Think Tank releases its recommendations for a prospective good life as a senior

After more than a year’s work, the Think Tank – The New 3rd Age, initiated by PFA, is releasing its final recommendation for how to ensure the good senior life towards 2040 – when the population in Denmark will be counting markedly more elderly people. The result is one of the most extensive mappings of senior life in Denmark and what to do in the future. The development requires a rethinking of society when it comes to working life, health and housing, according to the recommendations.

People in Denmark live longer and longer, and in 25 years, one in four will be older than 65 years of age. For the first time, a think tank is now presenting a complete recommendation of how we in Denmark can ensure a prospective good senior life in light of the senior revolution that we are about to experience.

The Think Tank – The New 3rd Age, initiated by PFA, has since the beginning of 2017 been analysing this development and what it takes to ensure that the many future senior citizens can lead a good life in the third age. The result is one of the most extensive mappings in recent times of the senior life and societal developments in the coming decades as well as more than 30 recommendations for how to create the framework for a good senior life towards 2040 when it comes to working life, health and housing.

The Think Tank’s final report with 33 recommendations is released today in the Danish Parliament.

“First and foremost, we can look forward to becoming older than ever before. Clearly, this is a very positive development. However, if we want to continue leading a good life in the third age, we need to rethink the way in which we work, live and stay healthy. With the Think Tank’s recommendations, we now have an idea of how this is possible and which opportunities new knowledge and technology can provide. We need to take these opportunities, because the potential is vast, and we need to get started immediately”, says Allan Polack, Group CEO in PFA and vice-chairman in the Think Tank.

A collection of specific recommendations for the challenges of the future

Assisted by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, the Think Tank has mapped out seven key challenges to which Denmark must find a solution in order to ensure a good senior life towards 2040. In that connection, the Think Tank has drawn up four scenarios for how Denmark may develop during the period. On the basis of this, the Think Tank has come up with 33 recommendations.

The working life is one area which needs to break away from habitual thinking and view the labour market of the future in a completely new way:

“The key word is ‘cycles’. In the future, only few people will have one career from the time when they complete their education until they retire. Most people will instead have to plan for several phases and careers during their working life which will probably diverge. New functions, new fields of work and new skills – and it will require flexibility and new models for retiring from the labour market”, says Claus Kjeldsen, chairman of the Think Tank and CEO of the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.

At today’s release in the Danish Parliament, the recommendations will be presented by the members of the Think Tank and debated by select politicians. There will also be contributions from Minister for Employment Troels Lund Poulsen (Venstre) and Minister for Senior Citizens Thyra Frank (Liberal Alliance).

The release of the Think Tank’s recommendations takes place on:
Friday 2 February
The Danish Parliament (Folketinget)