The European Journal of Ageing and the debate on consequences of population ageing

Excerpt

As populations of nations all over the world are ageing, the awareness of the consequences of this fact is growing. But what are these consequences? Do older people just cost money—for state pensions or health care—or do they have essential things to contribute to society? In the societal debate, we can hear one or the other view but very often without proper support from evidence. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance that new policy measures be based on correct assumptions and that health care systems are changed based on correct premises. Moreover, the experience of older individuals themselves often gets lost in the societal debate. Journals such as the European Journal of Ageing (EJA) have the mission to disseminate conceptual frameworks and empirical research findings that provide the evidence that is needed for proper thinking about ageing and for aiding future projections and policy measures. …