Ready, set, grow old

IN 15 years, our world will look a lot grey-er. The proportion of people aged over 60 is growing faster than any age group – a direct result of success in medicine, nutrition and family planning, to name a few. We have been successful in adding years to our lives, but adding life to those extra years is another story. Are we prepared for an ageing society? Are we able to address the needs of the elderly?

The answer, woefully, is that we are not. The good news is that we still have time; demographic studies show that Malaysia will have an ageing population only in 2030, when 15% of our people will be aged 60 and above. By 2050, a quarter of our population will be above 60 years old.