The Social, Economic, and Public Health Consequences of Global Population Aging: Implications for Social Work Practice and Public Policy

Human populations around the world are growing older at the most astounding rate in the history of humanity. Advances in technology are enabling health care providers to deliver the latest innovations in treatment and prevention services to a broader spectrum of adult populations across the lifespan making longevity increasingly more commonplace rather than the exception to the rule in most of the industrialized world. This article provides an overview of the key social, economic, and public health costs and consequences that aging populations will exact upon international communities in the years ahead. It also examines the most significant social challenges that global societies will face regarding their ability to develop and implement social policies and service programs that can effectively respond to the changing needs of their adult citizens who are growing older