Edinburgh Napier University

  The world stands on the threshold of a demographic revolution called global aging. We live in a global world where people travel for holidays and work; for some, migration is the only possible alternative to a precarious situation in their own country. Therefore, the older populations in our Western countries no longer have a shared past. To understand, help, and care for older adults from other countries, we need both specific knowledge of the individual as well as general knowledge of his or her country, culture, and family structures. According to the National Institute on Aging (2007), “there is a need to raise awareness about not only global aging issues but also the importance of rigorous cross-national scientific research and policy dialogue that will help us address the challenges and opportunities of an aging world” (p. 1).