近年來，老年人的現(xiàn)狀頗為引人關(guān)注，由于子女不在身邊或者子女工作忙，導(dǎo)致老人感到孤獨。作為子女，孝敬老人是好事。但孝敬老人不光是要接到城里來，還要抽出點時間來多陪陪他們。
人口老化：population aging
人口老化是指某地某時期內(nèi)總?cè)丝谥欣夏耆丝诒壤黾拥膭討B(tài)過程。根據(jù)聯(lián)合國世界衛(wèi)生組織定義，65歲以上老年人口占總?cè)丝诘谋壤_百分之七時，稱為“高齡化社會”(aging society);達到百分之十四時稱為“高齡社會”(aged society);如果老年人口比例達到百分之二十時，則稱為“超高齡社會”(hyper-aged society)。人口老化多見于發(fā)達國家，特別是歐洲國家。由于計劃生育的影響，中國已于1999年進入了老齡化社會，在2004年底65歲以上人口占總?cè)丝诒壤秊?.6%。
Among the countries currently classified by the United Nations as more developed (with a total population of 1.2 billion in 2005), the overall median age rose from 29.0 in 1950 to 37.3 in 2000, and is forecast to rise to 45.5 by 2050. The corresponding figures for the world as a whole are 23.9 in 1950, 26.8 in 2000, and 37.8 in 2050. In Japan, one of the fastest ageing countries in the world, in 1950 there were 9.3 people under 20 for every person over 65. By 2025 this ratio is forecast to be 0.59 people under 20 for every person older than 65.
人口老齡化問題已經(jīng)成為了全球性的問題，聯(lián)合國對此進行了一系列調(diào)查。
Population aging arises from two (possibly related) demographic effects: increasing longevity and declining fertility. An increase in longevity raises the average age of the population by increasing the numbers of surviving older people. A decline in fertility reduces the number of babies, and as the effect continues, the numbers of younger people in general also reduce. A possible third factor is migration.
人口老化的兩大原因是——人們壽命的延長和生育率的降低。
養(yǎng)老院：retirement home ; nursing home
由許鞍華執(zhí)導(dǎo)，劉德華、葉德嫻主演的電影《桃姐》近來在國際各大電影獎項上都取得了優(yōu)異的成績，也引起了大家對孤獨老人這一社會現(xiàn)象的熱議。電影中老傭人桃姐在中風后自己選擇住進養(yǎng)老院。
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some form of health or hospice care.The number of retirement homes has been increasing in the United States, from almost 11,000 in 2005 to 12,000 in 2010. The market size for retirement homes has had a much greater growth rate, from $13.5 billion in 2005 to $17 billion in 2010, with California being the American state with the largest market size.
養(yǎng)老院是為老年人提供養(yǎng)老服務(wù)的社會福利事業(yè)組織。在西方國家，養(yǎng)老院通常由地方政府或慈善機構(gòu)主辦，接收靠福利救濟或低收入的老人。中國的敬老院是在農(nóng)村實行“五保”的基礎(chǔ)上發(fā)展起來的。
截至2009年，我國60歲以上的人口已達1.67億人，占總?cè)丝诘?2.5%，占全世界老齡人口的1/5，成為世界上唯一老齡人口過億的國家。如此壓力下中國的養(yǎng)老現(xiàn)狀也并不樂觀，私人養(yǎng)老院費用昂貴，公立養(yǎng)老院嚴重不足，住不起、住不進、住哪里，正成為老年人的養(yǎng)老心病。