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Current projections show that between 2000 and 2050, increasing proportions of older individuals will be cared for by a smaller number of healthcare workers, which will exacerbate the existing challenges faced by those who support this patient demographic. This review of a collection of Age and Ageing papers on the topic in the past 10 years explores (1) what best practice geriatrics education is and (2) how careers in geriatrics could be made more appealing to improve recruitment and retention. Based on these deeper understandings, we consider, as clinician educators, how to close the gap both pragmatically and theoretically. We point out paradigm shifting solutions that include innovations at the Undergraduate level, use of simulation, incorporation of learner and patient perspectives, upskilling professionals outside of Geriatrics and integration of practice across disciplines through Interprofessional Learning. We also identify an education research methodological gap. Specifically, there is an abundance of simple descriptive or justification studies but few clarification education studies; the latter are essential to develop fresh insights into how Undergraduate students can learn more effectively to meet the needs of the global ageing challenge. A case of improving understanding in delirium education is presented as an illustrative example of a new approach to exploring at greater depth education and outlines suggested directions for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As a densely populated city, Hong Kong’s housing market is the least affordable in the world. This paper aims to uncover the underlying socio-economic factors behind the changing homeownership patterns of new immigrants before and after the handover. While Mainland immigrants enjoyed the highest likelihood of homeownership among new immigrants before the handover, their advantage disappeared after the handover. The findings support the Assimilation theory’s prediction that homeownership is lower among those less assimilated in general, but not among Mainland migrants. Those who were married, well-educated, employers; and had longer residences were more likely to be homeowners. Various admission schemes are implemented to attract talents, professionals and entrepreneurs to reside in Hong Kong but there is no accompanying housing policy to enable immigrants to become homeowners. The results show the homeownership rate of new immigrants dropped by more than half after the handover. Immigrants may feel less secure calling Hong Kong their home if they don’t own a “home”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing population has become a global problem in which enhanced understanding on their activity-travel patterns is needed. In this paper, an analysis of retired and dual-earner couples is conducted to investigate how retirement would change their activity time use and patterns. In particular, intra-household interactions are considered, to explore the interdependencies among household members' choices, social-demographics and travel behaviours. Household survey data from Hong Kong are employed. Results show that retirement would substantially increase joint participations and durations in various out-of-home activities. In addition, the importance of walkability is emphasised for retired couples in a mixed-land-use and transit-dependent city, and a potential social exclusion issue is identified for the low-income retired population. Scenarios analyses including changes of built environment and lifestyles (e.g., telecommuting, online shopping and food delivery) are conducted, to investigate how couples would reallocate the saved travel time. In summary, this paper highlights the importance of considering the group decision mechanism in a household for activity generation and travel demand forecasting. It sheds light on policies to improve quality-of-life for couples before and after the retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on creating age-friendly cities to accommodate the changing needs of older people and to promote their overall health and wellbeing. This paper focuses on some of the urban planning implications related to maintaining the social health, as a main component of overall health and wellbeing, of older people. Specifically, we look at the role and accessibility of third places (popular public places where many people go to socialise) in relation to older people living in different neighbourhood built-form patterns, and how these factors impact on the formation of absent, weak and strong social ties. The data draw upon interviews with 54 older people living in different neighbourhood built-form patterns on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Our findings demonstrate the significant role third places have in affording older people opportunities to engage in the social lives of their local communities, thus contributing to their social health and overall wellbeing. This research supports previous studies relating to the accessibility of amenities by re-emphasising the importance of planning for the provision of third places that are conveniently located and easily accessible by older people. The paper concludes by arguing for the planning of transport and third-place interventions in Australia's sprawling suburban landscapes to allow older people more opportunities to be socially connected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 16th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics (MedInfo 2017) was held August 21–25, 2017, in Hangzhou, China. It provided a valuable platform for sharing the latest medical and health informatics research and related applications to the scientists, medical practitioners, entrepreneurs, and educators as well as students. During this event, on August 23, 2017, an important related topic was presented in a panel discussion entitled “Wearable technologies: Advancing the healthcare in ageing population” by panelists Shabbir Syed-Abdul, Panagiotis Bamidis, Chun-Por Wong, and Xinxin Zhu. Recent advances in health technologies, focusing on the aging population, their benefits and challenges were discussed, and these topics are summarized in this paper. The need for technology to improve of the life of older population, influential and beneficial technologies, for delivering these technologies to patients are described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing options for an ageing, predominantly home-owning society have evolved within the shifting context of social, economic, policy and locally-specific property conditions. Drawing on a case study of the retirement housing industry in Victoria, this paper finds that actor groups from overlapping aged care and housing agencies, from not-for-profit and for-profit sectors, have continuously redefined taken-for-granted housing “problems” of old age and developed solutions. The paper contributes to understanding the ideas and conditions that have shaped the retirement housing industry, and contributes theoretically to research that seeks to understand how ideas about housing and ageing are built into institutional arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many worldwide live in households with multiple generations of related adults. This paper shows that the number of UK multigenerational households has been increasing but UK multigenerational households have been little studied. The research found that the motivations for multigenerational living are diverse and reflect multiple intersecting structural pressures, including an ageing population, worsening housing affordability and later household formation amongst young people. These intersect with individual circumstances, such as divorce or illness, to make multigenerational living the most practical option for some families. However, forming a multigenerational household is also often an individual and family choice, based on the expectation of mutual benefits brought about by multigenerational living. The research suggests that the extent to which living in a multigenerational household is a positive experience is determined by an individual's degree of agency and choice in the arrangement, rather than an ability to cope with wider structural pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of an ageing workforce on the workplace is a concern internationally. Governments are increasingly encouraging the continued labour market participation of older workers, seeking to remove previous barriers to the extension of working lives and give more choice to workers. Despite these legislative drivers, research has consistently found a lack of systematic approaches by employers to prepare and benefit from these demographic and labour market changes. In this paper, qualitative research is drawn upon to examine how managers and older workers think about age and ageing in the workplace; the support put in place for older workers, as well as future priorities; and the lived experiences of the older workers. It is highlighted that employees' age and fitness for work is treated on an individual basis, rather than having formal plans to manage the workplace for older workers. This thus indicates a hands-off approach from management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lateral control of mid-aged drivers is better than those of older drivers. • Age-related impairment on driving performance cannot be offset. • Contributing factors are different between professional & non-professional drivers. • Older general drivers have better steering performance in low traffic condition. Of the road crashes involving personal injury in Hong Kong, over 70% involved at least one commercial vehicle. Besides, the proportion of older drivers in the transport sector has been increasing due to the shortage of labor and ageing population. It is believed that increase in age can have adverse impact on driving performance, even that professional drivers may possess better driving skill than non-professional drivers and the age-related impairment can be offset by task familiarity of professional drivers. In this paper, a driving simulator experiment was conducted to address this question. Additionally, possible factors that affect the driving performance of professional drivers and that of non-professional drivers were examined. A total of 50 participants were recruited and 94 tests were completed. Driving performance was assessed in terms of standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), standard deviation of heading error (SDHE), mean heading error (MeanHE) and standard deviation of speed (SDspeed). Results of random intercept models indicate that lateral and speed control performances of mid-aged drivers were better than those of older drivers. Then, disaggregated models were established for professional and non-professional drivers respectively based on the results of market segmentation analysis. It was found that lateral and speed control performance of mid-aged professional drivers were better than that of older professional drivers. In contrast, older non-professional drivers were more likely to have degraded steering performance under the high traffic condition. Results of this study are indicative to the driver management strategies of the transport operators for sustained safety improvement of commercial vehicle fleet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the construction of the silver economy (or the longevity economy) strategy in Brazil and its contribution to the economic development. The first and second parts of the paper summarize the international debate on the concept, mainly in the countries of the European Union. The third part approaches the focus on the ageing population in Brazil, still dominated by a pessimistic view. In the next section of the paper, the action opportunities for the longevity saving strategy in Brazil are exposed with summaries of some key sectors, according to the international literature on the silver economy. The income of the older people and the purchasing power of families with older adults are analysed in the following sections. In the conclusion, some recommended actions for building the silver economy strategy in Brazil is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aging population is a global phenomenon, which has affected almost all the EU states. The consequences are very important since it affects the socio-economic environment usually on the long run. Some of them could consist in increasing the public expenditure on pensions, social security and health services, which will raise the overall burden on the working population. Sometimes, a significant reduction of the labour force will even diminish the growth rate of an economy. Considering these aspects, the present paper intends to analyse the demographic situation from the EU states, the factors that have generated it and to identify the possible future trends. To determine the evolution of the ageing population phenomenon, we have analysed some demographic indicators included in various statistical reports and databases, such as the fertility rate, the median age, the percentage of population over a certain age and the age dependency ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spain is an ageing country, and the present demographic burden is not homogeneously distributed across space. Will the aged population be evenly distributed in the future, or will disparities broaden over time? Identifying the spatial patterns of the aged population concentration and the existence of a demographic burden convergence/divergence process is a pertinent question in Spain after the regional devolution the country has undergone in the last decades and the coexistence of different regimes. In this paper, we use a non‐parametric approach (geographically weighted regressions) to identify the determinants of the ageing dynamics, checking for the existence of a convergence/divergence ageing process after controlling for the socio‐economic characteristics of the Spanish municipalities. Although global estimations support the convergence hypotheses posed, GWR results show a significant variability of the effects depending on the area considered, which calls for a careful treatment of the results both for analysis and policy purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhalation of aerosols containing Legionella pneumophila, a water-borne bacteria commonly found in natural and manmade water systems, is the main causative agent of Legionnaires' disease (LD). Approximately 10–15% of all reported cases of LD result in fatality, with susceptibility to the disease being higher in immunosuppressed patients, men over 45 years of age, alcoholics, smokers and individuals with underlying diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and The United Kingdom (UK) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have implemented a strict code of practice and guidelines to minimise the risk of the public from contracting LD. This paper provides a critical review of these three published guidelines. Evidence suggests that the current detection methods for Legionella, by culture and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), show large disparities in the detection and quantification of bacteria in water samples, raising concerns about the reliability of measures needed to safeguard public health. Moreover, a survey of 20 residential building complexes in different London boroughs highlights the need for a review of remedial action recommendations and a more inclusive risk assessment strategy that protects 'at risk' people in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to learn lessons from North America on housing an ageing population, both in terms of supporting people to "age in place", and available options for those who need/wish to move. The project, funded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, comprised a six-week travel fellowship to USA and Canada to meet with housing professionals from the public and private sectors and find out about best practice initiatives and efficient models for housing older people.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is in two parts, of which this is the second. Part 2 focuses on the links between housing and health and, recognising significant differences between the countries, draws out lessons which may be applied as similar challenges of austerity, an ageing population and the increasing interest in personal budgets are faced.Findings – There is no one size fits all approach to addressing the housing needs of the older population; a continuum of options across tenures is required. There are opportunities for growth in the private and non-profit sectors in terms of the provision of services for the ageing population. Large scale social change comes from better cross-departmental coordination and cannot be achieved by the isolated intervention of a single organisation. Originality/value – This was a unique opportunity to learn lessons from North America on how to effectively meet the needs of the older population, now and in the future. The findings are based on the personal observations and conclusions of a housing practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining factors that affect healthcare utilization by the elderly is vital for the health system to be more responsive in providing care to this vulnerable group. The main objective of this paper is to identify the effect of the predisposing, enabling, and need factors on doctor visits and in-patient care for the elderly residing in the northern region of Malaysia. A multistage cluster sampling was used in selecting the sample for the study. A total of 1414 respondents aged 60 and over were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. A probit model was used in estimating the utilization equations. At a significance level of 0.05, except for age, all predisposing and enabling factors were not statistically significant in affecting the doctor visits. On the other hand, being a male, smoker, medical insurance holder or had not actively involved in social interaction within the reference period increases the likelihood of being in-patient. Health-related variables remain the most significant factors that determine healthcare utilization, including both doctor visits and in-patient stays, in the area of study, which suggests that government policies to improve population health may influence the level of healthcare use in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian providers of aged care are facing a rapidly ageing population and growth in demand for services. Beyond a sheer increase in consumers and major regulatory changes from Federal Government, many customers are becoming progressively discontented with a medically dominated model of care provision. This period of turbulence presents an opportunity for new entrants and forward-thinking organisations to disrupt the market by designing a more compelling value offering. Under this line of inquiry, the researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis study of over 37 Australian aged care organisations, clustering providers into six business model typologies. The study revealed that providers of aged care are becoming increasingly aware of emerging customer needs, and, in addressing these needs, are seeking to establish innovative models of care provision. This paper therefore presents a future model of care, along with implications for practice and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the ageing of European populations and rising prevalence of age-related chronic diseases, access to affordable medical treatment will become increasingly important over the next decades. Promoting the use of generic medicines by the elderly can contribute to sustaining European health care systems. This paper aims to show how increased utilization of generic medicines can address the challenge of escalating health care costs due to population ageing. To this effect, the paper calculates the generic market share for common diseases affecting the elderly and computes the savings from increasing the generic market share for these diseases. Data on the off-patent retail market in the 27 European countries in 2009 were derived from IMS Health. The findings indicate that Europe does not realize the full potential of generic medicines to sustain affordable medical treatment for ageing populations: the generic market share ranged from 6% for osteoporosis to 71% for pain and inflammation. Increasing generic market shares could yield savings of €4–16 billion for the 27 countries studied. The size of savings varies widely between diseases, with the lowest savings to be achieved in cardiac rhythm diseases and the highest savings in cancer, pain and inflammation, and hypertension. Promoting the use of generic medicines by the elderly can enhance patient compliance with treatment, improve health outcomes and reduce health care expenditure, and thus is a cost-effective policy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with evidence based-clinical guidance regarding assessing neuropathic pain. Persistent pain is a huge burden on health-care provision and the prevalence of persistent neuropathic pain is likely to increase owing to the ageing population. The provision of appropriate relieving interventions depends on accurate assessment. This paper sets out to provide the reader with simple neuropathic assessment tools that can be applied to community care. This will allow the community nurse to identify patients who have neuropathic pain and will therefore enable appropriate management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main conclusions of a research project on family care provided to elderly and dependent people in Galicia. Galicia has a high aging rate and a significant socio-demographic contrast between rural and urban areas, making it an interesting environment to examine how family care tasks are combined. This study examines the kind of intrafamily negotiations that lead women, usually unmarried daughters (but not other family members) to carry out caregiving work. Furthermore, it presents the type of working conditions related to family care, as well as their impact on the living conditions and health of the caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main conclusions of a research project on family care provided to elderly and dependent people in Galicia. Galicia has a high aging rate and a significant socio-demographic contrast between rural and urban areas, making it an interesting environment to examine how family care tasks are combined. This study examines the kind of intrafamily negotiations that lead women, usually unmarried daughters (but not other family members) to carry out caregiving work. Furthermore, it presents the type of working conditions related to family care, as well as their impact on the living conditions and health of the caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funded by the EU, the German city networks DUVA and Urban Audit in cooperation with Dutch and Finnish cities, under the leadership of Freiburg University, engaged in the TooLS-project to build up a data base for cooperative learning focusing on the perceptions of the generation 50plus in Europe. This paper reports on the concept and the organisational set-up and describes the publicly available knowledge base with content data, methodologies and instruments built up from the citizens' surveys in more than 15 cities plus data from comparative European surveys and from the Urban Audit. It alsoinvites interested cities to join the emerging new KOSIS-Association TooLS and to participate in the next round of comparative perception surveys on the topic of the future of the generation 50plus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Korea's problems relating to an ageing population in an increasingly urbanised setting are closely related to relocation processes in later life. The Korean government anticipates that older Koreans living in a higher density urban area will choose to move to peri-urban and rural areas or return to their place of birth at retirement. This paper will examine two major mobility patterns of elderly location choice: ageing in place and retirement migration using data from the Residential Registration records, 2001–2010. Based on a multiple regression model and time-series analysis this study found that older people living in high density areas do not move to lower density areas. Whilst the most frequent movement to a higher density area was apparent amongst younger people, the oldest age group (over 75 years) showed a much stronger mobility pattern towards higher density areas than other older people. The factor of density difference between origin and destination appears to be a key predictor of the mobility patterns of older people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

At any time of the year, and particularly in the colder months of the southern part of the Australian continent, many caravans and mobile homes can be seen on the roads of northern Australia, and Queensland, in particular. Mainly during June, July, August and September, Grey Nomads frequent the northern half of Australia, to escape the colder climate of southern Australia. The term Grey Nomad is applied to the section of the older Australian population who use their retirement years as a time to experience travel once freed from the constraints of work and family commitments. This paper draws on research conducted about the health and social needs of Grey Nomads holidaying in a Central Queensland, Australia, coastal location. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 participants. Contingency plans concerning wellness, wellbeing and medical conditions all formed a part of the Grey Nomads’ daily existence while travelling. Many important and lasting friendships and social support networks were formed during the journeying and sojourning phases of the travel. Many of the Grey Nomads interviewed felt the need to keep in contact with home, even though they willingly chose to leave it, and to be ‘away’. Just as the Grey Nomad cohort have concerns and solutions about their health and related issues, so too, they have concerns for social networks and family connectedness while travelling in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previously I have used qualitative data to develop a four-domain (physical, social, temporal, and psychological) model of attachment to place for older people in rural areas. Drawing on data for 920 older people (60+ years) living in rural areas of South West England and Wales, and utilising items developed from the initial qualitative analysis to represent each domain empirically, this paper uses exploratory factor analysis to identify the underlying factor structure of place attachment for older people in these rural areas. It examines the match between the resulting factor structure and an a priori conceptualisation of place attachment. I develop subscales and an overall scale of place attachment and tests for reliability and rating scaling assumptions (content validity). Using principal axis factoring three factors are identified: social attachment, aesthetic attachment, and appropriateness of resources and the environment. The three factors account for 23.5%, 11.6%, and 6.4% of the variance and good internal reliability is demonstrated (Cronbach's α 0.71, 0.72, and 0.72). The analysis suggests that this is a psychometrically reliable and valid instrument fit for the purpose of measuring attachment to place for older people in rural areas. However, further psychometric evaluations with other samples are required to confirm the model structure, and to develop a fourth domain representing an historical attachment to place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the effects of demographic transition are realised around the world, many industrial societies are facing the effects of a baby boom generation, increased life expectancies, decreased birth rates and recent changes to retirement legislation with the result that older workers are set to comprise a greater proportion of the labour force. Methods: This paper reviews the evidence for the physical and cognitive factors that characterise an ageing workforce in manufacturing. From an ergonomics and human factors (E/HF) perspective, characteristics of manufacturing tasks and the effects of ageing provide an insight into how the industry will have to adapt to support the user needs of the older worker in the future. The approach taken is drawn from Ilmarinen's framework of age, experience, and work performance, from which specific E/HF issues are explored. Results: There would appear to potential to support physical decline in older workers within manufacturing jobs through increased mechanisation and automation; however, those factors associated with cognitive human factors are less clear. Increased mechanisation and automation can place greater loads and demands on the older worker where cognitive decline is more subtle and varied between workers. Conclusion: Using historical and contemporary findings and the relationship between age, experience, and work performance is redrawn to include both cognitive skills and physical attributes to provide recommendations for future job design and worker needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Intensive follow-up post surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) is thought to improve long-term survival principally through the earlier detection of recurrent disease. This paper aims to calculate the additional resource and cost implications of intensive follow up post-CRC resection, examine the possibility of risk-stratifying this follow up to those at highest risk of recurrence and investigating the impact that population screening might have on the future cost and outcomes of follow up. Method Two follow-up regimens were constructed: the ‘standard’ follow-up protocol used the principles of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines whilst the ‘intensive’ follow-up protocol used the most intensive arm of the follow up after colorectal surgery (FACS) trial. Using ONS data, the number of CRC diagnosed in a given year was calculated for 2003 and projected for 2016 based on the population of England and Wales. The resource requirements and costs of follow up over a 5-year period were then calculated for the two time periods. Risk stratifying entry to follow up and the introduction of population CRC screening were then considered. Results For the 2003 cohort, an intensive follow-up program would detect 853 additional resectable recurrences over 5 years with 795 fewer subjects requiring palliative care. An additional 26 302 outpatient appointments, 181 352 CEA tests and 79 695 CT scans over 5 years would be required to achieve this. The cost of investigating subjects who would never develop detectable recurrences was £15.6 million. The cost per additional resectable recurrence was £18 077, a figure also found for a nonscreened population in 2016. An identical intensive follow-up policy with biennial FOBT screening in 2016 saw the cost per additional resectable recurrence rise to £36 255. Conclusion Intensive follow up will detect considerably more resectable recurrences but at considerable cost and it is unclear if such follow up will be achievable in an already over-stretched NHS. If population-based CRC screening increases the number of Dukes A cancers this may offer the possibility of risk-stratifying future follow up to those at highest risk of recurrence; minimizing tests on those who will never have recurrent disease and better utilizing our scarce resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the United Kingdom 19 million people, nearly half the electorate, are aged over 50 years, constituting a significant consumer group with a combined annual income of £166 billion (Nicholson, 2001). However, 'everyday products and services are designed in a way that ignores the needs of older people ... excluding them from a society that is youth obsessed' (Design and Innovation, 2000). Whilst designers have access to marketing and ergonomic data, personal perceptions based on negative stereotypes may prejudice the design process. Building on research into professional design practice and the ageing population, this paper proposes an inclusive design methodology to challenge ageist assumptions and contribute to curriculum developments in learning and teaching design in higher education. The research is timely as age discrimination legislation was agreed within the European Union in 2000 (European Union Directive, 2000) and is anticipated to be implemented within the United Kingdom by 2006 (Age Concern, 2002). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of electricity has been increasing in the last decades, imposing multiple challenges at environmental, economic, and social level. Therefore, energy efficiency in several sectors of the economy has become one of the main goals for policy makers and society in general. In addition, the increase of an ageing population and the changes in their consumption patterns also impact the electricity consumption in the residential sector creating additional challenges in this sector. These challenges are even more notorious in Europe where this demographic shift is already moving at an alarming pace. This paper aims to assess the efficiency of electricity consumption of the households of an ageing population in the 28 countries of the European Union for the period between 2005 and 2016, through the employment of the method Data Envelopment Analysis. Main results indicate that the countries which have higher investment in energy saving measures and renewable electricity generation present high efficiency scores for the whole period under analysis. On the other hand, the member states with a larger percentage of an ageing population, are also the ones presenting the lowest efficiency scores. For an improved performance, policies should account for the right combination between the households' electricity consumption efficiency and policies that address the needs of the elderly at a local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the global aging process of inhabitants represents a serious social challenge that is related to those countries whose size or economic power is not that significant aspect. Rapid increase of older population results in an increasing inquiry of long-term health care services (long-term care - LTC). As a result of a progress in research as well as investments in health care services, health care constantly improves, but there are increasing inequalities in health of vulnerable groups of inhabitants, such as elderly. The given article focuses on the above mentioned facts and its primary aim is to emphasize the importance of multi-dimensional analyses of available social services in the process of population global aging. In the presented partial results, the research focused on the analysis of social services providers in Slovakia from the point of view of their form, structure, capacity and regional differences. The secondary aim of the article is concentrated on an urgent need to resolve the issue of the Slovak population aging by means of chosen demographic indicators, as well as it focuses on a significance of legal framework formation that would provide long-term health care in Slovakia via social and health care services development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to a paper published in this issue is presented, in which the editors mention services for older people, well-being in older people, and social care and housing for older people.

Improvements in public health services, sanitation, and disease control have contributed to ageing populations in inoyptrialised countries, particularly over the past half century. While these trends shouldbe regarded as positive indications of individual sustainable development, or successful ageing, they also represent potential threats tosuccess of global sustainable development. This paper presents a biodemographical analysis of the recent ageing trends, by discussing individual and global sustainable development in the context of the various biological processes responsible for increases in longevity. It then poses the possibility that an ageing population, by increasing the number of people dependent on environmental, medical, economic, andsocial resources, will make global sustainability more difficult to achieve, creating obstacles in the ability of future generations to meet their own resource needs. Ultimately, we suggest increasing independence and societal interdependence as solutions to intergenerational tensions and to the potential conflict between individual and global sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]