Yaşlı Sorunları Araştırma Dergisi (Jun 2023)
The Future of Aging and The Importance of Life Policy for Older Peoples in The Framework of Structure-Individual Relationality
Abstract
The older population is increasing on a global scale as a result of the increase in life expectancy at birth, the decrease in death and birth rates, and the developments in technology and health. The increase in the older population necessitates new plans and policies for the future, both at the individual and social level. The aim of the article is to make determinations and offer suggestions for the older peoples to develop a life policy in order not to be caught unprepared for the uncertain-ties of the future, and what the responsibilities of the government-local governments are in this regard. In this study, the question of what awaits the older peoples in the future in terms of family and intergenerational relations, social environment and neighbourhood relations, developments in the field of health, working life, physical environment and housing, and use of digital technology. The theoretical framework of the study consists of the concepts of structure-individual relational-ity and life policy. In this context, a literature review was conducted based on national and interna-tional reports and publications. The main emphasis of this study is that the older peoples can re-flectively transform their own lives as individuals in an individual sense, and that a better life can be designed for the older peoples in the future with the policies and practices that governments can realize in this regard in a structural sense. As a result, it is stated that it is possible to plan the fu-ture lives of the older peoples within the framework of structure and individual relationality. This requires both individual and structural measures. For a better aging in the future, programs that support the older peoples, such as financial aid, home health care support, shared ownership mod-els, intergenerational solidarity programs, urban and housing planning suitable for the needs of the older population, are important. On the other hand, it is recommended that both young and old individuals make the necessary investment by taking into account the needs of their old age.
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