Volunteerism is another avenue and one that is often undervalued as an important, relevant and significant activity.

There is a whole world of possibilities if we bring the young and the elderly together to exchange, share and learn from one another in terms of skills, experience and ideas.

Such intergenerational initiatives as mentoring, counselling, consulting and coaching can augment the knowledge of both the young and the elderly, creating a dynamic, robust and productive workforce, community and society – and go a long way in dispelling ageist views. Governments can play a positive role by developing policies and programs for an aging population by design, rather than dealing with the fall-out later by default – and with crisis management.

To see CARP’s full presentation, click here.

Copyright April 2007 CARP magazine