Aged care around the globe

Japan sees growth of care tech

The Japanese technology industry specialising in producing equipment to care for the nation’s seniors has become very well-developed, reports VN Express. As a result, aged care homes in Japan are increasingly relying on assistive tech. Machines are used to lift individuals out of their beds and into bathtubs where residents are cleaned by automated spray devices. Once finished, a robot lifts them back into their beds. Other technologies – such as dehumidifier robots, odour-eliminating robots, vacuum robots and many others – are also increasingly being utilised. Japan is expected to see an explosion of such technologies due to its ageing population.

Reform on hold

Even though Germany’s aged care system is widely acknowledged as in need of major funding reform, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon, reports The Local De. The demand for aged care in Germany is increasing by the hundreds of thousands. This is due to the “sandwich effect”, as the baby boomers join the current cohort of the country’s aged care recipients. However, with a federal election slated for autumn 2025, reform “isn’t on the cards”. In the current political climate, Germany’s coalition government would struggle to adopt a uniform policy in time. However, this could lead to an argument for major reform in the next legislative period.

Canadians shun retirement homes

For Canadians, ageing in place is becoming an increasingly popular concept, reports CBC News. Scared off by the cost of retirement living – upwards of CA$3,100 a month – many older Canadians are considering other options. Such as ageing in place, which enables individuals to keep living at home and pay for support as needed. Co-living is another consideration, where individuals make arrangements to live together and support one another. Whatever the option, the goal for many seniors is to find a living situation that supports them socially, financially, and medically for as long as possible.

More homes needed

Hundreds of aged care homes in Florida have been forced to close due to the soaring cost of property insurance, reports The New York Post. In the five-year period ending 2023, an average of 143 homes or assisted-living facilities have closed each year. During the same period, commercial property insurance premiums in Florida rose 125 per cent. The succession of hurricanes that have battered the state have been blamed for the soaring insurance costs. An ageing population growth makes it imperative for Florida to build more state-funded aged care homes, say experts.

Cubans turn to private sector

With record-breaking cases of migration in recent years – stoked by widespread shortages of food, fuel and medicine – Cuba’s long-held reliance on families providing care for their seniors is unravelling, reports Reuters. The problem is exacerbated by Cuba’s ageing population – nearly one in four on the Caribbean island are over 60 years’ old. As a result, many older Cubans are left without help and support at home. This has led to those families with the means turning to the private sector. Many are people living abroad and who can pay for services to support those older family members they’ve left behind.

UK unable to meet care needs

The demand for home care services is projected to increase significantly, largely due to the United Kingdom’s ageing population, reports homecare.co.uk. Government statistics predict that 57 per cent more adults aged 65 and over will require home care in 2038 compared to 2018. Despite this, a survey conducted by provider peak the Homecare Association found that over 50 per cent of providers reported that they are delivering less services compared to the same time last year. This is largely due a workforce shortage. It’s estimated that an extra 480,000 people will need to be working in home care in the UK by 2035 to keep up with the growing demand.

NZ unprepared for demand for aged care

New Zealanders are getting older, but the country is ill-prepared to handle the demand for aged care services, reports Stuff. That’s the message from Tracey Martin – a former minister for seniors and current chief executive of provider peak body New Zealand Aged Care Association. “When I was minister for seniors, I would have to say that there wasn’t a collective view inside government to really address this problem,” she told the podcast Newsable. Meanwhile, the government has instructed a health select committee to launch an inquiry into the country’s aged care provision – including the sector’s capacity to support people living with dementia.

Over 80s demographic forecast to double

If all Portuguese residents 65-plus were to need access to aged care at any one time, only 12 per cent would be granted a slot in the system, reports Portugal Resident. This information is enhanced by a report that shows, in the first 20 years of the 21st century, the number of Portuguese aged over 80 has doubled from 377,000 to 720,000. Moreover, the demographic forecast show this is likely to double again by 2040 while, at the other end of the graph, the country’s birth rates will diminish. The effect is an inverted hour glass with the sands of time flowing upwards. Of all European countries, Portugal is assessed at being in fourth place for its proportion of older ones in the populace and is likely to soon move up into third place, even with the counter balance of young migrant workers arriving with large families.

China develops care reforms

With a population of 1.4 billion ageing at a rapid rate, China is braving the mounting challenge with a portfolio of reforms including optimising the supply of basic elderly care services, reports People’s Daily Online. This includes developing community-based facilities, improving the operation mechanisms for public-run institutions, and encouraging and guiding the participation of enterprises and other non-governmental actors in care service provision. Official figures show China has nearly 300 million citizens aged 60 or above. The number is expected to top 400 million by 2033 and approach 500 million by around 2050, accounting for nearly 35 per cent of the total population. About 90 per cent of this population lives at home, 7 per cent rely on community support, and the remaining rely on commercial institutions for daily care. Responding to this situation, China has made a series of efforts to develop home and community-based elderly care services and cultivate community-based facilities.

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