15A Health and Social Care Issue – Ageing Population

Highlights:

1. Ageing population and related problems in Hong Kong and other countries

Population Trend

Local – median age of the population rising
World – ageing population is more prominent in the developed countries than developing countries

Related problems

Increase in elderly dependency ratio
Impact and implications on the health / social care system
- Increase in health care expenditure
- Increase in social security payments

Government Strategies

2. Elderly

Active Ageing

The process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age

Policy Objectives

A sense of security – to meet the basic needs of the elderly
A sense of belonging – to assist the elderly to stay in their homes / community in which they have a sense of belonging
A feeling of health and worthiness – to unleash the potentials of the elderly and cultivate a sense of sef-worthiness

The Five Pillars of Old Age Protection recommended by the World Bank in 2005

The Zero Pillar: a non-contributory, publicly-managed and financed pension or social security scheme
The First Pillar: a publicly-managed, mandatory contribution system
The Second Pillar: a privately-managed, mandatory contribution system
The Third Pillar: voluntary personal savings
The Fourth Pillar: public servcies, informal support and personal assets