In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gerald da Silva Balbino (92) sits beside his...READ ON
In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Gerald da Silva Balbino (92) sits beside his wife, Paula (90), as she holds their great-granddaughter. Brazil once had a birthrate of 6.0. It is now 1.64, below the 2.1 needed to keep a society going.
The United States’ birthrate is at its lowest in history at 1.66....READ ON
The United States’ birthrate is at its lowest in history at 1.66. France is 1.8 (higher than most Western Countries) and has achieved that rate through gender equality, pro-child policies, and generous childcare provisions. Christine (33) (left, foreground) talks about why she and her husband left the USA to return to France: “It’s easier to have kids in France because we have much more support from the government and from the employers. Here, we have six weeks of maternity leave before the day of birth, and then we have ten weeks after, which allows us to organize our lives and take some time for this new event. And then when we get back to work, there’s more childcare support.
Aging expert Richard Jackson told us, “Societies that enable women to...READ ON
Aging expert Richard Jackson told us, “Societies that enable women to balance these two dimensions of their lives, to have a family, and at the same time, to have a career, are better positioned to confront the aging challenge.” Japan has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, at 1.3. It offers women in the workforce little incentive to have children.
In Japan, as with most industrialized countries, the younger generation is...READ ON
In Japan, as with most industrialized countries, the younger generation is “better connected…and yet they feel much more lonely,” says Mariko Fujiwara, Research Director at Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living. Today’s younger generation lacks the social skills needed to meet other people, especially members of the opposite sex. That delays marriage and families.
In Paris Emmanuelle (41) always wanted three children. She and her husband,...READ ON
In Paris Emmanuelle (41) always wanted three children. She and her husband, Cyril (45) work. Their youngest child is less than a year old, which qualifies both of them to work 25 percent less until he is three, giving them added flexibility.
Immigrants also play a role in France’s higher birth rate....READ ON
Immigrants also play a role in France’s higher birth rate. “It’s a country with a history of immigration,” says Gilles Pison, Professor at the French Museum of Natural History and Research Associate here at the French Institute for Demographic Studies.
In Brazil, access to health care is a social right guaranteed by the...READ ON
In Brazil, access to health care is a social right guaranteed by the government. In San Paulo, Brazil, Vera Schievano (79) has her blood pressure checked by Fabiana Rodrigues Calado Lima (35), who works for the Institute of Primary Care and Advanced Health (IABAS). They provide care for elderly patients in their homes.
On the left Marie-Thérèse Delannoy (96) enjoys a glass of wine...READ ON
On the left Marie-Thérèse Delannoy (96) enjoys a glass of wine at the elderly home, Les Orchides in France). On the right, an elderly man takes the subway in Tokyo.
In Tourcoing, France
Pierre Vieren, 90, of the Orchids Senior Residence...READ ON
In Tourcoing, France
Pierre Vieren, 90, of the Orchids Senior Residence helps a child from the Orchid Garden Nursery play with putty. The program is designed to help children interact and bond with the elderly and give them both challenges, like working with clay to develop their motor skills further.
Japan has a shortage of elderly care workers because of its immigration...READ ON
Japan has a shortage of elderly care workers because of its immigration policy and a worker shortage. Elderly homes are actively looking into robotic care to make up the difference. Elderly residents at the Silver Wing Social Care Home in Tokyo pet a robotic white seal that raises its head blinks, and makes sounds when touched.
In São Paulo, Brazil
Maria do Carmo Soares, 87. (left sitting) is...READ ON
In São Paulo, Brazil
Maria do Carmo Soares, 87. (left sitting) is watched over by caregiver, Maria Angelina Santiago, 58, (right). Maria lives in a one-room apartment and manages with the help of Brazil’s social services. São Paulo Brazil
84-year-old Claude Copin (left) loves to play Pétanque with her friends in Paris.
Though Brazil has good social services and medical care, it may not have the...READ ON
Though Brazil has good social services and medical care, it may not have the financial foundation to keep it going as its society ages–a problem most developed countries face. Here, protestors rally against proposed social service cuts by the federal government.
As populations decline and the proportion of the aging population increases,...READ ON
As populations decline and the proportion of the aging population increases, who will care for the elderly? “Brazil’s elderly population stands at 14 million, or just under 8% of the total 195 million, but by 2050 is forecast to reach 49 million, a 300% increase,” says Jarbas Barbosa, Secretary of Health Surveillance at the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Here, Claudio Garbelini (81), who has already had nine strokes, is looked at by visiting caregivers from PAI So Mateus.
“For most of human history, the elderly were just a tiny fraction of the population, never more than three or four percent.” Richard Jackson, Founder and Director of the Global Aging Institute, told us. Today, those percentages are jumping to 20-30% in some countries. I traveled to Brazil, France, and Japan for ORB Media to explore our aging world and how birthrates affect it.