International Day of Older Persons
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Our world population is growing, which means our elderly population will continue to grow as well. From raising awareness of elderly abuse and neglect to showing people how to help a loved one age gracefully while looking for warning signs, the International Day of Older Persons is a worldwide event that hopes to help people cope with the caring and nurture of an aging loved one.
History
This day for seniors and elderly persons came about on December 14, 1990 at the UN General Assembly. They named October 1st as the day to internationally recognize this day. The day was first observed around the world on the 1st of October in 1991. This monumental day was a joining of organizations getting together to raise awareness around the needs of the aging population. The Vienna International Plan of Action on Aging and the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging helped in responding to the needs and awareness which in turn assisted in promoting knowledge for society’s development for all age groups.
Purpose
The main purpose of International Day of Older Persons is to help make people realize the need for adequate care that the elderly deserve to have. There are many meetings and discussions held by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is directly helping coordinate address the issues we have with dealing with the elderly, their health, social care, and ways to help incorporate elders into the working force and volunteer work.
Approximately 600 million on earth are over the age of 60. It’s predicted that this number will increase by double the amount by the time 2025 rolls around. When we hit 2050, the number is estimated at nearly two billion.
How People Celebrate
This incredible day dedicated to the elderly people of our world can be spotlighted in a few different ways. In some cases, politicians make speeches and announcements commemorating the day. It’s common to hear radio broadcasts, television news channels and the local newspapers point out the day for its citizens to be made aware. Sometimes achievements made by elders in the community can be highlighted and broadcast to help promote the elderly and society as a whole.
It’s common to see material on the elderly and their special day being handed out at schools and posted in office facilities. Promotional materials for the day help make more people aware and assist in sparking interest for this day and the care of our elderly. Many volunteer organizations get together to help make people more focused on the purpose of this day.
How do you plan to honor the International Day of Older Persons this October 1st?
SeniorAdvisor.com Staff
Senior Advisor's knowledgeable writers blog about senior care services, trends and more.