As director of Carmichael, California's Mission Oaks Senior Center, Terri McAdam has made it her business to become familiar with what motivates the baby boom generation, the eldest of whom begin turning 65 in January.
They want to have choices. They want to make an impact on the world around them. But most of all, just right now, they want the center's shuffleboard court removed to make way for an updated fitness room.
"Shuffleboard was very popular with seniors here 25 years ago," said McAdam. "And there are still a few of them left who like to play, so this is a rough transition for them. But we already have martial arts going into that room."
Not to mention Zumba and yoga classes -- and maybe the occasional weeknight couples dance.
The boomers -- the postwar generation born from 1946 to 1964, some 77 million strong and not shy about demanding a little attention -- are coming of age.
It's not an overstatement to suggest that the lifestyle of aging is about to undergo a revolution.
Along with deep concerns about the increasing need and, in many cases, declining resources for in-home assistance, stable retirement income and reliable health care funding, the so-called silver tsunami also brings with it an enormous shift in what aging in America means.
As Eskaton vice president Lynette Tidwell said: "The buzzword is culture change. It really is that. And some people are going to get culture shock."Consider a few facts:For the next 18 years, 10,000 boomers will turn 65 every day. By 2029, one in five Americans will be 65 and older. And by 2040, 1.7 million Californians will be 85 and older.Research shows that boomers are more educated and earn more than the generations that have preceded and followed them -- yet unlike their parents, they were raised on instant gratification, not saving, and as a result will likely have to continue working well into their late 60s and early 70s. "They're going to need money," said AARP California's Christina Clem. "I know they'll find a way. They're more likely to have a side business or do consulting. It's this idea of constantly reinventing themselves." Even so, the generation brings with it enormous buying power. Baby boomers spend $2 trillion each year. They're willing to invest in looking young: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that boomer-aged women account for 90 percent of elective procedures.And they like their granite countertops: Fully 61 percent of baby boomers whose kids have left home have remodeled their kitchens in recent years, according to the Simmons National Consumer Survey.Frankly, investors would be wise to sink their bucks into goods and services for a generation that thinks it's forever youthful yet might just require a little assistance up the stairs. And they are, according to AARP, with the development of age-related technology such as mattresses that check heart rate and sleep quality.
"By and large, people of this generation are pretty attentive to their health, including people who were quite reckless when they were young," said UC Davis geriatric specialist Dr. Michael McCloud. "Then, they experimented with drugs. Now, they're experimenting with calcium citrate vs. calcium phosphate."One woman told me she'd scored some Fosamax at a New Year's Eve party," he added, referring to a drug used to treat and prevent osteoporosis.Baby boomers want to serve other people and give back to the community -- but in their own way."Older seniors wanted to answer the phone at the desk one day a week and do their job and go home," said McAdam. "Baby boomers need a project. They want to do something worthwhile and utilize their talents. They want to be involved."It's not always possible, but Eskaton research indicates that 97 percent of boomers want to age in place, remaining in their own homes instead of moving to retirement communities.Attention, building contractors: The baby boom will soon want you to remodel their homes with wider doorways and adjustable counters. Meanwhile, says Tidwell, retirement communities are expanding to provide fee-based concierge resources for non-residents.And they're discovering how to adapt their current facilities for the earliest of the boomers. In: coffee kiosks, salad bars, ethnic food and all-day dining. Out: set mealtimes featuring bland meat and potatoes.Not surprisingly, there's already a certain amount of quiet generational warfare being carried out between boomers and, well, just about everyone else.Younger people think the baby boom has sucked up all the good jobs and won't retire gracefully and get out of the way. And boomers' parents aren't yet ready to give up the shuffleboard."It's an interesting transition," said Tidwell.
