Ruth Institute Blog

As we’ve often mentioned on this blog, much of the world is facing an ageing population (a “grey/gray tsunami” as some commentators have named it).  Many countries face the near future involving a greater percentage of their population in the age bracket 65+ years old. This greater elderly cohort has all sorts of implications for our societies and economies. This tsunami is rushing nearing and more and more are starting to ask: what will happen when it hits? Read more…

At a time when health systems the world over are grappling with a higher proportion of older people in the face of demographic change and increasing costs, baby boomers are stepping in to fill some of the gaps.  Most health systems strive for holistic person centred care, which also focuses on the prevention of illness.  That means thinking about factors such as loneliness and the connection the elderly feel with their immediate communities.  Some baby boomers are seeking to provide this connection by taking up niche small business opportunities – something many of them say is a ‘calling’ as much as a job. Read more…

Many people have a vague idea that too many people could have something to do with the existence of hunger in the world.  This is often used as an argument for population control.  If there really wasn’t going to be enough food for your children to eat, certainly that would be a valid reason for families to decide to limit their size (notice I said families to decide and not governments or anyone else to impose a decision).  However, in fact, the problem is largely despotic individuals and inequalities in food distribution.  Read more…

Today I want to share with you a very interesting piece written by Dr Pascoal Carvalho for the FIAMC (the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations) about the plight of the elderly, particularly in India. I will leave Dr Carvalho to speak for himself, and will confine myself to highlighting in bold the parts of the article which particularly resonated with or interested me. Enjoy! Read more…

The debate in Hong Kong on its population policy is continuing. We’ve mentioned it before on this blog, and the debate isn’t dying down at all.   The South China Morning Post continues to debate the options and likely outcomes for a city which has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world.  As the article states, Hong Kong’s population growth is drying up and the population is growing older: Read more…