TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's birth rate will likely become the lowest in the world in 2035. As the current life expectancy is 81.04 years, Taiwan is on track to become a super-aged society by 2025, with 20 percent of the population aged 65 or older.
This number means those looking to retire when they are 65 years old need to start thinking about their retirement plans and ways to keep active so as not to depend on the care of their children.
The superintendent at the Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Chen Wei-ming, pointed out, "When we get to 2070, nearly every person in the working-age population will need to take care of one elderly person."
He remarked that this would be a heavy burden for young adults. "So, if our birth rate remains low, our immigration policies need to be adjusted," Chen suggested.
Aside from making adjustments to immigration policies, experts recommend elders push back their retirement dates and continue to work.
That way, they could likely lower the risks of depression or getting dementia while reducing the time when they would need full-time care.
The superintendent pointed out that getting enough exercise and making new hobbies and friends are also integral to a healthy life.
Retirees often find themselves with a sense of loss or direction after leaving the workplace. These feelings, combined with not doing much in the day, could lead to dementia.
To prevent this from happening, doctors advise actively taking care of one's body and cultivating new interests to bring more color to life after retirement.
