Facing The Golden Years (3-12)

"Los viejos desconfían de la juventud porque han sido jóvenes."
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

WHO IS CONSIDERED OLD?

As Diamond mentions in his talk, the perceived value of the elderly is an important factor in determining whether seniors are respected or not. And this may be a function of who is considered old. In the United States a senior citizen is defined as someone who is 65+. But in other parts of the world, like New Guinea, anyone 50 or over is considered lapun, or an old man. As Diamond points out in his book, The World Until Yesterday, this difference has wide implications, as the two age groups tend to have a different set of physical and mental abilities.

The United Nations recently turned its attention to developing policy to support aging populations around the world — and their line for elderly begins at 60. In fact, the UN has started celebrating the International Day of Older Persons in October, which acknowledges the contributions to society made by those over the 60-line.

THE BEST CONTRIES TO GROW OLD

8.-United States

The U.S. has more than 60 million residents aged 60 or higher. The quality of life for this large part of the population is very high. For instance, nearly 96% of Americans 60 and over had at least a secondary level education, among the highest rates in the world. However, the U.S. can still improve considerably in other areas affecting the elderly.
A 60 year old American can expect to live another 23 years. This is a high number compared to most of the world, but actually the lowest among the best countries to grow old. Also, 15% of those aged 50 and over stated they lacked freedom of choice in their lives, worse than many developed countries.

las simples cosas "To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am."
BERNARD M. BARUCH Jasper Carrott - On Growing Old