The global population is increasing at a rapid rate, and many nations around the world are paying close attention to the constant increase in the age of people. People living long past the standard retirement age contribute largely to the massive increase in the global population. It is only in the last century or so that there has been a high rate of elderly people. Now, people who are 65 or so are considered elderly, but 200 years ago that age was probably around 50 (Stevenson, n.d.). This essay will discuss the role and status of elders in different cultures. The number of people is constantly increasing, and a large contribution to this growth is the lengthening of the life expectancy of the average person in various cultures around the world. Although the vast majority of nations around the world are experiencing an influx of older adults, the roles and ways in which older adults are treated are highly divergent. The study of aging, or gerontology, has shown the constant growth of the average age of a person, and this is largely linked to the improvement of healthcare coverage in developed countries. Many countries are now participating in health coverage for the average citizen. In the United States, for example, Medicare has benefited the average citizen – and the implementation of ObamaCare is expected to bring even greater benefits. This demonstrates the American public's commitment to caring for the elderly. While some believe that older people are treated with disrespect – which is true in many cases – the social care system is going through a process of restructuring in which the interests of older people are put first. While improvements in the social health system... halfway through the document... k out for counties that don't have the capacity to finance themselves? Works Cited Chapin, R. et. al., (2002). Curricular module on aging and ethnicity. University of California at Berkeley. Retrieved from http://www.oaltc.ku.edu/gerorich/Reports/AGINGANDETHNICITY.pdfCotlear, D. (2011). Population aging: is Latin America ready? Directions in development. DOI: 0-8213-8469-4Targa, T. (2004). The Age of Insecurity: Elderly People in Asia vs. America. Asia Media Archives. Retrieved from http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11693Rowland, D. (2012). Aging of the population: the transformation of societies. Springer Verlag. DOI: 9400740492Smith, C. et. al. (2010). Aging of populations. Public management. DOI: 204192554United Nations. (2002). Aging of the world population: 1950-2050. Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. DOI:1613-9372