Alarm: At the end of the century, there will be only 1.7 million Albanians

The pyramid shows that in this year, about 546 thousand people are over 60 years old, as the pyramid base is clearly narrowed, reflecting a low birth rate.

In 2100 the number of people over 60 will be greater than those under that age. One cause of deterioration is migration, where according to the same source since 1990 it has emigrated 20% of the country's population, mostly to Greece and Italy. In Albania, according to figures released even by INSTAT, the 65-year-old and higher population has increased from 5 to 11% between 1989 and 2011 to reach 29% to 2060. Compared to other countries in the world, our country is still not in the area of the high “risk area of” by the aging population, but is rapidly moving towards it. Due to the combined effect of increasing life expectancy, lowering youth fertility and migration, the percentage of elderly people in the population -- 65 years and older -- between 1989 and 2011 -- has increased from 5 to 11%. In 2017, older ones over 60 occupy 18.8% of the total population. unprepared for the elderly, good or bad, Albania has an infrastructure set up for new ages. Increased investments and the number of children on the decline will further regulate conditions for younger ages, but for the third age that will not be far away in the majority there is no preparation in the background. Albania is one of the few countries in Europe that does not have an integrated legislation for the elderly, even far behind. The Institute of Public Health, initiated by several studies in Tirana and the environment, has found last year that more than two thirds of seniors over 65 are sick or suffer from a chronic illness, while a third of them report that they suffer from more than one disease or health problems. The number of seniors using primary health services is about half of them, and the trend is toward growth. The elderly also consume almost half of their medical drugs, or more than triple, compared to those with illness and other ages. According to I The E.P. out of 530 thousand seniors registered to the family doctor, about 405 thousand use services financed by health insurance schemes. About 160 thousand are regular recipients of the scheme, and on average they are worth 252 million dollars a month.

But not everything is in their hands. The study has found that the elderly are often confronted with social barriers that greatly affect their lives. More and more older people live alone, while their economic situation is heavier than the rest of society. In a global situation of a population toward aging, older ones will play an important role through volunteer work, knowledge transmission and experience, helping families to handle responsibilities, as well as increasing their participation as paid labor force. Today, older ones play an important role in society. In Africa, or anywhere else, millions of adult patients with AIDS are helped in their homes by their parents. After their deaths, orphaned children ( recently 14 million under the age of 15 in African countries alone) are mostly in caring for their grandparents. Such contributions towards development can be made only if the elderly enjoy standard health levels, for which specific strategies should be drafted. The effects that population aging gives in economic and social life are long-term and with their growth trends. Social Insurance Institute Director Astrit Hado says Albania is delayed with taking the amortising measures, as any intervention that is undertaken does not give the immediate effect, but needs its maturity and effects. Hado said that, initially, migration should be curbed in the direction of other countries, as young people and active forces generally emigrate for work. It says that one of the precautions can be the stimulating of fertility by increasing the rewards, subsidies for families with many children, recognition, or donation of insurance periods for any child or child care time. Some countries have applied the increase in retirement age, bringing up to 70 years. He says even creating private pension schemes is a solution. The diversification of risk in terms of pensions can be an effective measure to cope with the effects of population aging. This diversification comes about strengthening private pension schemes, spreading the risk between public and individual. Aging, alarm in Europe as well, European societies are getting old. In 1950, only 12% of the European population was over 65. Today, this figure has doubled, and according to predictions, in 2050 over 36% of Europe's population will be over 65. The main causes are fertility rates and life expectancy. In the past, a woman in Europe averaged more than two children. Since 2000, the level of fertility has fallen below that threshold.

Europeans are also living longer, 78 is the average age to which a modern-day European lives, up from 66 years old in the 1950s. Long-term human life is a sign of Europe's prosperity, but combined with the region's low fertility rate is creating a range of social and financial problems for this continent. Perhaps more critical is the fact that the share of working people who can care for the elderly is decreasing, even though the number of people in need of care is increasing. This imbalance between demand and supply, resulting in a lack of nurses and professional care providers, is being converted into one of the largest councils of state governments, whose population age is rapidly aging, and here we can mention countries such as Germany, Finland and the United Kingdom.

The increased demand of caregivers also requires considerable financial resources. In 2014, WTO countries spent an average of 1.4% of GDP on long-term care, but these costs are projected to have a significant increase, reaching 6.4% by 2060. Public spending on long-term care is the highest in Dutch and Scandinavian countries (which range from 3% to 4% of GDP), and the lowest are in Central and Eastern Europe. In Poland, Hungary and Estonia, less than 1% of GDP has been spent on long-term care. This difference in spending reflects not only the aging population but also the diversity of long-term care systems in Europe. Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, for example, have developed care systems that offer a wide range of state and private sector services, such as in the homes of seniors or institutions.

In Central and Eastern European countries, on the other hand, caring for older ones is widely viewed as the responsibility of family members. In these countries as well as in Mediterranean countries, an elderly person who needs daily care for a long period of time is likely to move and live with children or relatives who will provide social support and medical assistance when necessary. This informal care system is facing new challenges even in the modern era. Women who worldwide have traditionally played the role of caring for the entire family are working increasingly abroad, further reducing the number of family members available to provide informal care for older ones.