizens over the age of 60 account for 8.6
per cent of the total population – a jump
of a whopping 35.5 per cent in 10 years.

In the last 100 years, the global average
life expectancy has more than doubled
and is now about 70 years. A rapid
advance in medical science and access
to medical facilities and treatments have
increased the longevity of human beings.
In addition to this, economic well-being
and a fall in birth rates in many parts of
the world have contributed to a growing
senior population.

In India, the growth in elderly
population has been more than the
growth in general population leading

SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 1