Make room, Peter Pan. There is a new generation of “forever young” who are willing to grow up, but refuse to grow old ”“ the baby boomers. Unlike J. M. Barrie”™s mythical creation, this is a very real group of millions who are simply “getting older.” Death and dying are not part of their vocabulary ”“ and if they are, they are words spoken in hushed and uncomfortable tones.
Unlike previous generations, who accepted birth, life and death as naturally occurring processes, Matt Thornhill, founder of The Boomer Project and guest speaker at a recent breakfast hosted by senior care providers Elant and Birchez Associates, said, “The ”˜circle of life”™Â portrayed so admirably in ”˜The Lion King”™ does not exist in boomer society.”
What age do baby boomers think is “over the hill?” asked Thornhill of his predominantly over-50 audience. “Maybe 90. Maybe never? But when young adults were asked that question, 57 was the age they considered ”˜old.’ Boomers consider 75 to be old ”“ and most predict they will never really be ”˜old”™ ”“ even at that age.”
Of those 76 million, “One-third have less than $1,000 in savings, no pension or 401K and consider their home their retirement nest egg. They expect to keep working,” said Thornhill, founder of a marketing company that targets baby boomers and who knows this group well; he is one himself. “This group expects to keep working. We know that anyone, at any age, may find themselves unable to work. What are we doing to prepare for this?”
Unlike “golden boomers” with disposable incomes, pensions and hefty portfolios that will last long enough to see them through to a ripe old age ”“ with money to spare for heirs ”“ nearly 25 million of them will not be blessed with such financial largesse, Thornhill said. “Those in good financial health usually enjoy good physical health. Those that do not are another story. America, we have a problem at the doorstep.”
There are fewer member of the younger generation to care for aging parents, since many baby boomers restricted the number of children they had, Thornhill said. Lest America feel isolated in this predicament, it is a growing global issue. Most industrialized countries have an even larger disproportionate aging population.
“Six hundred people were asked if they would consider moving into assisted living or entering a nursing home. The answer? None,” Thornhill said. “Boomers expect to live out the remainder of their lives, independently, in their own homes. If we are going to retire at all, we plan to stay in our communities and stay connected to our family and friends ”“ and perhaps our own parents don”™t expect it, but we boomers certainly expect to have Wi-Fi.”
Thornhill praised organizations such as Home Instead Senior Care that are making aging in place possible. But is there enough to go around for seniors? “Not yet.”
Diseases that once claimed lives are now considered chronic, manageable conditions ”“ diabetes, heart disease, hypertension”“ and the health care system is rapidly shifting from acute care to chronic care.
“That”™s where we are headed,” he said, “and those in the business of managing chronic illness are on the right track ”“ those that are not had better get moving quickly.”
Obesity ”“ almost unheard of in America 30 years ago ”“ is now a national chronic condition. “One of every three Americans is now considered clinically obese,” said Thornhill, who admittedly suffers the same affliction.
Sun City, Arizona ”“ a community built in the 1960s as a model for retirement living ”“ no longer works for the baby boomer generation, Thornhill said. Instead, he pointed to states encouraging multigenerational living ”“ where retired seniors watch children for working parents ”“ who, in turn, take seniors to doctor appointments or help them with shopping. Churches, which once burst at the seams with child care for working parents, can now be reused to promote senior programs and adult day care, Thornhill said. “Rather than rebuilding, we can and should be reusing and repurposing existing facilities.”
Thornhill also touched on the “sandwich generation” ”“ the children of parents who have gotten an “additional bonus of 20 years at the end of life ”“ and who require constant care. They have children trying to take care of their children and their parents at the same time.”
America, said Thornhill, “is the only country that views death as an option. Since we”™ve segregated older people, death and dying are not the norm anymore ”“ but multigenerational communities are bringing the notion that death is normal back ”“ and death with dignity is on the rise. Hospice is the fastest growing segment in the senior health sector. Will we ever get to assisted suicide? I don”™t know the answer to that one ”¦ but I do know Boomers want to control their destiny — right up to the very end.”
Thornhill encouraged communities to look for options for their growing number of older Americans, encouraging senior care providers to partner ”“ much in the way Elant and Birchez Associates have been working together ”“ to create public-private partnerships ”“ for the growing number of seniors in their own backyard.
