Does 3rd age plus 3rd world equal 3rd class?

Abstract

The patterns of care of the aged population are being influenced by demographic changes, migration, and industrialization in developing countries. There is no longer a secure place for the elders in the community as chiefs, sages, or useful members of the household. In very large mega-cities the aged living in an extended family are more prone to psychological problems than in a lone living situation. There are many variations in the degree of abandonment or loss of dignity, which are described in examples from Vilcabamba, Potosi, Lima, and Belize. For example in Belize, there are no cities to migrate to so people leave to seek their fortunes in the US or the UK. Solutions are possible within the community. The experiences of HelpAge International are reported for Pro Vida, Colombia; India; and Sri Lanka. In Colombia efforts were made to acquire a bakery so that the elderly could be employed in bread baking, donating loaves to institutions, and selling half the loaves on the street. Other projects involved improving living conditions for lone old people in shanty towns and training social workers. The institutional aim was to concentrate on a locale. Attention was given to providing instruction in classrooms to enlighten youth about the needs of the elderly. HelpAge in India concentrated on eye problems of the elderly in remote areas through awareness and fundraising campaigns. HelpAge Sri Lanka has set up seminars and training programs which have been models for similar programs in Thailand. Shared experience with the problems of aged beggars suggests that funding must come from nongovernmental agencies. The cultivation and sale of herbs by the elderly was promoted in Vilcabamba; in Jamaica a memory bank was established for preserving cultural traditions. Abandoned industries have been revived. The needs of the organizers, who are primarily volunteers, are organization skills. Governments can supplement meager funds by enhancing traditional life, by removing obstacles to foreign aid, and by avoiding spending on prestige projects and questionable projects imported from Western countries. Reinforcement of families and of local community groups is needed.