How to use the theory of aging to help the elderly achieve healthy aging?

According to the fifth national census at the end of June 2000, the number of elderly people over 65 has reached 88 1 1000, accounting for 6.96% of the total population. The population over 60 years old reached 65.438+0.3 billion, accounting for 654.38+0.2% of the total population. If the internationally accepted population over the age of 65 accounts for 7% of the total population, it is the elderly population structure type, then as early as 2000, China has already entered the elderly society. Aging has become an irreversible worldwide trend in 2 1 century. Compared with the first census in 1953, the number of elderly people over 65 years old was 26.2 million, an increase of 2.36 times in 47 years, with an average annual increase of 2.6%. In the past decade, the aging rate has accelerated, increasing by 3% every year, and the population over 80 years old has also increased at an average annual rate of one million.

According to the United Nations forecast, the average annual growth rate of the global elderly population from 65438 to 0990 to 2020 is 2.5%, and that of China is 3.3%. The proportion of the elderly population in the world has increased from 6.6% in 1995 to 9.3% in 2020, and that in China has increased from 6. 1 1.5%. China's aging process has surpassed the world's aging process in both growth rate and proportion. By 2020, the number of elderly people over 65 in China will reach 654.38+67 billion, accounting for 24% of the global elderly population of 698 million, and 1 in every four people in the world will be elderly people in China.

According to the population sampling survey in 2002, the proportion of the elderly over 65 in the national population was 8.2%, which was 1.2 percentage points higher than that in the 2000 census. Regionally, the aging degree in Shanghai is as high as 13.4%, with Zhejiang1/0.2%, Beijing 10.8%, Tianjin 10.7%, Jiangsu 9.9% and Chongqing 9.2%. Northwest China, Yunnan, Guizhou, Tibet and other provinces 17 are all below 8%, which shows that economically developed areas have taken the lead in stepping into an aging society.

By the end of 2004, there were 6,408,300 elderly people over 60 in Zhejiang Province, accounting for 13.96% of the total population. The number of elderly people over 60 in Chengdu reached 654.38+0.527 million, accounting for 654.38+0.4% of the city's total population. As early as five years ago, the population over 65 in Shanghai had reached 1 1.46%.

The aging process in developed countries lasts for decades to more than 100 years, such as France 1 15, Switzerland 85, Britain 80 and the United States 60, while China only has18 (1981-65438).

In a word, China's aging population has the characteristics of rapid aging, large elderly population, unbalanced regions and advanced social and economic development compared with countries that entered the aging population earlier.

In addition, when the society in developed countries is aging, the per capita gdp is generally above 5,000 US dollars, and some even reach 8,000 US dollars. It is a universal law that they have certain economic strength and are capable of solving some social problems brought about by aging. In contrast, in 2003, China's per capita gdp was only $65,438+over 0,000, which was far from the developed countries. China's economic development level is still at a low level in the world, but its aging degree has entered the ranks of developed countries, showing the characteristics of "getting old before getting rich".

Starting from 2020, China will enter a serious stage of aging; In 2050, China will step into the ranks of ultra-high aging countries.

The problem of old age cannot be ignored.

As developed countries enter the stage of low fertility ahead of schedule, the population of children is decreasing, and the proportion of the elderly population is increasing. Therefore, strictly speaking, aging first appeared in developed countries.

China's society has been aging for less than 20 years. Undeniably, China's family planning policy is the main reason to promote and accelerate the process of social aging. At the same time, due to the rapid economic and social development in China in the past 20 years, disease control, sanitary conditions and quality of life have been rapidly improved, and the widespread phenomenon of "having fewer children, dying less and living longer" is also an important factor.

Population aging has become a major social problem that cannot be ignored.

First of all, the pension burden of the working-age population has increased. A study shows that in 2000, every 100 working-age population in China only needs to have 15.6 elderly people, and in 2050, it will have 48.5 elderly people. The research holds that there will be a period of low dependency ratio in China in the next 50 years and the first 20 years, during which the proportion of children in the total population will decrease, while the proportion of the elderly in the total population will just increase, and the total dependency ratio will be in a V-shape.

Secondly, the problem of social security is outstanding. Yang Jianhua, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology of Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Unlike cities and towns, the elderly in rural areas enjoy all kinds of social security. With the disintegration of the collective economy, the original system of collective support for the elderly also collapsed. Rural family support is mainly solved by themselves, and rural family support is influenced by children's own economic strength and filial piety. Maintenance disputes and suicides caused by maintenance occur from time to time. Rural elderly people generally lack basic social security such as old-age care, medical care and nursing services, so there are problems that the elderly become poor due to illness, return to poverty due to illness, and finally look down on illness. This is particularly prominent in the poverty-stricken areas in central and western China, which has affected the harmonious development of society and the establishment of a well-off society. With the increase of the elderly population and the extension of life expectancy, the number of elderly people who have lost their ability to live due to illness, disability and aging has increased significantly, which has brought a heavy burden to the country, society and families, and it is urgent to solve the social security problem. "

Due to the existence of dual economic structure, social security is mainly concentrated in cities and towns. Although the basic framework of social security for urban workers has taken shape, it is undergoing the test of aging population in the future. The development of industrialization and urbanization has transformed a large number of rural population into urban population. According to the forecast of the Ministry of Construction on urban housing demand, the urban population will increase by 260 million in 2020 and 330 million in 2050. By then, the level of urbanization will reach 70%. In the process of urbanization, it is urgent to combine the actual situation and affordability of small towns to study and introduce old-age insurance methods.

Third, the quality of life of the elderly. The decline of physical health is one of the important factors affecting the quality of life of the elderly, and the related psychological, dietary and social factors can not be ignored. Research shows that about13 of the elderly have psychological problems such as loss, loneliness, depression and anxiety. The elderly in some cities are overweight, while those in some rural areas are malnourished. Ignoring the individual's differences in physical strength and intelligence, the "one size fits all" retirement system has also caused the loss of elderly talents to a certain extent, leaving the elderly in a state of being "raised" prematurely.

"Never too old to learn", at present, the development of geriatric education and geriatric science in China lags behind. Take the United States as an example American gerontology research began in 1930s, and the International Gerontology Society was founded in 1940s. Gerontology has long attracted their attention. At present, the research and education of gerontology in China is basically blank. As a big country with an elderly population accounting for a quarter of the world's population, there is no formal geriatric medical research institution in China, and there is a serious shortage of nursing and nursing professionals needed by the aging population. The ratio of medical staff in China is 1: 1. 1, which is far lower than 1: 2.26 in 1.952, and it can't meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health. In 2000, there was still a shortage of 3.36 million nurses compared with the actual demand in China. There is a shortage of general practitioners/family doctors, the development of rehabilitation medicine is slow, and the investment in research on aging mechanism is seriously insufficient.

With the rapid growth of empty nesters and elderly people, the service and mode of providing for the aged are facing challenges. At present, there are about 23.4 million empty nesters over 65 years old in China. According to the survey, the number of empty-nest families in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin has reached more than 30%. There are about140,000 elderly people in China who want to enter welfare institutions for the elderly. At present, there are only more than one million beds in various welfare institutions, which is far from meeting the needs of the elderly. There is a contradiction between the total number of old-age care institutions can not meet the demand and the low utilization rate of nursing homes.

Social influence is no joke.

The aging problem has a particularly prominent impact on the economy.

After primary distribution and redistribution, a country's national income will eventually form two parts: accumulation fund and consumption fund. Accumulating funds is the source of expanding reproduction and the necessary condition for promoting economic development. Under the condition of a certain national income, provident fund and consumption fund are a kind of trade-off relationship. More consumption funds, less accumulated funds. On the contrary, if the consumption funds are less, the accumulated funds will be more. Accumulating more funds means that countries and enterprises can invest more money and expand reproduction, which is very important to stimulate economic growth. However, the aging population will lead to the continuous increase of pension funds, lead to the increase of consumption funds, and correspondingly reduce accumulated funds, which is not conducive to expanding investment. Coupled with the increasing number of elderly people, the total pension is also rising. 1978, the total cost of social insurance benefits for retirees in China was 173 billion yuan, which increased to 206.83 billion yuan in197, an increase of 1 19 compared with19. It is estimated that this cost will reach 732,654.38+0.95 billion yuan in 2030 and1826,543.8+0.952 billion yuan in 2050. This huge figure will bring serious trouble to the country's financial and economic development.

On the other hand, the decline in the proportion of working-age population leads to a shortage of labor. Labor force is the most basic factor of productivity. The number of labor force and its proportion in the total population have an important impact on economic development. Although China has entered an old-age society, it is rich in labor resources, and there will be no shortage of labor for a long time to come. However, with the development of aging population in China, the problem of aging labor force will be very obvious. At present, a large number of young and middle-aged laborers will also enter old age in a few years. Because the aging of the working-age population is not conducive to the improvement of labor productivity, it will have an adverse impact on economic development.

The problem of old age will also have a certain impact on social stability.

At present, China implements the pay-as-you-go pension social insurance system, and the pension is paid directly from the income of enterprises. If there are many retirees in the enterprise and the burden of providing for the aged is heavy, the income of employees may be affected, which may lead to employee dissatisfaction, thus triggering the contradiction of interest distribution between the working generation and the retired generation. In fact, the pension received by retirees is a kind of compensation for the wealth they created in the past. However, in practice, it is easy for employees to misunderstand because they pay directly from the value created by employees.

The problem of old age will also have a certain impact on family intergenerational relations. In traditional families, due to the large number of children at that time, the life span of the elderly was short, the time for families to support the elderly was relatively short, and the burden of children to support the elderly was relatively light. In modern times, especially since the implementation of the one-child policy, the emergence of the "4-2- 1" family pattern has made a couple face a heavy burden of supporting their parents and raising a minor child. This burden is not limited to the economy, but also includes the time to take care of and care for the elderly. It takes time to take care of the elderly, and for the working population, time means income. Over time, children will reject the moral concept of respecting and loving the elderly, and the phenomenon of exclusion, discrimination and abuse of the elderly will increase, and the contradiction between the two generations will continue to intensify. If the intergenerational contradictions are not solved well, it will inevitably affect the harmony and stability of the whole society, the development of society and the realization of the goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way.

How to face it?

Since the reform and opening up, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's aging cause has developed rapidly. 1994 65438+in February, the state planning commission, the Ministry of civil affairs and other departments jointly formulated the "seven-year development program for China's aging work (1994-2000)"; 199 10, the CPC central Committee and the State Council decided to set up a national working Committee on aging; In August 2000, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the Decision on Strengthening the Work on Ageing. Since the beginning of the new century, according to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, the Decision of the Central Committee of People's Republic of China (PRC) and the State Council on Strengthening the Work of Aging, and the Outline of the Tenth Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of People's Republic of China (PRC), combined with the reality of China's aging population, the Outline of the Tenth Five-year Plan for the Development of the Aging Cause in China (20065438+) has been formulated. The economic support and medical security of the elderly have been improved, the welfare, culture, education and sports of the elderly have developed rapidly, the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly have been paid attention to, the social atmosphere of respecting, supporting and helping the elderly has gradually taken shape, the quality of life of the elderly has been significantly improved, the aging organizations have developed healthily, and the aging working committees at all levels and their offices are being improved and strengthened.

However, the cause of aging in China still lags behind the requirements of population aging and social and economic development. The social security system is not perfect, the facilities, products and services for the elderly are in short supply, and the spiritual and cultural life of the elderly is not rich enough, which infringes on the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly from time to time. The development mechanism of the cause for the aged, which adapts to the socialist market economic system, needs to be established and improved.

At present, people who have entered the aging stage all joined the work before the 1960s. They made great contributions to the war of liberation and the construction of new China, and accumulated rich experience and wealth for the country. However, under the circumstances of low income, incomplete labor remuneration and poor quality of life, they overdraw for a long time and retire early. Some enterprises with poor efficiency and on the verge of bankruptcy cannot enjoy full pension and medical security, and a considerable number of retirees are in distress, and the elderly in rural areas basically do not enjoy social security. Therefore, no matter from the income level, quality of life and health status, we must pay attention to the social life difficulties of more than/kloc-0 billion elderly people, and truly implement the principle of "providing for the elderly, providing medical care, teaching, learning, doing something and having fun".

In cities and towns, it is necessary to speed up the establishment of a unified, standardized and perfect old-age insurance system, ensure that the basic pensions of enterprise retirees are paid in full and on time, and fully implement the socialized payment of basic pensions; Expand the coverage of basic old-age insurance according to law and encourage the development of personal savings old-age insurance; Further improve the normal adjustment mechanism of basic pension, with the economic development and the improvement of workers' wage level, reasonably increase the basic pension, so that retirees can enjoy the fruits of economic and social development; Raise social security funds through multiple channels to prepare for the peak of population aging.

In rural areas, we should gradually establish and improve the old-age security system for farmers, which combines land security, family support and social support. Farmers' pension is mainly based on family support, and it is advocated to sign a "family support agreement" between supporters; Encourage young and healthy old people to improve their self-reliance ability; Continue to improve the "five guarantees" support system for the elderly who have no ability to work, no source of income, no supporters and dependents, or the supporters and dependents really have no supporters and dependents, and gradually improve the level of support; Where conditions permit, a collective welfare system for the elderly can be implemented; Gradually establish a family planning and old-age security system for one-child households and two-female households according to the situation; Pay attention to exploring and solving the problem of old-age security for the elderly in the process of urbanization, and build a multi-level, diversified and multi-project assistance system for the poor elderly in accordance with the principle of combining government assistance with social mutual assistance, and give temporary assistance to the elderly with special difficulties.

In medical care, we should improve and promote the basic medical insurance system for urban workers. In accordance with the regulations, the qualified community health service institutions will be included in the designated institutions of basic medical insurance for urban workers, and the service items will be included in the payment scope of basic medical insurance, and various forms of supplementary medical insurance will be actively developed, and a multi-level medical security system will be gradually established; Explore various forms of rural health security measures; Gradually explore the establishment of urban and rural medical assistance system to improve the medical conditions of the poor elderly.

Make full use of the existing urban health resources to provide prevention, medical care, nursing and rehabilitation services for the elderly, and gradually solve most of the basic health problems of the elderly in the community; Improve the medical prevention and health care network at the county, township and village levels to improve the medical and health conditions of the elderly; Popularize health care knowledge to the elderly and enhance their self-care ability; Create conditions for the elderly to participate in physical fitness and enjoy priority services for the elderly and the disabled.

On the basis of making full use of existing facilities, the state has increased investment in the construction of old-age facilities, run demonstration old-age facilities through new construction, renovation and expansion, and formulated preferential policies to attract social forces to invest in different levels of community old-age service facilities, focusing on demand-oriented development of nursing old-age facilities.

Cities should have apartments for the elderly, social welfare homes and nursing homes; Streets should have nursing homes or nurseries that meet the needs of the elderly, make full use of the existing resources of urban primary medical institutions to carry out old-age services, and gradually form a network of old-age facilities; The community should develop nursing services for the elderly and optimize the social and community environment for the elderly to live at home.

Township (town) nursing homes should further strengthen the construction of facilities, expand the service scope to the elderly in the surrounding areas, gradually meet the special needs of all kinds of elderly people, establish a regular training system for management personnel, and the training rate of service personnel reaches 60-80%, and pass the examination and show certificates; Attach importance to the integration and full use of existing community human resources, vigorously develop community volunteer service organizations, actively encourage students to participate in various forms of service for the elderly, and form a service team that combines full-time, part-time and volunteers.

In terms of spiritual and cultural life, we should give full play to the propaganda, education and guidance of mass media such as radio, television, newspapers and periodicals, and run special cultural programs for the elderly; Literary and art circles, film and television circles and drama circles should actively create excellent works that the elderly love to see and hear; Press and publication departments should attach importance to running newspapers and periodicals for the elderly, publishing books, audio-visual and electronic publications for the elderly, vigorously developing community cultural and sports activities suitable for the characteristics of the elderly, giving support and guidance to various professional cultural and sports organizations for the elderly, and organizing cultural performances, calligraphy and painting exhibitions and other activities for the elderly in a planned way.

Establish an education network for the elderly, carry out educational activities suitable for the characteristics of the elderly, help the elderly to increase their knowledge, cultivate their sentiments, and advocate a scientific, civilized and healthy lifestyle; Encourage the elderly to continue to participate in social development, create conditions according to social needs and the principle of voluntary ability, and actively play the role of the elderly in the construction of two civilizations. In cities and towns, we should attach importance to the development and utilization of human resources for the elderly and guide them to engage in social welfare activities such as education, scientific research, consultation, maintaining social order and community service; In rural areas, healthy elderly people should be encouraged to engage in planting, breeding and processing industries, support the elderly to help themselves, and give full play to their role in grassroots democratic construction.

Finally, according to the actual situation, we should promptly formulate the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, as well as laws and regulations, local administrative regulations and departmental rules on the social welfare of the elderly, strengthen law enforcement, and deal with and crack down on illegal acts that infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly according to law. Gradually establish a relatively complete legal service network and legal aid organizations for the elderly. Grassroots legal services and legal aid institutions should set up posts to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly, and communities should set up legal service outlets to ensure that the elderly can get effective legal services on the spot, nearby and in time. For the elderly who are unable to pay for legal services, legal aid shall be provided in accordance with the relevant provisions, and preferential treatment shall be given for delay, reduction and exemption, so as to help the elderly learn, understand and abide by the law, improve their legal awareness and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests according to law.

Strengthen legal supervision. Institutions for the aged at all levels shall perform their duties, supervise and coordinate the administration of various departments according to law, actively cooperate with and assist the judicial administrative departments, and do a good job in safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly. Relevant departments should regularly check the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly.

In short, in the face of social aging, the state, government and society still have a lot of work to do.