New America Media reveals a new version of Old Bias:
SAN FRANCISCO--As the debate over immigration reform tugs predictably back in Washington, an undercurrent of ageism and disability bias has been flowing beneath more obvious racial and class implications.
Take, for instance, the recent USA Today op-ed co-authored by former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., now president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, which warned, “The truly enormous costs come when unauthorized immigrants start collecting retirement benefits.”
DeMint and his colleague continued, “Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and other entitlement programs already impose huge, unfunded liabilities on taxpayers.” The op-ed goes on to declare that “an amnesty” proposed for 11 million unauthorized immigrants will add significant taxpayer costs because unauthorized immigrants average only a 10th-grade education.
Doing the Right Thing
Rather than being a burden, however, according to the Social Security Administration’s chief actuary, those presumed drains on the system have been a boon. They add $15 billion a year to Social Security in payroll taxes, only taking out $1billion annually in benefits. In the long term, immigration reform would modestly cut Social Security’s deficit, not worsen it.
According to Pew Research, that’s partly because of future rising income and home ownership levels for those immigrants’ children.
“Those opposed to immigration reform have attempted to use vital programs, like Social Security, as an economic excuse to avoid doing the right thing,” said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM).
In a policy brief last week, NCPSSM cited Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations, who has said that immigration reform would actually lead to higher wages and allow immigrants to pay more towards Social Security.
"They’re going to pay more into the Social Security system. The CBO has run these numbers in the past, in the short-run there’s a big boost for the Social Security system," Alden said
White House and Senate ‘Roadmaps’
According to a new policy analysis by the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) and National Council on Aging (NCOA), today’s approximately 11 million unauthorized immigrants include 1.3 million individuals ages 45-54, and another half million who are 55 and older.
NHCOA’s Jason Coates and NCOA policy analyst Joe Caldwell examined “roadmaps” to citizenship outlined so far by the White House and the Senate’s bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” with legislation to come in a few months.
Both proposals signal long waits before eligible immigrants could even apply for lawful permanent resident status (green cards) and citizenship. And their access to health care and economic security benefits, especially important to elders and those with disabilities, is in doubt.
Under the current proposals, unauthorized immigrants could end up waiting a decade or more to qualify for health care and other safety-net programs.
While the Senate plan would link the waiting period for being able to apply for green cards to some assurance of border security, the White House has proposed allowing undocumented immigrants provisional status for six-to-eight years before they could become permanent residents. (Both the administration and Senate frameworks would expedite the process for “DREAMers,” agricultural workers, and highly skilled immigrants with advanced degrees in such areas as science and technology.)
Once an immigrant waited through those years on provisional, or temporary status and qualified for a permanent status (the green card), he or she would begin the five-year process toward naturalization. During that time, the White House and Senate proposals would deny them access to federal benefits, such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). President Obama’s proposal would deny access to subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. People could have to wait more than a decade for assistance.
Older adults would also have to wait that long to access Medicaid, which is the primary payer of long-term care in the U.S. States can waive the five-year waiting period normally required once someone becomes a permanent resident, but only for pregnant women and children, not for individuals with disabilities or seniors.
Statistics show that six-in-ten undocumented Hispanics is without health insurance.
They would also have to wait another five years -- that is about a decade after starting on the path to citizenship -- to qualify for federal Medicare.
Many of those 11 million undocumented people are overrepresented in low-paying and often physically demanding occupations, frequently incurring high rates of work-related injuries, and contributing to high rates of disability and chronic conditions over time.
Looming Shortage of Care Workers
The NHCOA-NCOA report also calls on the government to strengthen and stabilize the shrinking direct-care workforce, such as the nursing aides who assist patients with such crucial daily activities as getting dressed, taking medication, preparing meals and managing money.
The advocacy groups say reforms should afford these workers the same streamlined and expedited visa process as those proposed for scientists, engineers and workers in other high-need areas, because the nation is facing a looming shortage of care workers.
The paper explains that as the U.S. population ages, U.S. demand for long-term care will leap from today’s 12 million to 27 million by 2050. The country will need 1.6 million additional direct-care workers by 2020 and 3 million by 2030.
Immigration reform is vital for meeting that projected need, say NHCOA and NCOA, because almost one in four current direct-care workers is foreign born. About half today are naturalized citizens and others have legal status, “but a significant portion is estimated to be unauthorized.”
Policy changes offering these workers authorized immigration status would improve the quality of care, says the paper, by allowing for improved background checks, providing workers opportunities for training and career advancement, building registries to assist individuals and find workers, and enabling workers to legally drive.
“Comprehensive immigration reform will help millions come out of the shadows. Many of the half million older adult immigrants [among them] have worked for decades and contributed millions to Social Security,” said NHCOA’s Jason Coates. Rather than begrudging them income and health security protections they have earned, he added, “We should reward their contributions to the to the United States.”
Showing posts with label Rural Women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rural Women. Show all posts
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Older Persons Fighting HIV/AIDS in South Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently analyzed HIV/AIDS issues among older people in South Africa. What did the researchers find?
Increasingly older people are contracting HIV/AIDS. However, existing data does not specify how many have been infected. Also, WHO says that older people continue to be excluded from HIV prevention and treatment programmes. UNAIDS estimates that 2.8 million people 50 years and older were living with HIV in 2006 and the prevalence of HIV in South Africa among people age 50-54 was 10.8%, 4.5% among those aged 55-59, and 3.9% among those aged 60 and over. But we don't have current data.
Older people in nearly every culture depend on family support. Usually younger persons care for the most old or infirm. However, HIV/AIDS changes such family relationships. When adult children die, older persons once again step in to head the household and care for orphaned children. The number of grandparents caring for AIDS orphans in developing countries has doubled over the last ten years. At least half of the world’s 15 million AIDS orphans are being cared by a grandparent. As GAA has pointed out many times, older caregivers are often women who face serious financial, physical and emotional stress due to their caregiving responsibilities in their later years.
Here are some WHO recommendations to citizens and governments to reduce the heavy impact of HIV/AIDS on older people:
Global Action on Aging
Increasingly older people are contracting HIV/AIDS. However, existing data does not specify how many have been infected. Also, WHO says that older people continue to be excluded from HIV prevention and treatment programmes. UNAIDS estimates that 2.8 million people 50 years and older were living with HIV in 2006 and the prevalence of HIV in South Africa among people age 50-54 was 10.8%, 4.5% among those aged 55-59, and 3.9% among those aged 60 and over. But we don't have current data.
Older people in nearly every culture depend on family support. Usually younger persons care for the most old or infirm. However, HIV/AIDS changes such family relationships. When adult children die, older persons once again step in to head the household and care for orphaned children. The number of grandparents caring for AIDS orphans in developing countries has doubled over the last ten years. At least half of the world’s 15 million AIDS orphans are being cared by a grandparent. As GAA has pointed out many times, older caregivers are often women who face serious financial, physical and emotional stress due to their caregiving responsibilities in their later years.
Here are some WHO recommendations to citizens and governments to reduce the heavy impact of HIV/AIDS on older people:
- provide concrete support to older people, such as social pensions;
- train HIV/AIDS service and health providers on gerontological issues;
- insure psychological and medical support for older people living with ill family members;
- include older people in HIV/AIDS education/training programmes
Global Action on Aging
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
China covers some 484 Million Citizens with a Pension Plan
Xinhua Web Editor, Mao Yaqing, reports that nearly 500 million Chinese are now covered by a pension plan. The program extends to over 300 million urban Chinese and has doubled the percentage of those with pension coverage since 2007. This is an outstanding achievement for the people of China.
| China's pension system covered 484 million people as of 2012. "Gross revenues for social insurance funds totaled 2.85 trillion yuan (457.45 billion U.S. dollars) and gross expenditures reached 2.21 trillion yuan in 2012, 2.63 times and 2.8 times that of five years ago, respectively, the ministry said. Basic endowment insurance per capita has increased 86 percent compared with five years ago," according to the news account. China's social insurance funds comprise five parts: basic endowment insurance for the elderly, basic medical insurance, unemployment insurance, work-related injury insurance and maternity insurance. As the world's most populous country, China faces enormous challenges to support its current and future older citizens. Only fifteen years ago, China was creating a fully developed pension program for its population. Now, the results can be seen for its urban citizens. As in other nations, China must also face the needs of its citizens in the country-side where pensions appear more difficult to create, fund and distribute. If you have first-hand knowledge of these developments, please share them with Global Action on Aging. Susanne Paul Global Action on Aging |
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Obama Plans Cruel Cuts to Social Security
Reports from New America Media say that President Obama will likely put Social Security's annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) on
the chopping block--even though doing so would not reduce the federal debt by a
penny.
Read this excerpted analysis from Nancy J. Altman, author of The Battle for Social Security, and Eric Kingson, a professor at Syracuse University, co-directors of Social Security Works, Washington D.C.
. . . "Social Security is barred by law from borrowing funds to cover its costs; it cannot add to the deficit and should not be part of deficit discussions at all. Why politicians – especially the president -- keep bringing it up is a question our policymakers have never answered convincingly."
" . . . The idea is to reduce the future cost of Social Security by using a stingier CPI formula. But the very purpose of adding the COLA to checks year-to-year is to keep Social Security benefits up with inflation, and maintain a decent standard of living for retirees, those with disabilities and, when a family breadwinner dies, his or her surviving spouse and children.
Using the chained-CPI would cut already modest Social Security benefits – $13,600 on average -- more each year. This cut would hit Social Security beneficiaries hardest in their 80s or older, or after years of disability when they are most likely to have exhausted their savings.
Social Security’s moderate benefits, especially compared with other counties, are vital to people with fixed or limited incomes. The current CPI index the government uses fails to measures the inflation seniors and those with disabilities experience because it does not adequately account for health care.
Most Americans assume that Medicare covers health costs, but as important as that program is, people 65 or older spend, on average, more than twice as much on health care as those ages 25-64, about 13 percent compared to 5 percent. Also, the current CPI calculation understates the cost of housing. You may own your home, but, for instance, be one roof-repair away from poverty.
So switching to the chained CPI would provide an even less accurate and less sustainable measure for people trying to make ends meet. And its impact would compound over time.
The chained-CPI would pull $112 billion directly out of the pockets of beneficiaries over the next 10 years and much more thereafter. A typical Social Security retiree would lose the equivalent of roughly $500 a year (in today’s dollars) at age 75 under the chained CPI, compared to the current formula; $1,000 in their 85th year and $1,500 at age 95.
This may not sound like a lot of money, but two-thirds of seniors depend on Social Security for half or more of their income. And one in three seniors rely on the program for at least 90 percent of their income. The chained-CPI cut would translate into the cost of two weeks of food per month for a 95 year-old widow.
Ethnic Elders and Older Women
In fact, the growing impact would be large in almost anyone’s book. Typically, over the years, the chained-CPI cut would amount to $4,600 by age 75, $13,900 by 85, and $28,000 for those fortunate enough to live to 95. How’s that for a Happy Birthday present?
Ethnic elders stand to lose the most because Social Security is usually a greater share of their retirement income. Even before the Great Recession, in 2007, the average household of color had just 16 percent of the wealth possessed by the average white household.
The impact of the chained-CPI would be especially harsh on older ethnic women because they are far more likely than other groups to work in low-wage professions. Also, they are less likely to have other sources of retirement income. Astoundingly, more than four out of 10 single African American women or Latinas live below the poverty line today. And the proportion rises as these groups get older.
Because African American women have the lowest rates of marriage in the United States, they are far more vulnerable to poverty in old age. One out of six single women above the age of 65 live in poverty—triple the poverty rate of married women 65-plus.
Indeed, the chained CPI would drive a disproportionate number of ethnic seniors into poverty. Of the nearly 250,000 Social Security beneficiaries who would fall into poverty due to the chained CPI in 2050, over 160,000 are projected to be black or Latino.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of the importance of a “secure retirement.” To help make that aspiration a reality, policymakers should be talking about increasing, not decreasing Social Security. A good place to start is with a more, not less, accurate measure of inflation adjustments, so those modest pension amounts do not decline as more and more Americans reach very old age."
Blog Readers: Write your Congressional Representatives; Demonstrate against these Cuts; Call your friends and join them in taking action! The People--united--can stop this planned robbery of Older Persons. And send your comments to GAA. Thanks!
Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging
Read this excerpted analysis from Nancy J. Altman, author of The Battle for Social Security, and Eric Kingson, a professor at Syracuse University, co-directors of Social Security Works, Washington D.C.
. . . "Social Security is barred by law from borrowing funds to cover its costs; it cannot add to the deficit and should not be part of deficit discussions at all. Why politicians – especially the president -- keep bringing it up is a question our policymakers have never answered convincingly."
" . . . The idea is to reduce the future cost of Social Security by using a stingier CPI formula. But the very purpose of adding the COLA to checks year-to-year is to keep Social Security benefits up with inflation, and maintain a decent standard of living for retirees, those with disabilities and, when a family breadwinner dies, his or her surviving spouse and children.
Using the chained-CPI would cut already modest Social Security benefits – $13,600 on average -- more each year. This cut would hit Social Security beneficiaries hardest in their 80s or older, or after years of disability when they are most likely to have exhausted their savings.
Social Security’s moderate benefits, especially compared with other counties, are vital to people with fixed or limited incomes. The current CPI index the government uses fails to measures the inflation seniors and those with disabilities experience because it does not adequately account for health care.
Most Americans assume that Medicare covers health costs, but as important as that program is, people 65 or older spend, on average, more than twice as much on health care as those ages 25-64, about 13 percent compared to 5 percent. Also, the current CPI calculation understates the cost of housing. You may own your home, but, for instance, be one roof-repair away from poverty.
So switching to the chained CPI would provide an even less accurate and less sustainable measure for people trying to make ends meet. And its impact would compound over time.
The chained-CPI would pull $112 billion directly out of the pockets of beneficiaries over the next 10 years and much more thereafter. A typical Social Security retiree would lose the equivalent of roughly $500 a year (in today’s dollars) at age 75 under the chained CPI, compared to the current formula; $1,000 in their 85th year and $1,500 at age 95.
This may not sound like a lot of money, but two-thirds of seniors depend on Social Security for half or more of their income. And one in three seniors rely on the program for at least 90 percent of their income. The chained-CPI cut would translate into the cost of two weeks of food per month for a 95 year-old widow.
Ethnic Elders and Older Women
In fact, the growing impact would be large in almost anyone’s book. Typically, over the years, the chained-CPI cut would amount to $4,600 by age 75, $13,900 by 85, and $28,000 for those fortunate enough to live to 95. How’s that for a Happy Birthday present?
Ethnic elders stand to lose the most because Social Security is usually a greater share of their retirement income. Even before the Great Recession, in 2007, the average household of color had just 16 percent of the wealth possessed by the average white household.
The impact of the chained-CPI would be especially harsh on older ethnic women because they are far more likely than other groups to work in low-wage professions. Also, they are less likely to have other sources of retirement income. Astoundingly, more than four out of 10 single African American women or Latinas live below the poverty line today. And the proportion rises as these groups get older.
Because African American women have the lowest rates of marriage in the United States, they are far more vulnerable to poverty in old age. One out of six single women above the age of 65 live in poverty—triple the poverty rate of married women 65-plus.
Indeed, the chained CPI would drive a disproportionate number of ethnic seniors into poverty. Of the nearly 250,000 Social Security beneficiaries who would fall into poverty due to the chained CPI in 2050, over 160,000 are projected to be black or Latino.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke of the importance of a “secure retirement.” To help make that aspiration a reality, policymakers should be talking about increasing, not decreasing Social Security. A good place to start is with a more, not less, accurate measure of inflation adjustments, so those modest pension amounts do not decline as more and more Americans reach very old age."
Blog Readers: Write your Congressional Representatives; Demonstrate against these Cuts; Call your friends and join them in taking action! The People--united--can stop this planned robbery of Older Persons. And send your comments to GAA. Thanks!
Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging
Friday, January 25, 2013
Hiding HIV/AIDS in Liberia
January 25, 2013
Dear Global Action on Aging Friend,
More than half of new HIV cases in Liberia go untreated today. Why? According to plusnews.org, "stigma, discrimination and difficulty in reaching health clinics" prevented over 15,000 persons with the disease from getting treatment. Social issues undercut treatment. How? AIDS Program managers explain that when someone gets AIDS, their community, family and even employers will "isolate" them. And how many Liberians are facing this stigma? A recent health survey pointed out that "1.5% of Liberia's 3.5 million people are HIV-positive, with 60% being women and girls." We can be certain that older persons figure among the victims of this dread disease.
What can be done to turn this situaiton around? Surely the upcoming meeting of the Commission on that Status of Women at the United Naitons should discuss this issue and develop strategies for addressing this growing epidemic. Please comment.
Susanne Paul
Global Action on Aging
Monday, November 19, 2012
World Toilet Day: November 19, 2012
Are you surprised that the UN has created a "World Toilet Day?" If so, read on:
Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging
The UN created this day to "break the taboo around toilets and draw attention to the sanitation crisis that can be found in many countries," according to Ms. Catarina De Albuquerque, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and santitation. She emphasized that people who are living in poverty, who are marginalized in their societies, and excluded from others in their society, are most often those who have no access to running water, clean water, or to toilets that afford privacy and cleanliness. Some 7,500 people die daily due to lack of sanitation, including some 5,000 children who are less than five years old.
Ms. De Albuquerque points out that one of the biggest challenges are those without a toilet in the workplace or at home. The difficulty to find a place to defecate each time one needs it is compounded by the frequent rapes of women that occur in such places.
The smell of of excrement pervades places where governments lack the means to build proper toilets. More than a billion people, particularly the most marginalized, face this challenge on a daily basis.
If this information hits a responsive chord in your heart, initiate a simple handwashing program in wherever you are to highlight the need to halt diarrhoeal and water-borne diseases. It can help stop water-borne diseases. Think about it!
Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Towards a Human Rights Convention on Aging
The NGO Committee on Aging Executive Committee met on November 14, 2012, on the 23rd floor of the DC2 building at 44th and First Avenue in New York.
We learned that the Government of El Salvador will introduced a Resolution very soon calling for the UN to begin work leading toward a defining and protecting the human rights of older persons across the globe. But will it attract sufficient votes from Member States to pass?
If you believe that older people require an international binding agreement--via the UN to protect our rights-- call the person in your government who instructs the diplomatic corps about the position that they should take at the UN. In some countries, this office is known as the National Aging Authority.
Or contact your Mission directly in New York via e-mail. Let them know of your interest and commitment to a human rights treaty focussed on older persons worldwide. If you don't know the name of your diplomat who works on this isuse, consult the "UN Blue Book" via Google. Scroll through the list of alphabetized countries until you find your nation's listing. Look for the person who works on Third Committee issues in the listing: He or she is your contact to communicate your views about the need for your government to participate in defining elder rights within the UN system.
We who are old and those who are our allies must speak out for our human rights.
Best to you, Susanne Paul at Global Action on Aging
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Getting Older? Get moving, says Web MD
Dear GAA Friend,
Exercise and aging brains: Physical exercise may be even more urgent than mental exercise when it comes to keeping mentally sharp in old age, a new WebMD item suggests. A recent study of people in their early 70s found that those who engaged in regular physical exercise, such as walking, retained bigger brains than those who were inactive. Mental exercise, such as doing crossword puzzles, did not seem to effect the brain shrinkage associated with aging, researchers say. (WebMD)
Please write to us about how you manage to exercise: What is your favorite exercise? How do you make yourself DO IT? What do you like best about exercising? Send us your comments.
Have a great day! Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging
Monday, October 1, 2012
UN urges Protection for Elderly as World Grays
Today, October 1, 2012, the UN launched its new report, "Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A Celebration and A Challenge," in both Japan and New York. UNFPA and HelpAge International took primary responsibility for preparing the document with the collaboration of UNDESA, FAO, ILO, OHCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UN Habitat, UNCHR, UNICEF, UN Women, WFP, WHO, ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA, HelpAge USA, IFA, INPEA, IOM and Global Action on Aging.
The reader will find amply reasons supporting an International Treaty to guarantee the human rights of older persons. And you'll learn how older peoples' lives can be enhanced everywhere. We'll send you the link for the full text very soon. Read on! Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging.
October 1, 2012
The reader will find amply reasons supporting an International Treaty to guarantee the human rights of older persons. And you'll learn how older peoples' lives can be enhanced everywhere. We'll send you the link for the full text very soon. Read on! Susanne Paul for Global Action on Aging.
October 1, 2012
UN urges protection for elderly as world grays
TOKYO — The fast aging of Japanese society is evident as soon as one lands at Tokyo's Narita airport and sees who is doing the cleaning. Young people tend to take such menial jobs in other countries, but here they are often held by workers obviously in the second half-century of their lives.
Having the world's highest percentage of older people is creating unique challenges for Japan, but a report released Monday by the U.N. Population Fund warns that they will not be unique for long. Japan is the only country with 30 percent of its population over 60, but by 2050 more than 60 other countries, from China to Canada to Albania, will be in the same boat.
The report urges governments to summon the political will to protect the elderly and ensure they can age with good health and dignity. Discrimination toward and poverty among the aged are still far too prevalent in many countries, it says, even in the relatively wealthy industrialized nations.
The problem is worse for women, whose access to jobs and health care is often limited throughout their lives, along with their rights to own and inherit property.
"More must be done to expose, investigate and prevent discrimination, abuse and violence against older persons, especially women who are more vulnerable," the report says, calling on countries to "ensure that aging is a time of opportunity for all."
"We need bold political leadership," said Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the Population Fund. "Aging is manageable, but first it must be managed."
In some countries, such as Latvia and Cyprus, about half of those over 60 are living in poverty. And even in highly industrialized countries such as Japan the elderly struggle to get some services.
Hisako Tsukida, a 77-year-old retired elementary school teacher in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, is living what sounds like a dream retirement life, taking tai chi and flower arrangement lessons and visiting a fitness center for spa treatments and muscle training.
But her current leisure followed many years of caring for her ailing husband and then for her mother. Japan's elderly often take on enormous burdens in caring for older relatives at home.
Tsukida spent years trying to find a nursing home for her mother, now 100, and finally succeeded about six months ago after a rare vacancy opened up. But now she wonders about the time when she'll have to go through the same struggle for herself.
"I wonder if I could do this again when I'm even older and need to find myself a place to go," she said.
The U.N. report said that policy discussions of all kinds must include a consideration of problems facing the aging if mankind is to reap a "longevity benefit" from people's longer life expectancies.
Governments should build safety nets to ensure older people have income security and access to essential health and social services, it said. The report cited data from the International Labor Organization showing that only about a fifth of all workers get comprehensive social insurance.
Aging is no longer solely an issue for rich countries. About two-thirds of people over 60 years old live in developing countries such as China, and by 2050 that figure is expected to rise to about 80 percent.
One in nine people — 810 million — are 60 or older, a figure projected to rise to one in five — or more than 2 billion — by 2050.
Even Japan, the world's third-largest economy, offers only meager social benefits, though government-subsidized services provide affordable household help and daycare in some areas.
Neighbors and religious groups often help older people, and public facilities have been vastly improved from a few decades ago, with elevators and other handicapped access now the norm.
The discovery earlier this year, though, that an aged couple and their son apparently had starved to death in their home in a Tokyo suburb highlighted Japan's own growing problems with poverty and unemployment.
Growing numbers of people suffering from dementia pose another challenge. About 35.6 million people around the world were afflicted with the disease in 2010, a number growing about 7.7 million a year and costing about $604 billion worldwide.
Provisions must be made for the infirm to ensure their basic human rights, the U.N. report says.
In many countries, including the United States, India, Brazil and Mexico, statistics show the elderly often pay more into pension systems over their lifetimes than they receive in return. Meanwhile, as retirement ages are raised and benefits cut due to ballooning deficits, the elderly are paying proportionately more in taxes.
The report blamed a bias toward youth in mass media, which stereotype aging as a time of decline, for lowering expectations about life for older people. It noted that older people often live highly productive, enjoyable lives if they have good health and reasonable levels of income.
The report's authors also argued against a prevalent belief that older workers should make way for younger job seekers, saying that way of thinking is based on the mistaken idea that there is a finite number of jobs and that workers are perfectly interchangeable.
"More jobs for older people do not mean fewer jobs for younger people," it says.
Having the world's highest percentage of older people is creating unique challenges for Japan, but a report released Monday by the U.N. Population Fund warns that they will not be unique for long. Japan is the only country with 30 percent of its population over 60, but by 2050 more than 60 other countries, from China to Canada to Albania, will be in the same boat.
The report urges governments to summon the political will to protect the elderly and ensure they can age with good health and dignity. Discrimination toward and poverty among the aged are still far too prevalent in many countries, it says, even in the relatively wealthy industrialized nations.
The problem is worse for women, whose access to jobs and health care is often limited throughout their lives, along with their rights to own and inherit property.
"More must be done to expose, investigate and prevent discrimination, abuse and violence against older persons, especially women who are more vulnerable," the report says, calling on countries to "ensure that aging is a time of opportunity for all."
"We need bold political leadership," said Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the Population Fund. "Aging is manageable, but first it must be managed."
In some countries, such as Latvia and Cyprus, about half of those over 60 are living in poverty. And even in highly industrialized countries such as Japan the elderly struggle to get some services.
Hisako Tsukida, a 77-year-old retired elementary school teacher in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto, is living what sounds like a dream retirement life, taking tai chi and flower arrangement lessons and visiting a fitness center for spa treatments and muscle training.
But her current leisure followed many years of caring for her ailing husband and then for her mother. Japan's elderly often take on enormous burdens in caring for older relatives at home.
Tsukida spent years trying to find a nursing home for her mother, now 100, and finally succeeded about six months ago after a rare vacancy opened up. But now she wonders about the time when she'll have to go through the same struggle for herself.
"I wonder if I could do this again when I'm even older and need to find myself a place to go," she said.
The U.N. report said that policy discussions of all kinds must include a consideration of problems facing the aging if mankind is to reap a "longevity benefit" from people's longer life expectancies.
Governments should build safety nets to ensure older people have income security and access to essential health and social services, it said. The report cited data from the International Labor Organization showing that only about a fifth of all workers get comprehensive social insurance.
Aging is no longer solely an issue for rich countries. About two-thirds of people over 60 years old live in developing countries such as China, and by 2050 that figure is expected to rise to about 80 percent.
One in nine people — 810 million — are 60 or older, a figure projected to rise to one in five — or more than 2 billion — by 2050.
Even Japan, the world's third-largest economy, offers only meager social benefits, though government-subsidized services provide affordable household help and daycare in some areas.
Neighbors and religious groups often help older people, and public facilities have been vastly improved from a few decades ago, with elevators and other handicapped access now the norm.
The discovery earlier this year, though, that an aged couple and their son apparently had starved to death in their home in a Tokyo suburb highlighted Japan's own growing problems with poverty and unemployment.
Growing numbers of people suffering from dementia pose another challenge. About 35.6 million people around the world were afflicted with the disease in 2010, a number growing about 7.7 million a year and costing about $604 billion worldwide.
Provisions must be made for the infirm to ensure their basic human rights, the U.N. report says.
In many countries, including the United States, India, Brazil and Mexico, statistics show the elderly often pay more into pension systems over their lifetimes than they receive in return. Meanwhile, as retirement ages are raised and benefits cut due to ballooning deficits, the elderly are paying proportionately more in taxes.
The report blamed a bias toward youth in mass media, which stereotype aging as a time of decline, for lowering expectations about life for older people. It noted that older people often live highly productive, enjoyable lives if they have good health and reasonable levels of income.
The report's authors also argued against a prevalent belief that older workers should make way for younger job seekers, saying that way of thinking is based on the mistaken idea that there is a finite number of jobs and that workers are perfectly interchangeable.
"More jobs for older people do not mean fewer jobs for younger people," it says.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Older Women Rights, Voices, Actions
Aparna Mehrotra, at the podium
Rosemary Lane and Susanne Paul
March 2, 2012
Chaired by:
Susanne Paul, President Global Action on Aging
Sponsored by:
Baha’i International Community, EURAG, Global Alliance
Supported by:
Women’s Alliance for a Democratic Iraq, Widows Rights International, National Alliance of Women’s Organizations
Background:
The seminar on “Older Women: Rights, Voices, Action” provided an opportunity to discuss and explore about the situation of older women in the world today, efforts to secure the human rights of older persons. The panel also highlighted the voices of rural older women as they are the major food providers in world’s rural areas. A broad range of people participated in the event from different civil society organizations. The Chair, Susanne Paul opened the panel and welcomed all who attended and encouraged the exchange of ideas among participants.
Summary:
The keynote speaker, Ms. Aparna Mehrora from UN Women, addressed the issues of aging, gender and the global lack of data on older women. It was followed by Rosemary Lanes speech on the progress of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing. Elizabeth Kharono explained the new plan of action for the right of women to land and social protection in Uganda. Elizabeth Sclater brought out the framework of the contributions of rural women to the CEDAW document. Unfortunately, Pakishan Zangan could not attend the event who was supposed to talk about the experience of older women in Iraq. Every speech was followed by a short Q&A session.
Ms. Aparna Mehrotra: Senior Advisor on Coordination and Focal Point for Women in the UN System, Division for Coordination, UN Women
Ms. Mehrotra spoke out about the issues of ageing and gender. She confirmed that the aim of the UN research was to consider the progress that has been made over the past decade in implementing the Madrid Plan of Action on Aging. She also stressed the fact that gender perspective is not being effectively taken into account in ageing policies.
In 1994, the statistics for the campaign “Violence against Women” covered only women aged 49 or younger. This is an important data that should be highlighted. The lack of data helps to underline the need to include older people and ageing in our policies. . She pointed out the importance of supporting member states to improve the data collection and analysis in order to unleash the potential of older women. She finalized her speech by hoping that the World’s Older Persons Report would mark a step where older women are no more seen as jeopardy but as a perfect union.
Rosemary Lane: Senior Social Affairs Officer, UN Focal Point Ageing
Ms. Rosemary Lane addressed the progress of the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Aging. It’s noteworthy that two of the regions (Africa and Asia) were almost completely absent at the discussions of the OEWG meetings. She quickly went over the monitoring process of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing at the global level, particularly during the second review and appraisal period which is to come at the end of 2012. She amplified the importance of including older persons’ issues in the existing human rights mechanisms as well as national policies and programs. Ms. Lane encouraged developing national data collection on older people and supporting older persons’ organizations to attend the OEWG session in August 2012.
Elizabeth Kharono: Baha’i International Community Delegate, Uganda
Elizabeth Kharono emphasized the prominence of access to land and social protection for women in Uganda. Women continue to face multiple threats of discrimination in Uganda. She underlined the significant role of rural women in Uganda in providing food for the whole family. She believed that the women‘s lands rights and rights to social protection would strengthen the national protection regime. It would also provide them with a decent life as well as their families and communities.
Elizabeth Sclater: General Secretary, Older Women’s Network, Europe/EURAG Representative
Elizabeth Sclater distributed the Secretary General’s report on the Human Rights of Older Persons report. She said that the UK older women are considerably poorer than older men, and the oldest are the poorest. On average, a woman’s income in retirement is only 57% of that of men. The rural older women in the UK are facing more financial hardship than urban older women. The living costs in rural area are much higher than urban area for older people. Older women have contributed to UK CEDAW by including the protection of the rights of older women.
by Sanaa Smaoui, s.smaoui@globalaging.org
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