Facing The Golden Years (4-12)

"La vejez comienza cuando el recuerdo es más fuerte que la esperanza." PROVERBIO HINDU

WHERE DO THE ELDERLY LIVE?

The Confucian teaching of filial piety shapes the living arrangements of elderly Chinese, Japanese and Korean people. About ¾ of elderly Japanese parents live with their adult children, a pattern replicated in Korea and China. China’s new Elderly Rights Law mandates that children visit their parents frequently, no matter how far away they live. If children don’t comply, they could face fines or jail time. “We raise our children to take care of us when we get old,” one Chinese senior citizen told the BBC.

In India and Nepal, the tradition has long been: a newlywed couple moves in with the groom’s family, in what’s called a patrilocal living arrangement. But shifting economic forces are reshaping residence patterns, according to the University of Maryland’s India Human Development Survey. As parts of the country urbanize, children are moving hundreds of miles away from their parents. The Indian and Nepalese governments are addressing this by developing state-run elderly care programs.

THE BEST CONTRIES TO GROW OLD

7.-NEW ZEALAND

Despite its low GDP per capita for a developed nation, New Zealand had one of the healthiest elderly populations in the world. A 60-year-old in New Zealand can expect to live 25 additional years, and 18 of those years in good health. Older residents’ educations and ability to find jobs in New Zealand were also among the best globally. Additionally, New Zealand is among the few countries with national age-specific laws that protect older people from abuse.

Yesterday when I was young

"At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgement." BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Journey to the Old Age. Really Funny Song