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Essay / The Aging Process - 777
Humanity has come a long way as we evolve and adapt to a changing environment. Over the years, we have managed to overcome several limitations that in the past were just dreams. We have successfully landed on the Moon and communicated over long distances, but there are still certain limits that we have yet to overcome despite our best efforts. Aging is an inevitable natural process. Although we cannot stop the passage of time in our body, we have made it possible to delay and alleviate aging to a large extent through advanced technology and modern governance. High-tech equipment and medicines are available for the treatment of more diseases as our understanding of medicine improves and governments today do more for the elderly population in their societies. With the increased emphasis on healthcare by today's governments and the advancement of our medical technology. , people live longer. Cancers are no longer as deadly as in the past and new vaccines are constantly being developed. People, including the elderly, become less vulnerable to disability caused by diseases and, in some ways, we become biologically stronger. This also means an increase in the physical productivity of older people. McClatchy Newspapers (October 20, 2008) suggested that with the miracle of modern medicine, 60 could become the new 40. However, most treatments are not cheap and chronic illnesses, in particular, take a toll on finances as people live longer. “A hospitalization, for example, or a stroke can cost you tens of thousands of dollars,” as Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, a sociologist at the National University of Singapore, told Channel NewsAsia (August 19, 2009). ). In fact, most older people are not wealthy and...... middle of paper ......ce to support the economy and generate enough money for health care subsidies and pensions government, as mentioned previously. Although there are temporary measures to alleviate this problem, such as. Despite the increase in the retirement age and the importation of foreign workers, the key remains to increase the fertility rate. The aging process has been alleviated through the modernization of our society, as better health care technologies and social protection are available to serve the elderly. has generated an increasing aging of the population which would constitute a problem at all levels of society. Governments in developed countries should look beyond temporary solutions to the growing aging population and focus on reproduction. Although there are initiatives such as maternity assistance and the baby bonus to encourage reproduction, I think more can be done and I hope for the best..