Training for elder care

Abstract

The Caribbean, a group of islands whose inhabitants are mainly English speaking although Spanish and Dutch are also spoken, has been experiencing over the past ten to 20 years an ageing of its population. Two aspects of ageing are being seen: both individual ageing as an increase of life expectancy and population ageing as an increase in actual number of aged. These ageing changes are being experienced at a time of decreasing fertility and consequent decrease in family size with shifting contributions to the dependency ratio. They are also occurring at a time of great economic change.