Monday, January 22, 2007
I can’t believe that another year has passed so quickly and last year’s first wave of America’s 78 million Baby Boomers (born 1946 through 1964) are turning SIXTY-ONE this year! And, the next huge wave is right behind turning 60! It’s a big deal because these numbers are unprecedented in our history.
See, the year before the BIG BOOM started (1945) only 2.8 million Americans were born. Well, apparently, a bit too much partying after WWII resulted in 3.4 million bouncing babies in 1946. No one thought the trend would continue very long, but with the prosperity of the times it did--
and for 19 more years! So just think, now every seven seconds for nearly two more decades, a Boomer will hit the major milestone of turning 60 yelling "nooooo!" — kicking and screaming all the way into "older middle-age."
Yep, the flower power generation that vowed to stay young forever naturally is having face-lifts, lipo, Botox, and tummy-tucks in record numbers. They are also having retirement anxiety as they struggle to keep up with and care for the children they decided to have late in life so they wouldn’t disrupt their careers. And, on top of all that, now their elderly parents are getting sick and needing care, but because of modern medicine are living longer than ever.
AND NOW THE BAD NEWS
Since one out of every ten persons by the age of 65 gets some form of dementia (Alzheimer’s accounts for 65%), and nearly one out of every two by the age of 85 (the fastest growing segment of the population) gets it, there are lots of seniors not thinking clearly and tons of Baby Boomers trying to figure out how to manage them on top of everything else–while worrying about getting dementia themselves!
So, we have about four years to figure this dementia stuff out, before the first wave of Boomers start hitting the fan by turning 65 themselves and developing the disease. Did you know there are already 36 million people over the age of 65 in the USA?
I just had a horrible thought: Instead of one in ten getting dementia, since so many Boomers did drugs in the sixties, seventies, etcetera, etcetera… it could be even worse–maybe one out of every five will get dementia… and still be demanding to drive!
And oh-oh, since so many Boomers got divorced, their adult daughter (ok, maybe a son) could have to provide care for a mother, father, stepfather, stepmother, as well as their spouse’s mother, father, stepfather and stepmother. Yikes, she could have as many as eight wacky seniors to care for, along with her own health, husband, children, home, and… a career she loves? Yeah right.
And, you know the Boomers aren’t going to listen to anything the doctors say, unlike most of their parents who still put doctors on a pedestal and do as told. Oh noooo, Boomers are going to question everything and be royal pains in all the doctors’ … you know what!
OK, THE GOOD NEWS
If you want a challenging career that will never have a shortage of clients–go into any aspect of eldercare! Seriously, there is such a shortage of geriatric professionals for the huge numbers that are coming–you will never be out of work.
See, the year before the BIG BOOM started (1945) only 2.8 million Americans were born. Well, apparently, a bit too much partying after WWII resulted in 3.4 million bouncing babies in 1946. No one thought the trend would continue very long, but with the prosperity of the times it did--
and for 19 more years! So just think, now every seven seconds for nearly two more decades, a Boomer will hit the major milestone of turning 60 yelling "nooooo!" — kicking and screaming all the way into "older middle-age."
Yep, the flower power generation that vowed to stay young forever naturally is having face-lifts, lipo, Botox, and tummy-tucks in record numbers. They are also having retirement anxiety as they struggle to keep up with and care for the children they decided to have late in life so they wouldn’t disrupt their careers. And, on top of all that, now their elderly parents are getting sick and needing care, but because of modern medicine are living longer than ever.
AND NOW THE BAD NEWS
Since one out of every ten persons by the age of 65 gets some form of dementia (Alzheimer’s accounts for 65%), and nearly one out of every two by the age of 85 (the fastest growing segment of the population) gets it, there are lots of seniors not thinking clearly and tons of Baby Boomers trying to figure out how to manage them on top of everything else–while worrying about getting dementia themselves!
So, we have about four years to figure this dementia stuff out, before the first wave of Boomers start hitting the fan by turning 65 themselves and developing the disease. Did you know there are already 36 million people over the age of 65 in the USA?
I just had a horrible thought: Instead of one in ten getting dementia, since so many Boomers did drugs in the sixties, seventies, etcetera, etcetera… it could be even worse–maybe one out of every five will get dementia… and still be demanding to drive!
And oh-oh, since so many Boomers got divorced, their adult daughter (ok, maybe a son) could have to provide care for a mother, father, stepfather, stepmother, as well as their spouse’s mother, father, stepfather and stepmother. Yikes, she could have as many as eight wacky seniors to care for, along with her own health, husband, children, home, and… a career she loves? Yeah right.
And, you know the Boomers aren’t going to listen to anything the doctors say, unlike most of their parents who still put doctors on a pedestal and do as told. Oh noooo, Boomers are going to question everything and be royal pains in all the doctors’ … you know what!
OK, THE GOOD NEWS
If you want a challenging career that will never have a shortage of clients–go into any aspect of eldercare! Seriously, there is such a shortage of geriatric professionals for the huge numbers that are coming–you will never be out of work.
