Women's increased participation in the workplace in all regions of the world has outpaced adjustments in perceptions, attitudes and expectations, and in the organization of the infrastructure of societies, especially with regard to caring for older persons. In the past, family units were strengthened by the number of their offspring, which in turn provided many hands to care for aging parents. However, that has changed in many cultures. Families are smaller and in today's mobilized society, adult children frequently do not live close enough to elderly relatives to be caregivers. The aged population is growing.
Older women are more apt to live longer and be poor.
There is a diversity of support systems for the elderly in various countries. We were to look at those issues and come up with ways to address the needs. The U.N. estimates that by the year 2025, more than 70 percent of the world's older population will be living in developing countries. That, coupled with the fact that the fastest growing segment of the aged population is age 80 and over, make these recommendations even more crucial. The experts were in agreement that it is the responsibility of governments to design policies and programs to provide care for dependent older persons and to support those who provide such care.