Chile is aging at an unprecedented rate, necessitating a profound transformation in the country's public policy framework. A recent analysis warns that the Chilean State currently operates under a fragmented logic, treating aging as a sectoral issue rather than a structural demographic shift.
Currently, elderly care management is divided among various ministries and agencies that approach the phenomenon in isolation. While the health sector focuses on disease, pension agencies view it solely through the lens of expenditure, and social development departments identify vulnerability—all without a holistic vision that promotes the autonomy of older adults.
A five-point plan for the State
To reverse this trend, experts are proposing the implementation of a mandatory "Aging and Old Age Management Improvement Program" for all public services. This initiative aims to ensure that the planning, budgeting, and evaluation processes of every ministry include specific criteria regarding their impact on the elderly population.
The legislative proposal rests on five fundamental pillars. First, the mandatory implementation of a management program with verifiable goals. Second, the integration of an "aging lens" as a cross-cutting criterion in the budgetary formulation of every sector.
The third pillar calls for the creation of a National System of Aging and Old Age Indicators to measure quality of life and autonomy, moving beyond mere service coverage. The fourth pillar proposes a National Civil Service Training Plan to eradicate institutional ageism within the public administration.
Finally, the plan seeks to localize these policies. This involves ensuring that urban planning, transportation, and housing are designed with an aging-friendly focus, strengthening municipalities as the first line of response within local communities.
The implementation of these measures aims to move the State beyond mere assistance or protection, transitioning toward a model that recognizes older adults as social capital and active participants in community building.
