Every month an estimated one million people turn 60 and although they become part of the elderly population, they still have a lot to give to society, the head of the United Nations' programme on aging insists.
Speaking to The Times, Alexandre Sidorenko, said that ideally elderly people should not be forced to retire from work, but given the opportunity to keep working for as long as they are capable and willing to do so.
Dr Sidorenko, who is in Malta to attend a three-day conference on aging organised by the International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, starting today, said societies should try to make the most of the skills and experience of older persons.
He pointed out that an action plan on ageing adopted by the UN in 2002 promotes flexible retirement policies and practices, rather than making it compulsory for workers to leave their job when they reach retirement age.
"If society and the person are both benefiting, keeping that person in employment is the ideal situation," he said, adding that many countries are moving towards this concept.
An ageing population is not only a problem for developed countries but has also crossed over into the developing world. In fact, Dr Sidorenko explained, more than 60 per cent of elderly people live in developing countries. By 2050 it is expected that China alone will have one billion over 60-year-olds while in some European countries every third person will be over 60.
He stressed how important it was for policy makers keep this in mind since society needed to adjust to this completely new demographic and societal landscape.
Asked about the major problems affecting elderly populations, Dr Sidorenko said that in the developed world this revolves around care, both within the family and in institutions. While it is globally recognised that community care is better, some families need help to be able to take care of their elderly relatives.
Challenges are different in developing countries, where not only are the elderly more vulnerable in cases of natural disaster but they are also greatly affected by the HIV/Aids epidemic, which is prevalent in many sub-Saharan countries. Dr Sidorenko said that many elderly are having to take care of their grandchildren who lose their parents to the disease.
"It is not abnormal in Africa to find an elderly woman taking care of some three orphan grandchildren, including providing for them financially."
The situation is further complicated by the lack of a pension system in developing countries, although even the least developed countries have introduced a social pension, which is usually not more than $10 a month, but makes a significant contribution to reducing the extreme poverty they find themselves in.
Pensions are also being considered as a challenge in developed countries which fear they will be unable to sustain their expense. Dr Sidorenko said it was important for governments to provide a basic safety net so that elderly people do not fall through the cracks into poverty.