International Day for the Elderly: Celebrating the golden years

Her frail body had suddenly found a treasure trove of energy. That wrinkled face was now frequently erupting into peals of laughter. In short, her happiness knew no bounds. After recovering from a traumatic cancer treatment in her seventh decade, my mother was suddenly experiencing unlimited joy, as all her children and grandchildren had gathered to be with her. Each of them had travelled from different corners of the world to mark her 79th birthday. It was no less than a dream coming true for her to find her clan taking out the time and finding resources to celebrate her big day.

In her own words, finding all her children together, sharing laughs, reminiscing memorable moments and just being there together, had given her a new lease of life more than the treatment had. She now hoped to live with unbridled joy for at least 10 additional years.

Unfortunately, most elderly people of our society find themselves in the midst of a whirlpool, one of fast depleting energy levels, age-related disorders and diseases.  However the biggest threat of all is loneliness that steadily becomes their constant companion. To draw the attention of our various communities towards the elderly population and their challenges, the United Nations General Assembly on December 14th , 1990, designated October 1st as the International Day of Older Persons.

Currently, we can see a rapid growth in the number of people reaching older age. According to WHO, the number of older people (who are aged 65 years or older) tripled from around 260 million in 1980 to 761 million in 2021. By 2050, the older population is projected to increase from less than 10% to around 17% worldwide.

The contemporary world moves ahead at a fast pace. Technology, the demands of everyday life, hypercompetition and the battle for resources make it even more difficult for the older population to cope with modern life. While the young and abled fight their own battles each day, the elderly citizens often find themselves without support. This adds to their misery, worsening their physical and mental health.

International Day for the Elderly underlines the significance of promoting health, preventing and treating illnesses in the latter years of life. Supportive communities become pivotal in helping older people to remain active and retain their spirit and enthusiasm for life.

Decade of healthy ageing

2021-2030 is being celebrated as the decade of healthy ageing and particular attention is being paid to bring together governments, communities, medical professionals, academia and communication agencies to improve the lives of older people, their families and communities. This is a commendable initiative to bring the older population under the ambit of focused and collaborative action.

Each year, International Day for the Elderly celebrates our senior members to draw attention to their various concerns and figure out ways to help them.