We’re all getting older so what’s the problem

It’s an undeniable fact in the UK and the rest of Europe at least that we are becoming an ageing population. What this means for society before socially and in term of employment is yet to be seen but Governments are already looking to make plans. To give you an idea the current retirement age is 67. This means if you entered the labour market at 17 you will have contributed to the UK tax find for 50 years. However, with people entering the job market at a later age due to changes to formal education now running until we are 18 or after University at 21 or 22 that starts to reduce the amount of working years. If we live longer after retirement, and more of us a living to one hundred plus years, the time that we spend retired is almost rivalling the time we have spent working. This puts the populace at a profit over what they’ve paid in and Governments don’t like that. This is why we shall soon see a rise again in the retirement age, it was 65 for men and 60 for women. Back then looking at the average life expectancy Governments only had to pay out for about 10 years. We are going to be older it would seem for longer and that can mean increased cost in terms of residential care and to the NHS. We all need to be a bit more prepared.

One thing we can look at is where we are going to live and Gloucestershire Park Homes at http://www.parkhomelife.com/ offer a solution that is a benefit and needs to be investigated as the need for our care are important. It’s not just the Government that has been looking at what to do about this situation. The World Health Organisation has had a radical rethink on what it defines age ranges as being. It may not sit well with everyone or have universal agreement but here it is.

0 to 17 – Underage. I’m not that keen on telling a sixteen or seventeen year old that they are underage but you have to have a cut off somewhere on the scale. When you consider that we were ending formal education at 14 only 60 years ago and children were working in industry at 7 150 years ago it’s an advance.

18 to 65 youth and young people. This is quite the most controversial description as people I there 40’s and 50 who were thinking they are middle aged are in for a shock. 40 is the new 30 they say. WHO certainly agree.

66 to 79. Middle age. When I told my Mother this she laughed in my face. She 77 and says she’s old

80 to 99 elderly to senior. This one seems about right. I would accept being called old when I was over 80.

Over 100. Long lived elderly. Catchy that on a birthday card. Certainly to the point.