Aging of society | Chand: Need for government policies, support services for the elderly

The aging population is expected to increase by 2025, and there is a need for government policies and support services for older people, says Department of Social Welfare representative Nikita Chand.

Yesterday, speaking at a roundtable on ‘Ageing and Care Work in Fiji Affected by Disasters and Climate Change’ at the Suva Civic Centre, Ms Chand raised the issue of potential imbalances between older and younger people by 2050.

Chand stated that according to the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, there were more elderly women compared to men in all four divisions in Fiji.

In her opinion, by 2050 the number of elderly people over 60 will continue to increase.

“There will come a time when we will have more older people than younger people if we don’t plan properly,” she said.

Ms Chand said women continue to be the biggest contributors to Fiji’s aging population.

She stressed the importance of tailoring support services to the specific needs of older men and women depending on their life situation.

“It also tells us that when we look for support services, we need to consider support services for older women and support services for older men because the needs are different.”