Care of the elderly as a global nursing issue.

The size of the world's elderly population is growing at a rapid rate, with the 60 and older population of Europe and North America outpacing total population growth in recent decades. As life expectancy lengthens, the quality of that life becomes an issue of importance to nursing practitioners and nursing educators. Developed countries and developing countries will be faced with different challenges when determining service delivery models for their aging populations. Innovation in delivery models and comprehensive and longitudinal data are needed if the goal of aging in place is to be achieved.