In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.

It is true to say that

people

in developed countries expect to live longer than ever before.

While

this

trend will be endowed with some problems for both

society

and individuals, some approaches can be adopted by governments to mitigate the effects of these issues. A multitude of obstacles can be cited for countries with ageing populations, one of which, regarding individuals, is the money that will be needed. To be more precise, the unalterable, unpalatable fact is that due primarily to age-related problems, old

people

need to be looked after, and

thus

, their children should spend money to employ someone for

this

aim. Another issue that it can bring, considering

society

, is that

this

trend can have deleterious effects on productivity.

In other words

, being old, the elderly cannot be as eager as young

people

, nor can they be creative enough.

Hence

, with old

people

creating most of the workforce, productivity would definitely decline. The above burdens notwithstanding, governments have some measures to mitigate these effects. Perhaps one possible solution is to attract immigrants. In doing

this

, not only do countries have a younger workforce, but they

also

receive taxes from immigrants that can be used to help senior citizens employ someone without any need for their children's money. Not only that but states

also

can increase the age of retirement. With the elderly expecting longer lives and being healthy enough, it would not be wrong to ask them to work longer,

for example

, for five years more. In

this

way, they would be more useful for

society

as well as

experiencing more self-esteem. In conclusion,

although

the ageing population might bring both individuals and

society

some burdens, states can offer precious opportunities to untangle

this

conundrum.