Aging paper final
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Transcript of Aging paper final
Elizabeth West An Interdisciplinary Approach to Aging Serena Bellini 7 April, 2015
Aging in Scotland and America Aging seems to be a pretty definite and simple concept, but surprisingly, the idea of aging and how it is managed can vary greatly for different groups of people. By definition, aging is the gradual and spontaneous changes that occur in maturation from infant to young adult, but how do people see and manage aging differently? Researchers have found that the way the elderly are seen and managed changes based on the country they are living in. Many countries manage aging in unique ways, but often many aspects of elderly management in different countries are very similar. For example, Scotland and the United States have a few differences in their aging populations and how they care for them, but their systems and ideals are similar. Scotland and the United States are fairly similar in their aging populations and perceptions, retirement options, available benefits for the elderly, and elderly homes and facilities, but they are slightly different in some ways as well. The aging population and others’ views of the elderly in Scotland is not too different from the Unites States. Studies show that in 2013, Scotland and the U.S. both had higher percentages of people over the age of 65 in their population than in previous years. The elderly in Scotland represented about 18% of the population and are predicted to grow to represent over 28% by 2037 (Summary: Age Demographics). The U.S. population over the age of 65 was a little lower than Scotland’s. The elderly population represented 15% in 2013 and will represent approximately 22% by 2037 (Ortman). Even though Scotland has a larger elderly population, both countries will see a significant increase in the elderly population in the next 20 years. Even though the populations vary slightly, both countries have under 0.02% of their populations over the age of 100 (Big Rise in number of Scottish centenarians; Ortman). Another similarity between the aging populations in Scotland and America is the negative effects of chronic disease. Both countries have chronic disease in their top three causes of death in those over 65. Heart disease and stroke are both top causes of death in Scotland and the U.S. (Gray; Healthy Aging). Chronic illness affects about 80% of the U.S. elderly population and 67% of the elderly population in Scotland (Gray; Healthy Aging). Even though it affects Scotland a little less than American, it still has a huge impact on the aging population in both countries. The way the aging population is viewed and how the elderly are discriminated against also varies slightly between Scotland and the U.S. The older population in both Scotland and the U.S. experience discrimination in many areas of life. Both countries have to deal with ageism in the workplace, in healthcare, and in social life. The elderly report having to deal with stereotyping and discrimination in both countries, but the United States seems to be more aware of the problem than
Scotland (Weiss). In America, discrimination is seen more in the social aspect of aging. Americans over 65 report feeling isolated and lonely more often that feeling discriminated against in health care or the work place (Weiss). In Scotland, discrimination towards the aged is seen more in the form of disrespect towards the aged because they are seen as a “Financial burden,” (A Snapshot of Ageism in the UK and across Europe). The aged in Scotland also report experiencing more discrimination in the health care field than the aged in America. They report that they often don’t receive the care they want and/or need (A Snapshot of Ageism in the UK and across Europe). Similar forms of discrimination are seen in both Scotland and the U.S., but the government also has good things to offer for the aging populations.
Scotland and the U.S. both provide government funded retirement plans for the elderly population. They are both plans that the person pays into for a number of years in order to receive a set amount of money once they retire. Both countries have a retirement age. Once the citizen reaches this age, if they’ve been paying into the government fund, they can claim their retirement money. In Scotland, the age is 65 for men and is slowly increasing from 60 to 65 for women (Understanding the Basic State Pension). In order for a citizen of Scotland to claim their pension, they must have paid into the government fund for 30 years (Understanding the Basic State Pension). In America the retirement age is 67 for both men and women, but they only have to pay approximately 10 years (Social Security). Also, the amount Americans receive is less than people in Scotland. In both countries, you can claim the retirement money early or late. They both work so that if the money is claimed early the amount is less, and if the money is claimed later the amount increases. They both increase more as more time passes. Both countries also offer a kind of plan to receive retirement money even if the citizen is continuing to work. They both allow people to work and receive money as long as they don’t go over the minimum amount of income (Social Security; Understanding the Basic State Pension). Along with retirement plans for the elderly, the governments also both provide multiple benefits for the aging population.
Scotland and America both provide many benefits to their citizens. They have benefits for health care, housing, bereavement, and disability. Scotland’s health care benefits for the elderly are very different from America’s. In Scotland, only a couple of aspects of health care are paid for by the government. Citizens over 60 receive free prescriptions and eye test. They also can be screened for certain types of cancer every 2 years (Benefits and Entitlements). If the individual qualifies for the pensions in the retirement plans, they can also receive a weekly entitlement or financial vouchers for eye wear, wigs, and financial support for travel related to health care (Benefits and Entitlements). In America health care coverage is much different. Medicare is the government program that provides citizens over 65 with services including hospital care, some nursing home care, medically necessary services like screenings, and preventative services (Your Medicare Coverage Choices). Also, prescriptions aren’t covered, but Americans over 65 can enroll in a plan that covers prescription drugs. Not as much is free like it is in Scotland, but a wider range of services are covered (Your Medicare Coverage Choices). Both Scotland and America provide a few housing benefits. They both offer financial help
to those over 65 if they qualify. Scotland provides funds for mortgage interest, while America has help like reverse mortgages where the elderly receive financial support by allowing the company to have ownership of the home once they are gone (Housing for Seniors). The bereavement benefits are extremely similar. They both provide financial support and stability for a spouse or partner of someone who qualified for government retirement money (Housing for Seniors; Benefits and Entitlements). The final major benefit the countries provide is benefit based on disability. Both countries provide money for those unable to work due to a disability or mental illness (Housing for Seniors; Benefits and Entitlements). On top of all of these benefits, Scotland also provides benefits for people in the process of finding a job. Scotland focuses on having a broader range of benefits, but America focuses on providing more in-‐depth benefits for what it does cover. Even though the benefits are different in American and Scotland, they both have good benefits to offer their elderly population.
Facilities and housing for the older individuals in Scotland and America are also similar. Both countries have homes for the elderly that have different amenities and are good for different reasons. There are homes for those who are generally healthy, but want somewhere with a community of other elderly people and some services provided. In the U.S. they are called retirement homes, and in Scotland it is called sheltered housing (Housing; Home and Care). There are also places where there is full time care for the elderly who need more assistance. These are Scottish care homes and American nursing homes. Scotland also offers an extra care sheltered housing which is a more supportive sheltered home that may provide more meals or more available services and assistance. Retirement homes in America vary enough to where they can be like a sheltered house or an extra care sheltered house just depending on what the retirement home has to offer (Housing). Both Scotland and America have individually and privately owned homes for the elderly, but they are less common and typically much smaller than public housing for the aged. Housing for the elderly is very similar in Scotland and the U.S. even though their perception of the aging is different.
Although the perceptions of aging are different along with other qualities of the countries’ management of aging, Scotland and American have fairly similar systems. They both provide retirement plans and appropriate housing for the elderly, and they have many benefits for the older population. Overall discrimination towards aging is present in both countries even though awareness is increasing, it’s still a problem. Scotland and America have some differences, but overall they have fairly similar perceptions and management of aging.
Works Cited
A Snapshot of Ageism in the UK and across Europe. AgeUK. 2015. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
Benefits and Entitlements. ageUK. 2015. Web. 3 Apr. 2015.
Big Rise in number of Scottish centenarians. BBC News. 1 Oct. 2013. 4 Apr. 2015.
Gray, L. 8 Long-‐Term Conditions. The Scottish Government. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
Healthy Aging. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 11 May 2011. Web. 7 Apr.
2015.
Home and Care. AgeUK. 2015. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Housing for Seniors. USA.gov. 6 Feb. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
Ortman, J. An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States. Population
Estimates and Projections. May 2014. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Social Security. Social Security Administration. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
Summary: Age Demographics. The Scottish Government. 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
Understanding the basic State Pension. Nidirect government services. 2014. Web. 3
Apr. 2015.
Weiss, T. The Issue of Ageism in America Today. Disabled World. 12 Sept. 2012. Web.
7 Apr. 2015.
Your Medicare Coverage Choices. Medicare.gov. 2015. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.