Email your comments

The first special commission for the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern was from the 88-year-old Louise Bourgeois, and one of the jewels of its permanent collection is the “Snail” by Matisse, a vibrant collage created in his 83rd year.

These creations are striking metaphors for the positive attributes of ageing, and the contribution that increasing numbers of increasingly fit older people bring to our society (report, 22 August).

It is unfortunate that The Independent does not seem to appreciate this demographic bounty, one of the most extraordinary societal advances of the past century, but instead views it as a population timebomb. Sadly, much public discourse on older people is coloured by what is known as apocalyptic demography, a flawed concept that predicts disproportionate burdens arising from population-ageing, which has been adopted with enthusiasm by neo-liberal policy-makers in many parts of the world.

Among the contributors to this misinterpretation are over-reliance on highly variable demographic forecasts, homogenisation of populations of older people, failure to count in reductions in child and education spending (despite considerable increases in the numbers of older people, the "dependency" ratios in the developed world will be relatively stable from 1997 to 2015), and failure to incorporate scientific findings showing little extra impact from population-ageing on health care.

Ageing brings growth and loss at all ages, and, while it makes sense to attune health and social services to the increased complexities of an ageing society, little is to be gained by failing to recognise the major benefits to us all from our increased longevity.

Professor Desmond O’Neill
Department of Medical Gerontology
Trinity College, Dublin

BGS Newsletter, Oct 2008
Issue 18 ISSN 1748-6343 18