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Room for Thought

"Policies are many, Principles are few;
Policies will change, Principles never do"

- John Maxwell

"No man becomes rich unless he enriches others."

- Andrew Carnegie

 OLDER PERSONS AND DEVELOPMENT
            Eradication of Poverty

The profound effects of poverty as a most significant determinant of health and well being in ageing populations needs to be better understood. More needs to be understood on the causation and dynamics of poverty among older persons and families especially in the poorer developing countries. The different effects of poverty on vulnerable groups such as women and older persons need to be explored in depth. Educational strategies will be important in combating poverty at all levels. Education and raising awareness among decision makers on the effects of ill health, pain and the long term cost consequences of not addressing poverty will help decision makers to adopt informed policies.

Research

• Research should be undertaken to identify effective strategies for empowerment of older persons.
• Research on the effects of empowerment on self-efficacy and productivity will provide understanding of the consequences of empowerment among older persons.
• Research to audit the policies and activities of major intergovernmental organizations as well as trans-national corporations relating to old age economic security and poverty.
• Research to establish experiences and perceptions of poverty, income security and expectations of material security in old age among older and younger (i.e the future old) generations.
• Research to record in national context, nationally representative quantitative and qualitative data on:
  1. the scale of old age poverty, especially in relation to other age-groups
  2. the needs, perceptions, attitudes and values of older and younger generations regarding economic security in old age.
• Research is needed to:
  1. document the effects of public provision of old age income security on older people, younger generations and communities in low income countries which have established such schemes.
  2. document the efficacy, adequacy and impact of contributory social insurance schemes in low income countries.
  3. provide evidence on the capacity of families to provide sufficient economic security to older people, as well as to the younger generations.
• Research incorporating a life course approach is essential to identify effective and appropriate strategies to prevent or postpone the onset of chronic disease and ill-health in later life.
• Participatory research incorporating a life course approach is essential to identify effective and appropriate strategies to prevent or postpone the onset of chronic disease and ill-health in later life.
• Participatory research enables scientists to identify in local contexts the kinds of strategies or schemes that are most needed, appropriate and effective.
• Research to chart, in local contexts and among younger and older generations, the prevailing patterns of intergenerational economic support, as well as the underlying normative attitudes, expectations and values regarding family support in old age will enable planners to develop responsive programs.
• Research to monitor and evaluate the implementation of policies and plans of action. Continuous audits of ageing policy developments and implementation at national and international level are proposed.

Education

• Training and education should be available to people of all ages to enable them to contribute to the productivity of their communities.

Policy and Practice

• Action needs to be taken by governments in economic and social policy arenas to reduce poverty.
• Poverty is pervasive among older people in the developing world and especially among women.
• Poverty can impact differentially on certain groups, for example on refugees, disabled person, ethnic minorities and other vulnerable persons.
• Poverty is the main threat to well-being in old age. It goes beyond material deprivation and exposes older people to social exclusion, abuse, chronic ill-health, lack of autonomy, and vulnerability in emergency situations.
• Poverty in old age must be viewed from a life course perspective: Poverty deepens and is exacerbated in old age for those who have a long history of living in poverty.
• Poverty in old age must be viewed from an intergenerational perspective: it impacts not only on older persons but also on the well-being of younger generations. Poverty in old age is inextricably linked to income insecurity, declining family and community support as well as poor health status.
• Policies for eradication of old age poverty must:
  1. Eliminate poverty in the present generation of older people, and must prevent poverty among future generations of older people.
  2. Be developed in individual national contexts, drawing on the needs, wishes and expectations of older people, as well as of younger generations—those who will be old in the coming decades.
  3. Recognize and address negative and positive impacts of globalization on the security of older people, and promote the rights of older people throughout the world.
• Public sector leadership is crucial for ensuring material security for older people. The family, though central in providing old age support does not have the capacity to, and should not be expected to provide adequate economic security to older people. Similarly, contributory social insurance schemes based on learning ability alone do not, and cannot, provide sufficient economic security in a context of pervasive poverty.
  • At the same time, growing evidence on the impact of public minimum old age schemes shows that, in addition to the benefit for the older person, there are significant redistributive effects of such schemes: I.e.beneficial impacts also on younger generations as well as on economic activity and income generation. Such schemes should thus be considered as tools for development of poverty alleviation.
  • Evidence clearly suggests that the introduction of public old age income security schemes is economically feasible and not incompatible with economic growth. There is growing evidence that such schemes can facilitate family support such as family caregiving and respect for the old.
• Poor health throughout the life course is a key determinant of poverty, and especially poverty in old age. In turn, poverty in old age further undermines older people;s health status and functional capacity-both at the level of health care provision and in terms of individual’s lack of access to services. Strategies designed to improve health throughout the life course and prevent chronic illness and disability as people age are a crucial part of policies to eradicate poverty among older people.
• In addition to public sector provision of minimum income security, strategies are needed to open opportunities for economic activities for older people, particularly in rural areas.
  • Examples include micro-credit, income generation or other community based schemes. However, policies must allow older people the choice of whether or not to engage in economic activity.
• Strategies are needed to encourage and facilitate provision of family support to older people. However, these policies must be appropriate to the norms, values and wishes prevailing in respective populations today, among older people as well as younger generations.