From recipient to participant societies: social policy agenda for aging Asia

Abstract

Asia is aging more than three times faster than that of Western countries (23 vs. 72 years for increment of older population from 7% to 14%). It also houses the largest number of older people worldwide. The resultant time and manpower pressure on eldercare system, unprecedented in history, precludes direct adoption of traditional care models that rely heavily on governmental and professional caregivers to deliver deficit-focused, compensatory care. Asset-based and participant-directed social policies provided care models that promotes choice, satisfies diverse individual needs, and encourages independency in a sustainable manner. Translating insights gained from these social policies, and leveraging on Asia’s unique advantages (e.g. strong family ties), we advocate a paradigm shift towards empowerment-based social policy for eldercare in Asia. The new paradigm with roots in behavioral economics and behavioral psychology is based on necessary conditions of participants being in command of resources and a surplus of provider with competitions.