Apparently, if you were born in Sardinia, Okinawa or Icaria, then you have a good
chance of living a hundred years or more
.
If you weren't that lucky, it's not serious either because
the world ages
.
According to a United Nations (UN) report, "the aging of the population is about to become
one of the most significant social transformations
of the 21st century."
Peruvian writer Gustavo Rodríguez.
Capture.
But the fact that there are many older adults
does not necessarily imply that they live well
.
And that paradox is the one explored in the novel
One Hundred Guinea Pigs
by the Peruvian Gustavo Rodríguez, who a few days ago won the XXVI Alfaguara Prize in Madrid with a
tragicomedy
celebrated by the president of the jury, the Argentine Claudia Piñeiro.
old age and care
The book, which will be published on March 23, tells of
the life of some wealthy-class elderly people from Lima
, who are cared for by Frasia.
The woman begins by taking care of the domestic chores at Doña Bertha's house;
then she adds that of her neighbor Jack Morrison (a retired doctor and widower);
and later, even the seven residents of the neighborhood nursing home.
Too many seniors?
Not that much.
"At a global level,
the population over 65 years of age is growing at a faster rate than the rest of the population segments
," says the UN.
According to data from the "World Population Prospects 2019" report,
by 2050, one in six people will be over 65
(16% of the total), but they will be one in four in Europe and North America.
In fact, in 2018, for the first time in history, those over 65 outnumbered children under five on the planet.
And it happens that living longer
can also be a problem
.
For the older adults especially.
That is what the Peruvian author deals with: “For all these characters, the days continue to fall heavily into
a routine of medications, bland meals at fixed times, TV movies, ailments
and the occasional chatter, in which they frequently keep in mind the end of their lives. their existences”, they anticipate about the novel.
In gyms it is increasingly common to see the greatest in classes.
(Clarin Archive)
And it can also be
a problem for countries
.
On this, the UN alerts when it explains that in the coming decades, many of them will be subjected to
fiscal and political pressures
due to the needs of health care, pensions and social protections of this growing population group.
Perhaps the time has come to stop calling them “grandparents” and start rethinking how to guarantee their rights.
Which will be ours in no time.
look too
Delphine de Vigan: family, old age, childhood, social networks and the pandemic
look too
the other victims
look too
1985, Gil Lavedra and the stories of History