SHAPING THE FUTURE HOW CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS CAN POWER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

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Many rural older
people still contend
with poor roads and
transport systems
remain in their own homes; more have facilities
for affordable and accessible transportation, such
as discounts, special fares, concessions or exemptions,
and priority seating. For example, India’s
Ministry of Railways has offered discounts and
earmarked separate counters at various passenger
reservation centres for senior citizens.
While much more needs to be done in the
region, there are examples of good practices and
innovations in housing design, assistive devices,
transportation and community services. A growing
number of national and local governments
have adopted policies to make housing and
the urban environment more accessible. Many
cities offer reduced public transit fares for older
persons; some also have special transportation
arrangements for those with limited mobility.
Building codes have been revised to provide
age-friendly features in new construction.
Governments and civil society organizations
have sometimes made significant investments
in modifications to existing housing and
public facilities. In 2008, the Mayor of Seoul
announced a move towards an ‘age-friendly
city’ with a ‘3-10 plan’, comprising 10 new care
centres for the elderly within each city district,
accessible within a 10-minute walk and open
until 10 pm. 79 While innovative programmes
are mostly found in more developed countries,
cities such as Bangkok, Beijing and New Delhi
are also adopting new measures, in some cases
on a pilot basis. 80
Some cities are already adopting ageing
strategies and targeted policies. For example,
the City Council of Brisbane’s Seniors Strategy
for 2012-2017 focuses on improving pedestrian
mobility and transport, infrastructure, and
access to public buildings and venues. 81 China
has created proposals for ‘universities of the
third age’ to accommodate active older citizens,
and is building more nursing homes for others.
The Republic of Korea has invested in parttime
public sector employment programmes for
retirees to help them avoid falling into poverty
and social isolation. 82 Globally, the WHO has
established a network for sharing experiences on
age-friendly cities and communities (Box 4.8).
Accessibility is particularly critical—and
difficult—among Asia-Pacific’s fast-ageing
rural populations. Many rural older people
still lack access even to basic health care, for
reasons related to shortfalls in health care systems
as well barriers such as poor roads and
transport systems. A lack of banking services
may pose obstacles to collecting pensions or
accessing savings for those who have them. A
deteriorating social network due to rural-urban
migration can mean older people left behind end
up struggling with social isolation and a lack of
support. Some promising models to improve
accessibility in rural areas are starting to emerge,
often through the use of telecommunications
technology, including mobile phones. Through
telemedicine, for instance, older rural residents
can be readily and inexpensively connected to
centres of medical excellence.
On the whole, most efforts to accommodate
older people in developing Asia-Pacific countries
are still nominal, such as seats on public
transport. Provisions lack a holistic approach,
which results in shortfalls, such as when older
persons cannot use a seat reservation on a public
bus because it is difficult for them to get into
the bus. Reservations for senior citizens to oc-
BOX 4.8:
The WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities
and Communities
The WHO Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities
and Communities was launched in 2005 to
help create more liveable urban areas for older
citizens. The initiative aims to promote the sharing
of experiences among communities across
the world, and provides guidance for integrating
an ageing perspective into urban planning
and enacting policies for more age-friendly
communities.
The initiative has also produced a guide that
identifies the core features of an age-friendly
city. It builds on the WHO’s active ageing
framework, which views ageing as “the process
of optimizing opportunities for health, participation
and security in order to enhance quality
of life as people age.” The project has tapped
the views of older residents through focus
group discussions in a diverse range of cities
across the world, covering different regions,
income levels and population size. It includes
good practices in the areas of public spaces,
transportation, housing, social participation,
employment and health.
Source: WHO 2007, Economist 2013.