Demographic Trends: The Ageing Population/ What do sociologists think?

Question 1

How many people 65 + were there in 2011?

Answer 1

9.5 million (1 in 6 of the population)

Question 2

In what year did the amount of people 65 + equal the number of under 15s?

Answer 2

2014

Question 3

Out of all households, how many are one-person pensioner households?

Answer 3

1 in 8

Question 4

What are the three factors that result in an ageing population?

Answer 4

• increasing life expectancy, declining infant mortality, declining fertility

Question 5

What are the five effects of an ageing population?

Answer 5

• effect on public services
• one-person pensioner households
• the dependency ratio
• policy implications
• ageism

Question 6

Although it is said that the elderly consume a large proportion of services than other age groups, why can’t we generalise?

Answer 6

• many old people remain in relatively good health

Question 7

Why might an ageing population mean the need for more expenditure?

Answer 7

• they might require changes to policies and the provision of housing, transport or other services eg. more bungalows/ care homes etc.

Question 8

Why are most one-person pensioner households female?

Answer 8

• they live longer than men and they’re generally younger

Question 9

How many households are one-person pensioner households?

Answer 9

1 in 8

Question 10

What do we call the non-working old?

Answer 10

• an economically dependent group (they rely on taxes to pay for pensions and healthcare)

Question 11

Give a statistic that shows it is wrong to assume that all old people are economically dependent

Answer 11

• in 2020 men and women will have to wait until 66 to access state pension

Question 12

What is the main problem of an ageing population?

Answer 12

• how to finance a longer period of old age

Question 13

What are the solutions to the problem of how to finance a longer period of old age?

Answer 13

• paying more from savings and taxes while working and working for longer

Question 14

How would the housing policy have to change in response to an ageing population?

Answer 14

• encouraging people to ‘trade down’ to smaller accommodation

Question 15

How would healthcare policy have to change in response to an ageing population?

Answer 15

• less maternity services, more geriatric care

Question 16

Give some examples of ageism in response to an ageing population?

Answer 16

• discrimination in employment and unequal health care treatment

Question 17

How do inequalities in class and gender remain important relating to the different experiences of old age?

Answer 17

• the middle class have better pensions from their occupations and greater savings
• poorer people have a shorter life expectancy and suffer more infirmity
• women’s lower earnings and career breaks mean lower pensions

Question 18

Suggest some positives of an ageing population

Answer 18

• evidence that medical care should have continued investment as it has had success in extending the life span
• generates jobs in elderly care
• we can learn from older generations
• it encourages greater knowledge/ understanding
• can help with childcare
• opportunity to spend more time with loved ones
• they may do volunteer work in retirement