By Joyce Wayne
We all know in our hearts that aging isn’t easy or straightforward. Most of us consider aging with some sense of trepidation, so it makes sense to take a good look at how other countries are handling the aging process.
Comparing Aging Populations of Canada and South Korea
Today, Canada and South Korea have similar proportions of adults aged 65 years and older, accounting for close to one-fifth of the total population. It makes sense for Canada’s NIA (National Institute on Aging) to do a deep dive into South Korean plans and practices and compare them with our own.
The difference is that by 2040, in South Korea older adults will make up a third or 33.6 percent of the population, while in Canada they will make up a quarter or 24 percent of the population. Like Canada, its National Health Insurance program covers most of that country’s population.
Additional supports are provided for older South Korean adults, including free health checkups, reduced co-payments for certain government-covered services, and dementia-related supports, legislation and programs (e.g., the dementia treatment management cost support project). However, the poverty rate for older Koreans is higher than their national poverty rate and considerably higher than Canada’s rate for our older inhabitants.
Aging Population Challenges
In fact, South Korea’s poverty rate is almost three times the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average for this age group. Many older Koreans not only have inadequate retirement income, but also are working later in their lives. The employment rate among Korean adults aged 70 to 74 years is the highest among OECD countries, and three times the OECD average for this age group. Due to mandatory and voluntary retirement practices (known as “honorary retirement”), Koreans tend to find themselves engaged in low-paying and precarious work as they age.
Social Isolation and Mental Health
More and more South Koreans are living alone as they age. According to the NIA report, “suicide rates among older Koreans are not only the highest in that country, but also for older adults across OECD countries. Increased poverty and extreme loneliness contribute to this high older-age suicide rate.”
Similar to Canada, opinions about who should care for older people are changing. In South Korea, views have changed radically. For example, in 2010, almost 40 percent believed that family was solely responsible for their aging family members, with government, family and society scoring close to 50 percent. Yet by 2022, that second number changed again to more than 60 percent. More and more South Koreans see a significant role for the government in helping its older population to age safely and comfortably.
South Korean Initiative for the Aging Population
Today, the South Korean government is trying to institute policies that allow older people to age gracefully and with economic security. With such a significant agenda ahead of it, the South Korean government recently announced on July 1, 2024, that to further support its objectives, it will be creating a new ministry, tentatively titled the Ministry of Population Strategy Planning, to better oversee and tackle its various demographic issues including those related to its rapidly ageing population and low birth rates. This announcement came just a few weeks after the President of South Korea declared a national demographic emergency, focusing on overcoming the country’s low birth rate.
How Canada Can Empower Older Adults to Age Gracefully
Unlike South Korea, Canada still has a reasonable chance to proactively protect our older population, ensuring ample choice exists about where and with whom they live. The vast majority of older Canadians wish to age in place, making it incumbent on us and three levels of government to make clear how that can be done. New incentives could include:
- Access to home care that is not inordinately expensive.
- Access to contractors who specialize in renovations to make aging at home safe and accessible.
- Access to health care either at home or by transportation services that pick up older folks at their homes and drive them back home after a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment.
- Physical and psychological services with trained professionals at emergency departments and clinics geared to the needs of aging Canadians.
- Variety of online resources to help with healthy meal preparation.
- Variety of online resources demonstrating daily exercise routines.
- Helplines designed specifically for older Canadians in crisis who need immediate counselling.
- R&D into how AI and other emerging technologies can improve the lives of older Canadians.
My list is doable. Everyone eventually benefits if governments work harder and smarter to support and protect aging Canadians. Isn’t that what paying taxes is all about?
