Effect of the Aging Population, Essay Example

Another name for aging population is demographic aging. This term is used to describe a changing pattern in the age distribution whereby people who are older become more than young people. The main cause of an ageing global population is fertility transition. The economic and social effects of an ageing population in Los Angeles California are set to increase in the future as more and more people join category of old people. The pattern will continue in the next two decades or even more.

Los Angeles County is home to about 9.2 million people. Fifty nine percent of this population is aged from 45 years and above (Administration on Aging, 2001). These startling figures present that county’s leadership and citizens alike with very many economic challenges. Some people consider an ageing population to be a success story for the entire mankind. Other people consider it as a curse in disguise. Whichever way one looks at it, there are many economic and social challenges that this phenomenon presents. For instance, all institutional structures have to be changed in order to fit in with the changing demographic structure.

The Los Angeles social security system is facing very many challenges today. Unless radical modifications are made, the problem might get out of hand in a matter of a few decades to come (Preston, 2001). An aging population comes with increases in taxes that are levied to the citizens. This means that cost of living adjustments have to be made. The retirement ages have to be pushed further up the age scale and public retirement programs become an immediate necessity.

In Los Angeles, just like in other counties within the United States, an ageing population presents unique health care challenges since prevalence rates of disability increase. Some of the most common health-related problems that the ageing Los Angeles population faces include cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

The economic effects of an ageing population in Los Angeles have many implications, with analysts fearing that in the end, everyone might become old, making the county become one big nursing home (Eberstadt, 1997).

In order for demographers to understand the economic implications of an ageing population, they first have to ensure that they use accurate methods of determining an ageing population. In this case, demographers often refer to the concept of stable populations (Preston et al, 2001). According to this model, mortality and fertility rates are assumed to be age-specific and that they remain constant over a certain period.

Effect of an Ageing Population on Health Care Costs and Services to Your Community

The local community in Los Angeles is affected by an ageing population in very many ways. First, as more people develop complications relating to old age, the existing health facilities are stressed to the limit. This makes it necessary for the existing health care systems to be expanded. Until such an expansion is made, people will continue to put more strain on the existing health care facilities.

As people become older, health insurance schemes are becoming more and more important. This creates an imbalance in priorities as everyone tries to invest in retirement schemes. The general implication is that majority of the population find itself in financial problems.

For policy makers, the challenge in the community with a rising population is very huge. The federal government is forced to make changes in infrastructural development priorities in order to show sensitivity for the concerns of an ageing population that suffers from perennial health problems.

Fiscal personal health care implications have led many policymakers to worry about the future of Los Angeles. The expenditure on health care is higher than even that of education. Such problems call for an overhaul of the entire state’s health care policies. To make matters worse, the costs of health for both young and old people are rising as a result of inflation. In this case, the Los Angeles residents find themselves in a deep crisis.

Today, the young population is becoming smaller while that of older people is becoming higher. In a stable population, the number of young people should be higher than that of older people. As the population becomes older, human resources are difficult to get. It even becomes difficult to find professions to work in the health sector.

Major Issues Facing an Ageing Population

The ageing population faces many challenges in all facets of life. In the workplace, an ageing population requires retirement plans to be put in place. This puts strain on the companies that these people work for in terms of financial readjustments. On their way home, old people have special needs in terms of comfort. They need more comfort as opposed to the younger population. An old person cannot be comfortable commuting while standing in the public transport systems, something that young people have no problem with.

Counseling facilities in the Los Angeles are not enough to meet the demands of a growing population. There are too few counselors and so many old people who require guidance and counseling. This problem arises mainly because as one grows older, psychological support becomes very necessary for one to be able to cope with health and financial problems.

In matters of housing, older people have more needs compared to young people. There is need for care to be taken in order to ensure that existing buildings are easily accessible to old people. As people grow older, disabilities become more prevalent. This is why many buildings are being renovated in order to be accessible by wheelchairs. No wonder today, architects are very mindful of older people when designing lifts, staircases and waiting rooms. Some few years ago, such considerations would not have been given top priority.

Fitness facilities that target old people in Los Angeles are also becoming very common.  These days, it is possible for people who are over 50 years and over to enter into a gym and comfortably train without feeling out of place. Likewise, gym instructors are now shifting focus from the needs of young people to those of the middle-aged population. In some few years to come, focus will have shifted completely away from the young generation in order to reflect the contemporary demographic realities.

Policy Changes That Are Being Done in Order to Address Problems Facing the Ageing Population

In terms of health, old people have very many needs that require to be addressed through policy changes. One such policy change is increased expenditure in research relating to diseases that affect old people. Additionally, more funding of existing health apparatus is needed. Education programs that address the dietary needs of an ageing population also need to be addressed. Today, all the aforementioned measures are being taken both at the federal and state level. Local communities are coming together in order to share information on proper diet and exercise habits.

Today, social amenities such as housing, recreation and sanitation facilities are being made more user-friendly for the ageing population. More care centers and nursing homes are being set up and equipped with professional staff. The staffs are professionally trained people with knowledge on needs of elderly population.

Retirement plans are being introduced in the workplace in order to ensure that people have a social security arrangement that they can fall back on when they no longer have the strength to engage in income generating activities.

The ageing population is being adversely affected by technological changes. Much is being done in order to install technological facilities that are easy for these people to use. Additionally, more training opportunities are being provided to senior citizens within the local communities. These opportunities are relate to computer and internet use skills.

In conclusion, many demographic instability challenges will continue to exist as long as the population is ageing. Since the early 1990s, laws that take into consideration the social security, housing and investment interests of an aging population have been put in place and therefore senior citizens are more hopeful about the future.

Banking institutions are coming up with loans that make it possible for old people to engage in development projects that can earn them regular incomes without them having to strain too much. For these services to be introduced, Administration on Aging has had to present the startling population figures to policy makers at all levels. This has resulted in overhaul of existing policies. Today, competitions are being organized specifically for senior citizens. This is something that no one could have heard of in the 1970s. In comparison to her all her neighbors, the California state government has done more in terms of provision of welfare services for elderly citizens.

References

Administration on Aging (2001). A Profile of Older Americans: 2001. New York: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Eberstadt, N. (1997).  World population implosion?  Public Interest, 129: 3-22.

Preston, S. et al.  (1989).  Demographic conditions responsible for population aging. Demography  26: 691-704.

Preston, S. (2001). Demography: Measuring and Modeling Population Processes. Oxford: Blackwell.