Questions we may ask ourselves as we age might include: who’s going to care for us? How will we afford that care? Will we become a burden for our loved ones? Should we spare them and explore retirement home options? None of these questions are easy. They’re especially difficult in societies where people tend to feel more alienated. But in some cultures, where family ties are … [Read more...] about Costa Rica’s Deeply Familial Care System at the Onset of Increased Global Aging
Institutionalized and Uncounted
We all have an elderly relative, friend or neighbor who requires additional support. Sometimes, we may even have to decide whether sending them to a retirement home is the right thing to do. But we know little about conditions in these places. Oftentimes, the institutionalized end up being invisible and vulnerable. … [Read more...] about Institutionalized and Uncounted
How To Support Those Who Provide Assistance To People With Disabilities?
Nilda Villacres, an expert in public health in Ecuador, is also a single mother of a 30-year-old son who was born with cerebral palsy. Despite the difficulties, she feels fortunate to work in a profession that helps her cover the costs of the people who accompany her son during a good part of the working day. … [Read more...] about How To Support Those Who Provide Assistance To People With Disabilities?
What About the Rights of the Elderly?
In noting the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, did you know that there is no universal declaration of the rights of older adults, like there is for children and indigenous peoples? What does exist in the United Nations is a space for formal discussion about which rights are the most relevant for this population. … [Read more...] about What About the Rights of the Elderly?
If You Want to Live A Hundred Years…
...Sang the famous Spanish singer-songwriter Joaquín Sabina in 1992, “do not try the liqueurs of pleasure, build muscles from five to six, and watch your cholesterol.” Beyond his ironic lyrics about the exaggerated obsession with finding the elixir to prolong life, Sabina’s song alluded to a new reality: the increase in life expectancy and the implications that entails. … [Read more...] about If You Want to Live A Hundred Years…