Implications of an aging population.
The aging of the New Zealand population means there will be a continuing need for research into all aspects of gerontology. The Medical Research Council of New Zealand has recognised this need and for a number of years aging and health care of the elderly have been priority areas. Research workers are now recognising the attractiveness of the field. Many of the developments in the basic sciences have particular application in the study of aging. Knowledge is increasing rapidly with the development of world wide research programmes. The emphasis in research is no longer on the documentation of decremental change with age but on the teasing out of those external factors contributing to decline in function and which may be amenable to intervention. There is a need to coordinate the research efforts in gerontology. A national foundation or trust concerned with the health of elderly people would be of considerable benefit in this coordination, in linking research and policy development and in education, advocacy and fund raising.
Campbell
A J
AJ
Department of Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin.
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000639:trends; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012106:Research