Where We Stand: Lessons From Around the World

AARP has always been involved internationally, starting with our founder, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. But in recent years we’ve gone to a whole new level. The United States is an aging society, as the boomers move into their mature years. And many countries are even “older” than ours, and are aging faster. As we seek solutions to issues that affect our aging populations, we can learn from the experiences of these countries—and there is much we can share with them. Our search for what works cannot end at our borders.

One of our nation’s greatest challenges—and a top AARP priority—is transforming our expensive, hugely inefficient health care system. Recently we hosted Health Care ’08, an international conference that examined health care coverage, delivery, quality and financing in other countries. We laid the groundwork two years ago, when AARP leaders met with health officials and other experts in Norway, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Our findings are summarized in Global Health and Global Aging (Jossey-Bass, 2007), a book co-edited by AARP board member Clarence Pearson. (You can buy it  through most booksellers.)

There is no magic bullet when it comes to fixing our health care system. No country has all the answers to the challenges of aging and health. It is encouraging, though, that no one is getting it completely wrong, either. There is a broad marketplace of ideas and practices from which to learn.

The same is true of long-term financial security. We have held important conferences on “reinventing retirement” in London, Washington and Tokyo and explored ideas around pension reform and older workers with many countries. Economic growth is clearly linked to the employment of older workers, who are a critical component if employers are going to compete in a global economy. Later this month, we will cohost the AARP Forum on the Future Workforce with the European Commission in Brussels. And we are expanding our Best Employers for Workers Over 50 awards to include multinational corporations based overseas.

As people live longer and healthier, we can unlock the purchasing and creative power of millions of eager consumers and trainable employees. Older people have the maturity, wisdom and experience to make the world better for all of our citizens. We want to harness that power and put it to work—that’s why we started the AARP Global Network.

In addition to AARP, our network now includes DaneAge (Denmark), 50&Più Fenacom (Italy) and CARP (Canada), with more to come. We’re working together to deliver positive social change and serve the interests of all our members with high-quality products, services and programs.

The AARP Global Network will soon begin offering services to members. One goal is an international membership card, which you’ll be able to use for benefits and rewards around the world (in Denmark you already can use them). Think about discounts for renting a car in Rome, dinner theater in Copenhagen, a hotel on Lake Ontario, and much more.

We will continue to pursue our vision of a society in which everyone ages with dignity and purpose and in which AARP helps people fulfill their goals and dreams. By going global, we’ll be able to make even more of a difference.