高齡社會觀察

 「國際老年人日」來臨這一天，聯合國人口基金、非政府組織國際助老會等機構，分別以審慎態度，發表文章提示，世界上目前60歲以上的老者，已達8億9300萬人，相當於全球人數的12.8%。而且這種趨勢還在成長，10年內將會有10億人超越此關頭，屆時到處都能見到銀髮族的身影。傳統社會尊重老人，認為高齡長者擁有智慧，但現代環境已不同。老者多了便是負荷，若政府和民間不及早做出妥善安排，搞不好就可能引發「世代衝突」，巔覆掉文明的招牌，社會秩序也會弄亂，想起來甚是可怕。 

【新唐人亞太台2011年2月16日訊】連續的低溫，導致中風及心肌梗塞機會上升。專科醫師提醒，銀髮族應調整冬季外出運動的時間，並選擇合適的運動，來減少因天色不佳或氣溫過低所可能產生的意外。

（中央社柏林16日路透電）汽車業巨擘BMW今天啟用一座工廠，宣稱是因應德國技術工人短缺和低出生率的解決方案。BMW堅稱，這個瞄準長者的計畫不只是一條老人裝配線。

這座位於德國南部城鎮丁格芬的新工廠，特色是採用人體工學的工作站，有額外的護背、更好的照明，以及比各家工廠勞工都還要輕鬆的工作步調。

Research News February 2011 

Elderly people living alone have a dangerous life: after a fall, they often spend hours lying on the floor before their situation comes to anyone’s attention and a doctor is contacted. A new system automatically detects predicaments like this and informs a trusted person. This makes it possible to live an independent life in one’s own four walls. 

Ms. K. is vision-impaired and can’t get around very well any more. Still, the 80-year-old, who lives alone, has no intention whatsoever of moving to a retirement home. Most elderly people think the same way. They want to stay in their accustomed surroundings as long as possible, where they can lead an autonomous life. What many fail to realize is that they are risking their health in the process. Cardiovascular problems are more frequent among the elderly, and the risk of falling is more prevalent: one person in three above the age of 65 falls once a year; among those over 80 the ratio is nearly one in two. Many of these accidents occur in private homes in the course of everyday activities, and often at night. Frequently it is hours before the injured are cared for. Even home emergency-call systems are of limited help when senior citizens cannot sound the emergency signal. They may be injured or disoriented, or may simply not have the emergency button on their person. Help could be forthcoming from an intelligent system that automatically identifies and responds to emergency situations such as these. One such solution is under development by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Their project is dubbed “ProAssist4Life” – shorthand for “Proactive Assistance for Critical Life Situations.” Project partners include the company CIBEK technology + trading, Binder Elektronik and the Westpfalz Klinikum.

記者郭政隆／嘉市報導　　

嘉義市經國新城活泉之家21日舉辦「時尚銀髮族，走秀初體驗」暨年終聯歡活動，長輩們穿上自己最喜愛的服飾，並由崇仁醫護管理專校美容保健科15名學生志工幫忙打造美美妝容，體驗模特兒伸展台走秀；雖是初次登台，走起台步來卻都架式十足！阿公阿嬤們翻出自己的壓箱寶服飾，每件都有著許多美好歲月的回憶與紀念價值，包含了子女的孝心或年輕時的丰采，還有著人生各個重要時刻的珍貴記憶；手指輕輕撫過身上的老衣服的同時，老人家娓娓道出一個個動人的歲月故事，歲末之際，大家一起懷舊迎新，氣氛很溫馨。

走秀的阿公阿嬤穿上的都是自己最珍藏的服飾，包括皮衣、旗袍、套裝等，每套服飾都是珍貴回憶的象徵。像張媽媽穿著的繡金絲龍鳳團花黑色緞面旗袍，便是50年前丈夫送她的禮物，穿過一次後就收著捨不得穿，昨天特別展示出來與老同學們分享，不但令人讚嘆她身材保持得宜外，也藉此表達張媽媽對丈夫的深深懷念。