demography Flashcards
Statistic on how the average age of UK population is rising?
Over 500,000 people are 90+
What is this ageing of the population caused by? (3) - give statistics for each one!
-Increasing life expectancy- 2017: life expectancy at 65:
women=20 years
men=18 years
-Decline in fertility- 2019: 1.6 children p/woman.
-Declining infant mortality- 2020: 3.5 deaths p/100 births.
What are the 4 effects of the ageing population?
-Public services
-One pensioner households
-Dependency ratio
-Ageism
Briefly explain public services.
However…
-Older people consume a larger proportion of public services e.g. health and social care.
-However, many people remain in relatively good health in an old age>we can’t over generalise.
Explain health care (NHS)
-High number of elderly>more likely to be unwell>weaker, alone>physical and mental health problems.
-Bed blocking=patient has to be safe conditions when they’re discharged from hospital, if not, the NHS has to provide safety.
-Getting elderly out of the hospital is difficult, expensive>NHS has to cut things e.g. GPs, ambulances to save money.
Explain social care
-We are struggling to care for the elderly
-Aim is to keep them at home
-GP provides ‘end of life care’
Explain one pensioner households (single elderly)
-Number of pensioners living alone has increased.
-Widows, not living near their families>mental and physical health problems.
Explain the dependency ratio
-As the number of retired people increases, the dependency and burden on the working population increases.
-The age people can draw their pensions is increasing.
-Elderly use public services the most>£136 billion budget for pensioners>pressure on government spending from the ageing population.
What is ageism?
How is this shown in society?
What is the discourse about old people?
-Negative stereotyping and unequal treatment of people based on their age.
-Discrimination in employment, unequal treatment in health care.
-Much discourse (way of speaking and thinking) about old age and ageing has been constructed as a problem e.g. cost of pensions and health care for the old.
What does postmodern society argue about old age?
-The fixed stages of the life course has been broken down e.g. TRENDS of children dressing in older adult clothing, later marriage>blurs the boundaries between life stages>gives individuals a greater choice of lifestyle, no matter the age.
-Trends breaks down the ageist stereotypes in modern society.
What does post modernism society argue about old age being a stigmatised life stage? (2)
-Centrality of the media=media images now portray positive aspects of the lifestyles of the elderly.
-Emphasis on surface features=body becomes a surface on which we can write identities. Anti-ageing products enable the old to write different identities for themselves.
How is there inequality among the old?
-Contrasts the postmodern view that orderly stages of life have broken down.
-Pilcher: inequalities e.g. class and gender remain important and relate to an individual’s occupational position.
How is there class inequality amongst the old?
-Middle class=better occupational pensions and higher salaries>greater savings
-Poorer=shorter life expectancy and suffer more from infirmity (making it more difficult to maintain a youthful self-identity).
How is there gender inequality amongst the old?
-Womens lower earnings and careers as carers>lower pensions.
-Subject to sexist and ageist stereotyping e.g. being described as ‘old hags’.
Positive of the ageing populations impact on the NHS?
(Advances in medicine)
Promote tailored care which documents peoples preferences about key aspects of care towards the end of life for people with advanced frailty (weak)
