Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Best And Worst Countries In The World To Grow Old In...

If you're thinking of growing old, you're probably thinking about the grass being greener and what country will do it for you.
What country will have the best health care and pensions that you'll be entitled to and what country is on your bucket list perhaps. Unless you're very entitled and then you'll be more concerned about the restaurants, the climate, the beaches and the golf courses. Or the fishing.
The answer is probably to stay right where you are no matter the state of the economy, the pension fund or the weather because you won't be entitled to any social services anywhere else.
But here's how in a recent survey a few countries did or didn't stack up.
Germany, Norway, the US and Ireland got the tick, Brazil, Australia, France and India are sort of ok and South Africa, Japan, the UK and Russia all ended up in the 'worst' category.
Funny how Aotearoa New Zealand, The Land Of The Long White Cloud didn't get a mention.
Hey, there's no place like home...

9 comments:

  1. Wow! Good research and too much to take in on one reading.
    Just as well NZ is not in the surveys as we don't want every man and his dog of pensionable age from other countries flooding Godzone do we.The Chinese are here already.Thy're not silly.
    The best aspect of our NZ Pension scheme (Shh) is that we can earn any amount and still receive the Pension, so long as we declare it for tax purposes, and still receive the Pension. Not so anywhere else I don't think. This really allows us to have a good quality of life as long as we can work at all, in that we can run a car, save for travel, help our offspring etc.
    Hooray to being an elder New Zealander.
    And we live in a Paradise on Earth as well.
    What's to complain about?......Jennybee

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    1. The UK has the same rules though you will receive additional help with pension credit, housing benefit and council tax if you have no private pension or second income.
      Of course unlike NZ, a country of almost identical size, our population is 63 million and increasing by immigration alone 300,000 a year!
      I'd much rather NZ!

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  2. There is no place I know of where it is good to grow old. Growing old just ain't that good, but neither is the alternative.

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  3. These are very interesting statistics. There doesn't seem to be much correlation between the relative poverty rate and having a sense of well being or experiencing good social connection. I suspect a sense of purpose and social connections are the most important things. But when all's said and done - well Let's just be thankful we made it this far....

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    1. I'm really enjoying the aging process and the knowledge and experience it brings assures me that I do actually know more now than when I was twenty, even though at that age I knew absolutely everything...

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    2. Funny that.......I'm sure I now know less than I did at twenty. Personally I'm enjoying surrendering to the great freedom of knowing I know enough to know nothing...

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    3. And PB, all you really need to know is enough. Google knows everything else...

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  4. Since we can't go back and do it over again, I'd say right now is the best place to be in my life. And with aging comes knowing that right now is pretty much all that matters while moving to right then.

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    1. So right, Island woman.
      I like the wee quote:
      "The past is history,
      The future a mystery.
      The present is a gift toshare "
      Jennybee

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