A recently formed International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technical committee (ISO/TC 314, Ageing Societies) aims to develop standards and solutions “to tackle the challenges posed as well as harness the opportunities that ageing populations bring,” an ISO press release said.
Dementia, preventative care, ageing workforces, technologies and accessibility are just some of the areas of standardization that the committee proposes to work on, said ISO/TC 314 Secretary Nele Zgavc from BSI, ISO’s member for the UK, in the release.
“Ageing societies have global implications,” she said. “Governments and service providers need to effectively cater to the needs of their populations as they age for the benefit of society as a whole. There is a crucial need for standards to support this.”
ISO/TC 314 is currently composed of experts from 30 different countries. Its creation follows the development of International Workshop Agreement IWA 18, Framework for integrated community-based life-long health and care services in aged societies, and the ISO Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) on Ageing Societies.
“In 2017, the number of people aged 60 years or over worldwide was more than twice as big as in 1980, and it is expected to double again by 2050 to reach nearly 2.1 billion,” the release said. “The changing demographics of our society brings with it pressures and challenges ranging from everything to healthcare to the local bus.”
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