SG Expects that Issues of Elderly will be Discussed by Task Forces in 1st D-8 Working Group on Health Tourism

Istanbul, Turkey | February 17, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

D-8 SG, Dipo Alam, with Chairman of World Aging Council, Kemal Aydin

The growth of the older population is not without issues that impact society and nursing practice. One of the major issues discussed frequently in society includes the need for more health care for older adults. Older adults, although living longer, tend to do so with several chronic illnesses that are in need of long-term and consistent health care. The increasing lifespan of older adults makes it possible for an individual to spend up to 40 years in older adulthood. Consequently, gerontologists have broken this stage of life into three segments: the young–old includes adults aged 65 to 75, the middle–old includes those 75–85, and those 85+ are the old–old. The division of older adults into segments allows nurses to recognize the unique differences present in each stage of older adulthood in order to provide more effective care.

One of the unique issues present for the young–old is the great impact of the baby boom population on the nation’s resources. The first baby boomer will turn 65 on January 1, 2011, and this population will provide the nation with the largest elderly population in history. With the great use of health promotion and health resources required by this population, society will be challenged to maintain supply with demand. The middle–old and old–old also have challenges including health and housing, as well as paying for long-term and chronic care.

Graph: Trends in Elderly (population 65 and older), by world region (PRB statistic, 2008)

According to Population Reference Bureau (PRB), by 2025 the population of elderly in the world will be increased up to 10%, especially in developed regions.  This is because the percentage of fertility in baby birth is not too high.  Women in developed regions always consider about good health in fertility. In addition, in developing countries, especially in D-8 member countries, fertility still become main problems of population. This will affect to percentage of elderly.

As seen in table above, in the year 2045, Indonesia and Turkey will become the oldest population among D-8 member countries. This is a challenge to government and private sectors how to manage elderly population in D-8 countries.

One of challenges that will be facing for D-8 countries is about healthcare to elderly.  There are many solutions for this problem, one of those is nursing. The nursing homes are over populated, and the staff is at an all time low. The elderly just don’t have the care available today that they did years ago. This problem affects the health of the elderly as well. If conditions are not up to standard in these facilities, then the elderly person’s health will suffer.

Another problem the elderly face today is Medicare benefits. Medicare doesn’t pay what it used to, and many people are forced to suffer with their health problems without always being able to seek treatment.

The prices that today nursing homes require are nearly unaffordable. It would be cheaper for the elderly to spend a few years on a cruise ship than it would be to pay the astronomical price of an elderly facility. This is a widely known humorous look at elderly care, but sadly, it is true. Nursing homes charge more per week than it costs to take an all-inclusive cruise. Some even joke that if you pass away while you’re on the ship, they could just toss you over the side, and that’s about as cheap a funeral as you can get.

And if the health care costs continue to skyrocket, then the world elderly health problem won’t go away anytime soon. It has become necessary for people in their midlife to start saving money for their retirement facility, rather than starting to save their money so they can go on vacation after they retire. It might be a better idea to do all you’re traveling while you are in good health, and worry about the nursing home after you have spent all your money.

However, in developing countries, the prices of nursing are quite competitive. For example, Reuters reported that how Japan is aiming to fix a shortage in nurses and elderly care workers by issuing work visas to skilled Indonesians. The upper house of parliament on Friday approved an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Indonesia which would allow 400 experienced nurses and 600 experienced care workers to work in Japan on special three and four-year visas. The lower house approved the agreement last month. The nurses and care workers would undergo six months of training and language education before heading to hospitals and homes for the elderly. The Indonesian nurses and care workers will be paid similar salaries to their Japanese colleagues. In addition, Japan has shortage in nursing for about 40,000 more nurses in 2009, while the shortage is estimated to reach 450,000 to 550,000 by 2014.

The nurses, who are expected to learn Japanese and reequality as they work, are seen as an important test case as Japan struggles with the world’s fastest growing elderly population and a workforce that is forecast to shrink, potentially devastating the economy.

From this case, there are also opportunities for migrant workers from developing countries, especially from D-8 member countries, who work as a nurse for elderly and care workers.  If government and private sectors want to facilitate for them to get more training and knowledge about elderly and all about health care.

For example, according to exporter Saleh Alwaini, holding the Binawan Corpotartion, professional healthcare workers would be paid between US$ 2,000 and US$ 3,000 per month, depending on the country in which they were employed. This indicated that, sending skilled and educated workers overseas is more profitable, more prestigious and less risky, and this program will certainly improve the well-being and status of the workers, as well as sending’s countries, like Indonesia.

Another opportunity is provide healthcare tourism for international domestic that will come from developed region, such as in Europe citizen. For example is Turkey, one of member of D-8 organization. In Turkey, thermal tourism is the most exciting destination for elderly from Europe. This is because Turkey has many advantages for healthcare treatment in thermal tourism, such as high mineralized effectively treating thermal spring potential, rich cultural, natural and habit features.  This is a good opportunity to invest in Turkey in thermal tourism considering the benefit from profit and social responsibility.

Recent Global Summit of World Aging Council

Issuing of aging will take more attention in the year 2025 because some developed countries and developing countries will be facing increasing of the elderly in the next couple years. That why, in East Mediterranean Tourism and Travel (EMITT) 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey, World Aging Council has established World Aging Summit in 14 February 2009 to provide and facilitate that work together with governments, health and social service providers and professionals, architects, housing developers and planners to promote both awareness of aging issues, and the advancement of care and management for the aging populations of the world. The Chairman of World Aging Council, Mr. Kemal Aydin, stated that issue of elderly in the world has to take care with good healthcare services. This issue will be discussed in the next meeting of World Aging Council 1-5 October 2009 in Istanbul, Turkey with main issue “Aging at the 21th century and healthcare services 2050 scenario”.

This Summit also attended by D-8 Secretary General, Dr. Dipo Alam, as a keynote speaker that delivered ideas about elderly and its opportunity for D-8 countries. One opportunity that he stated is how to encourage migrant workers to work as a nurse and healthcare services and how to create health tourism as a competitive market facing to the oldest population for the next years.  In addition, Dr. Dipo Alam also stated that D-8 already ready to discuss this issue in 1st Working Group on Health Tourism in Antalya, Turkey, a back-to-back meeting with the 2nd International World Congress of Health Tourism, 27 February- 2 March 2009.  Dr. Dipo Alam also expect that issue of elderly will be one of task forces to be discussed in this meeting.

Read Also

• D-8 to Hold the 1st D-8 Working Group meeting on Health Tourism in Antalya, 28 February-2 March 2009
• 1st D-8 Working Group Meeting on Health Tourism Confirms to Boost Cooperation
• Turkey Aims to Lead the Global Health Tourism Industry
• D-8 Eyes the Potency of Health Tourism
• Egypt’s Suez Canal and Global Challenges on Transportation and Logistic for Trade will be discussed in D-8 Working Group TLT 2009
• D-8 Needs More Power Plants will be Discussed in next Working Group on Energy Meeting
• SG: Turkey’s Boron Potency Expected to be Discussed in D-8 1st Working Group on Mines Cooperation
• D-8 to envisage a focused effort on remittances working group
• Considered the Potency, SG Expects Iran or Indonesia Establish D-8 Working Group on Fisheries
• D-8 should initiate a Working Group on Migrant Workers, Remittances and Microfinance Industry as a Part of Program on Reducing Poverty: Secretary General