International Day of Older Persons is a day that was created by the United Nations to raise awareness about issues that affect the elderly, such as senescence, elder abuse, and the lack of proper care for people in their golden years.

This day is observed annually on October 1st, and every year there’s a specific theme created for it. Past themes for this holiday include “Towards A Society For All Ages” in 1998 and “Take A Stand Against Ageism” in 2016.

The History of International Day of Older Persons

To understand the history of this holiday, we first have to travel to the early 1980s. This is when the World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing. This was the first instrument on aging that helped formulate programs that specifically deal with aging.

The purpose of this instrument was to deal with aging populations in an effective manner. It included 62 recommendations that covered the health and nutrition, housing, family, and social welfare of elderly people.

In December 1990, the UN General Assembly decided to address the issues affecting elderly people by making October 1 the International Day of Older Persons. The following year, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 46/91, which established the United Nations Principles for Older Persons.

Facts About Senior Citizens

We’ve come across quite a few facts about senior citizens while researching the International Day of Older Persons, and we thought that people would be interested in what we uncovered, so we listed them below.

• Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) turn 65 years old.
• U.S. adults 85 and older are the fastest-growing demographic in the country.
• By 2050, it’s expected that the number of people over the age of 100 will top 600,000.
• In 2020, the number of people over the age of 100 was only 55,000.
• About 40% of all drug prescriptions are for senior citizens.
• Studies show that physical activity can greatly slow the aging process in adults.
• At least 70% of all seniors are sexually active.
• Approximately 16% of all seniors in the U.S. live in poverty.
• Approximately 8 out of 10 seniors in the world are without a regular income.
• Over 960 million people in the world are over the age of 60.

Observing the International Day of Older Persons

There are a variety of different ways to observe this holiday. People can volunteer their time to make life easier for elderly people or sign up with volunteer organizations such as the Elder Helpers Program or Senior Companions. People can also spend some time with elderly family members.

To spread the word about this day, people can also use the hashtag #InternationalDayOfOlderPersons on their social media accounts. It’s also a great day for people to raise awareness of the plight of senior citizens by discussing the issue with friends and family members.