2022News

Dominican population is slowly aging

More baby boomers are reaching senior ages, and a new study alerts to the need to prepare for the special needs of the elderly. The advocates of preparing for an aging population call for quality care for this group. A recent report in Noticias SIN looks at actions already being taken in Puerto Plata on the north coast.

Data from the Dominican Aging Mission (Misión Dominicana Envejece) indicates that while most people in the country are relatively young, the decrease in fertility rates is causing accelerated aging of the population. At present, 2.88 million people are aged 10 to 24 years, or 26.5% of the population in 2020. But by 2050, more than 16% of the population will be 65 years or older.

The report showed that 23% of Dominican households are made up of only older adults and of these 64.7% are single-person households.

The NTD Ingredientes Foundation carried out the research with the support of the UN-Malta International Institute on Aging and the Saldarriaga Concha Foundation.

The organizations are providing backing to entities that offer care to the elderly population in Puerto Plata. The Sociedad Protectora del Asilo de Ancianos Antonio María Claret, the Clínica Odontológica Sonrisas, Club de Leones, the Asociación Dominicana de Rehabilitación and the Fundación Bocas Sanas are offering free or low cost services to seniors.

Within the “Improvement of the Quality of Life of the Elderly Population Project,” the Antonio María Clared senior center in Puerto Plata has received the backing of programs of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Popular Pension Fund Administrator (AFP Popular).

The agreement to help the seniors in Puerto Plata was signed by Fernando Cueto, vice-president of the Asilo Ancianos Antonio María Claret; María Magalis Cruz, representing the Sonrisas Dental Clinics; María Ydalia Then de Chaljub, president of the Lions Club; Dr. Bayardo Gómez, president of the Board of the Dominican Association of Rehabilitation of Puerto Plata and Rumel Ventura Turbi, representing Bocas Sanas.

Read more in Spanish:
Noticias SIN

28 July 2022