ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the current situation of ageing in Central America and the Caribbean and an analysis of the advances in the design of public policies and the implementation of the recommendations inherent in the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing whilst also describing the challenges and opportunities of population ageing in this regional context. The health conditions of the ageing population are strongly affected by the burden of chronic diseases and represent one of the main challenges facing health systems. Another important challenge is the increase in demand for long-term care in a context where the family is the main provider of care but at the same time has reduced its size and female participation has increased. Likewise, precarious working conditions, deprived and fragmented social security systems, and limited pensions result in a reality where the economic participation of older persons is not necessarily the result of active ageing but rather a way to alleviate poverty. For Central America and the Caribbean to achieve healthy ageing, there is a need to direct comprehensive actions that seek health prevention throughout the life cycle and person-centred care, build adaptive environments, and achieve a medical–social integration that decreases unfavourable conditions in later life, recognising the conditions and characteristics of each country in the region.
