Europe’s demographic time bomb risks have been known for the last few decades. Still, political leaders keep postponing the implementation of strategies that reverse the worrying trend of an ageing society and its effect on pensions, the labour market, the health system and other socioeconomic issues.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that people aged 65 and over will outnumber under 15s by 2024, warning that this reality will present new social, economic and health challenges.
In Malta, the National Statistics Office confirms that persons under 18 were outnumbered by those aged 65 and over earlier this year. Malta has one of the worst demographic challenges among EU member states.
Modern lifestyles in the last few decades have meant that families often prefer to have fewer children for various reasons, including the escalating costs of raising a family and work pressures when both parents are employed. Moreover, fewer young couples are prepared to sacrifice their careers or social lives for too long to have more children.
The immediate consequence of deteriorating demographics is the immense pressure building on our public health system. While, thanks to medical advances, people are living longer, the years that older people remain independent are not improving.
Diseases more prevalent in old age, like dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, mean older adults often need extensive medical support in our hospitals and care homes.
Besides the escalating running costs of providing these services efficiently, the investment in the physical infrastructure to provide these medical services will be substantial.
The WHO correctly appeals to the government to take measures “to enable older people to preserve and improve their physical and mental health, independence, social well-being and quality of life”. This is indeed a tall order, especially in the context of the benign neglect that the mental health sector has been suffering from for the last few decades.
There is little doubt that our society, like in other European countries, suffers from an ageist mindset. Little is done to encourage healthy older adults to remain in employment beyond retirement age if they decide that this is what they want to do.
Stereotyping older people as being only interested in looking after their grandchildren or attending the university of the third age is not doing our senior citizens any good.
Active ageing needs to be energised by creating new opportunities for older adults to remain active in society. This goes beyond providing home support for older people with mobility challenges. For instance, the public health system must undertake campaigns to give tailor-made advice to older individuals who live independently to engage in activities that maintain balance, mobility and reduce loss of muscle mass and bone density.
One can understand that, with the present workload, the public health system is already overstretched. So, more investment in human and physical resources is needed.
Still, the longer-term solutions to the demographic challenges must be found in strategies that support families with young children. Young couples should be encouraged to have more children by defraying some financial hardships of raising a family.
The results of such strategies will not be seen in the short term and certainly not before the next electoral contest. Still, they are the most effective way of defusing the demographic time bomb with the lowest risks of social upheaval.