By Fabiana Frayssinet

As life expectancy grows and the number of births falls, the ever young Latin America is aging. A demographic revolution that brings new challenges for a region that, with stumbling steps, is leaving behind its characteristic of being the most unequal in the world.

The report “The new demographic era in Latin America and the Caribbean: time for equality according to the population clock”, from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), stated that there have being less children per marriage and more elderly adults during this century. A situation that is beginning to change the landscape in cities and towns within the region.

“Population’s aging is good news as long as life quality and expectations increase” said María Julieta Oddone, director of the Aging and Society Program of the Latin America Faculty of Social Sciences.

According to the report, published in Santiago de Chile, during the XX century, Latin America was marked by growth, from 161 million inhabitants in 1950 to 512 million inhabitants in 2000. But by 2050 population is expected to grow to 734 million inhabitants, to then go to 687 million by 2100. But now, for the first time, societies are old.

ECLAC states this fact is due to a 23 years increase of life expectancy in the region, which went from 55,7 years in 1950-1955 to 74,7 years in 2010-2015. During the first-five year period, life expectancy was ten years lower when compared to industrial countries’ average, while during the second five-year period, the difference is of five years.

Another important variable is the global downfall of the fertility rate, which went from being one of the highest in the world, with almost 6 children, to 2,2 children per woman, lower to the world average of 2,3.

“There was always old people in societies. But now, for the first time ever, societies are old”, pointed out Oddone, who prefers to say “old people” because “old age is not the same to death and decrepitude. Nowadays, old people are mostly active, healthy people with a lot of potential”.

Academic and scientific areas still deny Latin American aging, “as the idea of us being a young society prevails”. Therefore, this phenomenon demands “a different perspective” says Oddone.

Firstly regarding how it is comprehended and secondly to promote public policies on health, social security, protection, education, recreation, community activities, for these “young old persons”, she explained.

“Families have changed. Families that used to have grandparents that might reach 50 years old by the beginnings of the XX century, today have grandparents, great-grandparents and even great-great-grandparents”, she stated.

“The fact of spending over half of your life as an old person (and we shall have a 30 years horizon for retired people), implies strong social changes”, she pointed out.

Oddone quoted as an example health measures that consider not only typical children or young people’s diseases, but also chronical or degenerative illnesses, which will be suffered by more people.

“The increase of elder population does not necessarily mean a disaster for the healthcare system. That is a myth. However, we must be prepared”.

Public policies will have to take into consideration the new realities of families, who need support in order to take care of their elderly members, or the realities of old people who have an active role taking care of their grandchildren.

She stated that lots of old people become poor and more vulnerable because, as they live longer and have less or none children, sometimes they have to sell their houses in order to deal with their expenses.

“I think there is no real awareness about the size of the changes that come with a society being old… when the society wanted to become old”, she outlined.

Andrés Hatum, specialist in “Organizational Human Behaviour” at the IAE Business School, has a more pessimistic perspective on a subject he considers “disturbing”.

“With fewer young people, the active population ages, which means less productivity, fewer talents, fewer experienced engineers and executives”, he said. “We would need a larger demographic growth to allow economic growth”.

As regards education, Hatum said that there would be a need to re-think budget distribution. For example, instead of opening so many universities for young people, more academic units should be created in order to up-date older people.

In its report, ECLAC observes a great opportunity to improve education. The reduction of child and young population will help to provide everyone in these groups with “the benefits of high quality education, which used to favour only a small minority”.

Hatum believes that necessary measures are to increase retirement age so that pension systems do not “explode” and to think flexible labour schemes, with variables that “also make sense for the employer”.

“A possible path is for people to work less as they age, so that they also enjoy leisure time”, he said.

Hatum think that industries will have to adapt to a new workforce of over 45 years old, which, on the one side has more experience, patience and a higher level of perfectionism, but on the other side has less flexibility, strength and sight.

The expert considers “old-fashioned” the business model the “assumes that people should gain salary increases and promotions based on their age and then leave when retirement time comes”, encouraging older employees to retire early.  “In several countries, people lose their job before that and have trouble getting another job. We (Latin Americans) are experiencing as crushing transition”, he said.

Oddone thinks it is a complex issue. She reminded us that in countries such as Argentina, two thirds of people who are in a retirement age, want to retire and that robotics, for example, does not only leave old people out of the market, but also prevents young people from getting a job.

“In times of labour market flexibility, age discrimination starts early”, she pointed out. “Anyway, I think the labour market will have to find ways to keep or at least use a large number of these people, who, through their skills and experience may useful”.

Active people, with new desires, such as Argentinian Silvia Schabas, who is 75 years old and thinks that with her good health and great cultural knowledge thinks she could apply her knowledge better than ever.

“The labour market is very limited. When it comes to formal employment, they only want young people” said this former teacher who lives in Lima, Peru.

Schabas started learning computer technology with her grandchildren and got involved in social networks. “As years went by, I screamed for help when I realized I would be left out of the world unless I approached this “mysterious and unknown” world”.

Schabas suggests, among other actions “a proper, kind personalized attention in public health, with geriatric specialists” or to expand cultural and sporty activities in parks. But above all, she asks for people to understand they were also young.

“Youth does not last a life-time and nobody knows how they will be when they are old. Therefore, we are sort of like their old people mirror” summarized Schabas, who says she is part of a new generation of “grannies, who no longer use knitting dots, but dot.com”

Originally published by Tendencias 21

http://m.tendencias21.net/America-Latina-ante-la-novedad-y-el-desafio-de-envejecer_a39059.html