Bridging the gaps: Ageing, Business & Society
Today’s society is experiencing the long-term challenges of our own success in treating serious disease. Average global life expectancy is 72.6 years [1] and figures published by the World Health Organisation show that the world’s population of adults over the age of 60 will nearly double from 12% to 22% within the next 35 years.[2]
Although an increasing ageing population present the already obvious strain on current health and social care infrastructures across the globe, the Silver Economy also present opportunity for collaboration, innovation and real change in the way in which we will view ageing.
Why should and how can gerontologists and business leaders collaborate for a more hopeful future?
Armed with the real-life experiences of older people, collaboration between academics, professionals with business leaders can help apply and transfer on the ground knowledge and understanding to those who can truly innovate and deliver change.
For any business leader, understanding their target market is the key to success. Unfortunately, many businesses still play into the largely negative stereotypes of ageing and older people. By gaining a better understanding of later life, businesses can begin to challenge and shift the narrative about our assumptions of older people.
Focusing on a joined-up approach
With businesses such as Uber Health and Meryl Lynch interested in the Silver Economy and working to enact change within this space, working with academic and professional experts in the field and promoting co-design with older people will be integral to delivering products and services to this diverse section of society. Businesses need to look beyond care and consider ways in which to build ecosystems that support people’s changing needs. What does the future of integrated person-centred healthcare, social support, banking, housing and transportation for older people look like?
The British Society of Gerontology Special Interest Group on Ageing Business Society
As a part of Longevity Week, The British Society of Gerontology have launched a Special Interest Group on Ageing Business Society. With the mission of facilitating engagement between the gerontology and business communities to help older people live independently and be able to do the things that give their life meaning, This Special Interest Group hopes to provide the mechanisms to:
- Enable the WHO Decade for Healthy Ageing
- Support business to better understand older people and ageing
- Empower Social Gerontologists to work effectively with and in business
For further information on or to get involved in the Special Interest Group on Ageing Business Society visit the British Society of Gerontology website.