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September
We’re on the verge of a Senior Epoch. And
See the Big Picture
demographic trends on every aspect of American life—our families
(think multiple generations under the same roof ), our neighbor-
hoods (think suburbs designed for nuclear families now joined by
older people and singles as well), our health (the number of people
a;icted by Alzheimer’s could double in 20 years), our public poli-
cies (Social Security remains the nearly untouchable third rail of
politics) and our economy (imagine capturing the productivity
wasted by early or forced retirement).
Today, for every person over 65, there are five people in the work-
force. In 40 years, there will be three workers. The finan-
cial underpinning of the nation’s entire retirement
safety net is at increasing risk the longer Social
Security, Medicare and pensions for current
retirees rely on the taxes and contributions
of current workers.
“As a society,” the Stanford study con-
cludes, “we can no longer a;ord to ignore
the reality of the tremendous population
shifts already underway—the opportunities
and costs are simply too significant to ignore.”
In other words, programs rooted in the 20th
century no longer meet 21st-century realities.
This is a message conveyed clearly and frequently
by the late Robert N. Butler, M.D. Raised by his
grandparents on a farm in southern New Jersey, he
devoted his professional life to making the most of
the longer lives Americans now live—“productive
aging,” he called it. He celebrated the added dec-
ades of active life gained during the 20th century,
he established the National Institute on Aging, and
he warned 42 years ago of ageism (a word that he
coined) at work and in society. He pleaded passion-
ately for greater emphasis on geriatric medicine
and for more and better caregivers. In May, shortly
before he died, he published “a call to action on ag-
ing,” an essay in which he urged “transformational
thinking” about work and retirement planning,
technology and long-term illness.
At the dawn of the Senior Epoch, it’s appropriate that we embrace
the big picture as a tribute to Butler’s pioneering service—especially
because he was absolutely right. —Jim Toedtman, Editor
‘We can
no longer
ignore the
reality
of the
tremendous
population
shifts
underway.’
we’d better start taking it seriously. ; Events that herald
the graying of America are now cascading as the boom-
er generation begins crashing through 60th birthdays,
qualifying for Social Security and challenging the finan-
cial future of public and private pension plans, Medicare
and Social Security—even as medical ad-
vances continue to extend our active
lives. ; An important new study by
the Stanford Center on Longevity
puts a wider lens on the familiar
statistics. America will continue
to “age up” for decades. The over-65
sector will double—from 40 million to-
day to 89 million, and from 13 percent of the
population today to 20 percent, by 2050.
Policymakers may be focused on the stabil-
ity of Medicare and Social Security, but the
wiser focus is the profound impact of these
AARP Bulletin September 2010, Volume 51, No. 7 (USPS Number 002-900; ISSN 1044-1123) is published monthly except February and August by AARP, 601 E St. N.W., Washington, DC 20049 (telephone: 1-888-687-2277). Internet site: www.aarp.org/bulletin, “The Newspaper of 50-Plus America.”
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