The impact of the institutionalisation of the elderly in Pakistan
PHOTO: FILE
The Catholic Church governs three shelter homes in Karachi, where the residents pay minimal fees
In the 21
st century, ageing of the population is a significant demographic occurrence and a distinctive trend seen universally (Ameh et al., 2014; Hermalin, Ofstedel, & Tesfai, 2006; Wandera, Kwagala, & Ntozi, 2015). Among the continents, Asia has the most rapidly increasing elderly population (Powell & Khan, 2013), with more and more people in the age group of 60 years and above. A United Nations report on World Population Prospects mentions that globally in 2017 there were 962 million elderly people 60 years and above, and this number will rise up to 1.4 billion in 2030 (United Nation, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2015). Another report by World Population Ageing reveals that the number of older persons 60 years and above will increase to 2.1 billion by 2050 and this