In the September 2023 issue of the AARP Bulletin, AARP reported on trends demonstrating the impact Boomers are having on a changing America. Here are some of the key trends covered in their analysis:

The Workplace

Not surprisingly, the number of workers age 65 and older increased by 117 percent in twenty years, as has employment of individuals 75 and older, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Part-time work, phased retirement and "returnships" (short-term employment programs designed to help out-of-work individuals ease their way back into the workforce) are all trending up.

Healthcare

Healthcare is the only broad spending category that consistently increases with people's ages, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Boomer households spent on average $6,600 per year on healthcare in 2021 while Millennials spent a third less. One of the major trends is aging in place. Today nearly 300 hospital-at-home programs exist in the U.S., and one in six hospitals will likely offer such programs by 2030. Consulting firm McKinsey estimates that $265 billion in home health care will be delivered to Medicare beneficiaries by 2025.

Financial services

Some $18 trillion sits in IRAs and 401(k) retirement accounts held by Americans. According to the Federal Reserve, the median holding in retirement accounts is $164,000 for households of people ages 65 to 74. Well aware of these retirement investments, the financial services industry is aggressively targeting older Americans. As people live longer, a common strategy of financial services providers is to help retirees understand how to make their funds last through retirement. This is especially crucial for Americans who are 60 to 69 years of age, because more than half of households headed by this group have less than $250,000 in financial assets. The Social Security Administration estimates that about 20 percent of Americans 65 and older rely on Social Security for more than three-quarters of their income.

Fitness

Older Americans are embracing fitness and exercise. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, with 49 percent of frequent pickle ball players age 55 and older, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Everything from exercise machines to low-impact workout programs specifically target the senior set.

Travel

The top group in travel spending is Americans 60 to 60 years of age, according to AARP. Travelers in this age group will shell out an average of $7,300 this year, and those who are 50 and older will average four trips this year.

Entertainment

Older Americans are moviegoers, and we're seeing more older actors appearing in movies because of these older audiences. Music concerts are also popular with older Americans as performers in their seventies continue to appear on stage. Television viewing by older Americans is also strong, as evidenced by such breakthrough programs as ABC's The Golden Bachelor -- for the first time featuring a bachelor in his seventies.

Politics

You have only to look at the president, members of Congress, and Supreme Court justices to know that older Americans populate the government. What's more, older voters make a significant difference in deciding elections. According to AARP, 61 percent of ballots cast in the 63 closest races for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022 were cast by voters 50 years of age or older. While change at federal, state and local governments comes slowly, legislation focused on an aging population is beginning to be proposed by lawmakers at all levels.

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Researchers at Harvard Business School, Questrom School of Business, Bentley University and MIT Sloan School of Management recently interviewed 120 professionals to learn about the mental and emotional toll of retirement. They discovered that retirees go through two main processes: Life Restructuring and Identity Bridging. 

One of the researchers, Teresa Amabile of Harvard Business School, spoke with Curt Nickisch of Harvard Business Review about the study. In discussing "life restructuring," Amabile says,"You have to majorly restructure your life that day you walk out, whether you’ve been working full-time up to that retirement or part-time, you’re going to have to really approach your life differently."

Amabile suggests that the interactions with people in the workplace are significant. When individuals retire, "most of us don’t realize how anchoring and important those work relationships are.

"We also don’t realize how important the structure of work is. We have been living for several decades as kind of a tenant of a life structure that our organization has created for us. We know where we’re going to be at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday and we pretty much know what we’re going to be doing and who we’re going to be interacting with."

Amabile identifies four developmental tasks as part of life restructuring:

1. The retirement decision: Deciding when to retire and how to retire.
2. Detaching from work: "Some can let go completely... and for others, they have a hard time moving on at least mentally, even if they’re not engaging in work activities, they’re thinking about it a lot and they feel that they’re still in that world."
3. Managing the liminal phase: "Liminal means betwixt and between – kind of in the midst of change of some kind." Some people plan for this carefully while others don't.
4. The consolidation stage: That's when a new life structure is in place and it is working for the individual.

The second process is identity bridging. Amabile observes that people who can maintain or enhance aspects of themselves that existed in pre-retirement can enjoy satisfaction and enrichment in retirement. She says, "Often it’s bridging some aspect of that work identity. Often it’s enhancing, developing some non-work aspect of identity that you had. So, one of the most common things we’ve seen is that people will have had an avocation that they enjoyed a pre-retirement, that they get really engaged in much more strongly after retirement.

"And that’s very fulfilling for them, very enjoyable. Sometimes it’s the relationship they had that was important to them – an important part of their identity – and they’re now deepening that engagement, spending more time with that person."

One of the challenges related to identity bridging is how integrated identity is with working for many people. According to Amabile," So much of our identity is almost necessarily wrapped up in our work. So much of our mind space is occupied by our work, that we let other pieces of ourselves atrophy." 

Amabile notes that if people "can maintain some creative activity outside of work, even while they’re fully engaged in their career, that seems to stand them in good stead because that’s something they can grow afterward. That gives them a natural identity bridge."

If you are planning to retire -- or already retired -- maybe you are going through "life restructuring" and "identity bridging." If so, you are not alone.

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A revealing new Harris Poll conducted by the firm Age Wave has confirmed substantial shifts in Americans’ perceptions of aging and longevity. The study surveyed over 2,000 U.S. adults, including over 900 adults age 50 plus.

Here are some key takeaways from the survey.
 
“OLD” ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE

The survey found that 79% of adults 50+ think today’s older adults are more active, and 58% say they are more open-minded and curious compared with the previous generation.
 
Correspondingly, the definition of what’s considered “old” today is changing. The survey found that while age 60 was considered “old” in their grandparents’ time, now age 80 is the median age considered “old” today.
 
Our vocabulary is starting to reflect this shift. When discussing growing older, 69% of U.S. adults 50+ find the term “longevity” more appealing than “aging.” The positivity felt by older adults is in stark contrast to the bias against them in the media, where they are still frequently portrayed as frail, grumpy, or incoherent. In fact, older adults are seven times more likely to be represented with negative stereotypes in the media.
 
OUR HEALTHSPANS DON’T MATCH OUR LIFESPANS

In recent decades, we have successfully extended our lifespans, but our healthspans (i.e., the years of dependable good health) have not kept up, remaining at an average of 66 years. Americans will spend a median of 12 years living with a disability or serious disease. Looking globally, the U.S. ranks #1 in healthcare expenditures per capita but only #68 in healthy life expectancy.
 
TRADING THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF USEFULNESS

In this new age of aging, the importance of youthfulness has been replaced by usefulness. The survey found that 83% of U.S. adults 65+ say it’s more important for them to feel useful than youthful in their retirement years.Today’s elders increasingly want a continued sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.
 
ANXIETY PLUMMETS, HAPPINESS SOARS WITH AGE

Modern elders feel happier, more free, and less anxiety-ridden than younger generations. Today’s modern elders aren’t just looking back, reminiscing on the good old times. 71% of Americans 65+ say the best time of their lives is right now or in front of them.
 
THE DEFINITION OF “RETIREMENT” IS CHANGING

Today’s modern elders are dismantling long-held cultural beliefs and social norms about how older adults are supposed to look and act. They are eager to pursue new dreams, adventures, and goals, with 97% of adults 65+ agreeing that it’s important to stay curious and be willing to learn new things throughout life’s later years. Similarly, 66% of Americans age 50+ see retirement as a new chapter in life, while only 16% say it’s principally a time for rest and relaxation.
 
With these changing views of what retirement should look like, 59% of pre-retirees and retirees say they want to work in some form in retirement. Employee benefits like flex-work, remote-work, sabbaticals, and paid leave can help retain older workers and fuel economic growth.
 
LIFE LESSONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY

As famous psychologist Erik Erickson wrote, “I am what survives of me.” The study shows that 65% of adults 50+ think that values and life lessons are the most important thing to pass on to their heirs and loved ones. Only 22% said financial assets and/or real estate were the most important.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended and the FDA  just authorized another Covid booster for adults 65 and over and individuals with weakened immune systems. A recent article in The New York Times cites the following data:

• Adults age 65 and over make up about 16 percent of the U.S. population (about 53 million people)
• About 7 million people have weak immune systems
• Around 250 people daily are still dying from Covid-related causes, the majority of whom are either over 70 years old or have weakened immune systems
• The median age of those hospitalized for Covid is 75
• Only 43 percent of Americans age 65 and over have received a bivalent booster shot to date.

As you carry on with your daily life, you may not think Covid is a problem anymore. My personal experience is that I rarely see anyone wearing a mask in stores. I have taken flights recently and noticed that in airports and on airplanes masking is minimal. You hardly ever see, hear or read a story about Covid nowadays. The old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind" seems to apply.

Still, Boomers, particularly those age 65 and over, are the most vulnerable for Covid infection. Some Boomers have weakened immune systems, which makes Covid even more potentially deadly.

Boomers like to think we are the generation that promoted health-consciousness. After all, we were the folks who started the wave of interest in natural and organic foods and called attention to dangerous food additives. We grew up at a time when vaccines protected us from such serious diseases as polio, measles and mumps. Today, vaccines protect Boomers against shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

Why, then, have more than half of Americans age 65 and over failed to get a Covid booster? 

The low percentage of boostered Boomers is a puzzling dilemma for public health officials. While there could be many reasons for this, the implication is clear: Boomers who are unprotected by a Covid vaccine could risk serious illness or death if they contract Covid.

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Guest Post by Julie Gorges

Editor's Note: My colleague Julie Gorges writes Baby Boomer Bliss, a blog I highly recommend. She recently posted an article that referred to "5 positive traits of boomers." At a time when there seems to be a fair amount of boomer bashing in various media, I asked Julie for permission to share an excerpt from her article because I think it does a great job of highlighting some of the really good things about the Boomer Generation. Here they are...

1. Boomers are Good at Reinventing Themselves

Not being content to sit in a rocking chair reminiscing about the past after retirement – like some of our parents and grandparents – many boomers are still active, eagerly learning new things, and becoming more creative as they age.

Boomers may not be up on all the latest trends, but they remain young at heart.

Boomers tend to consider themselves a work in progress. Many are making spirituality and personal growth a priority, opening themselves to new experiences (like learning sign language and shark cage diving, in my case), and striving to reach their full potential.

Thanks to boomers, turning 60 or even 70 is no longer a professional death sentence as it was in the past. Many boomers are postponing retirement, both for financial and personal reasons. This has opened the doors for younger generations who, if desired, have a better chance of working as long as they want.

Often boomers are maligned for being technically deficient. However, many boomers have embraced new technologies like texting, videoconferencing, online banking, tablets, tech savvy homes, and social networking sites. A lot has changed, but boomers are enthusiastic about technology that’s valuable to them.

In my opinion, we’ve changed the way people age. And that’s a good thing for upcoming generations.

2. Boomers Value Family Relationships

Personally, I grew up in a traditional family that ate dinner together every night, watched The Wonderful World of Disney every week, attended religious services, and took camping trips together.

As a result, I practiced these same values with my own children and grandchildren. As a reward, we all remain close.

Just proves different generations can get along and even love each other!

3. Boomers Influenced Rock and Roll

As the article, “27 Amazing Things Baby Boomers Have Done for Humanity” points out on their website Mercatornet, the boomer generation changed music forever. “Popular music will never be the same after the 70s. These musicians [Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, and the Bee Gees] passed on an undying legacy with their lyrics, experimentation and harmonies.”

Of course, the 60s also changed music in a major way, becoming a vehicle for social change.

Brian Ward, a professor in American Studies at Northumbria University wrote in his article for the Gilder Lehrman Institude of Natural History, “What’s That Sound? Teaching the 1960s Through Popular Music: “Even students far too young to have experienced the decade first-hand often recognize a whole range of sounds as evocative of the era. The Motown soul of the Temptations and Marvin Gaye; the folk revivalism of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez; the folk-rock syntheses of the Byrds; the surfing sounds of the Beach Boys; the free jazz of Archie Shepp and Ornette Coleman; the girl-group sounds of the Chiffons and Crystals; the southern-fried soul of Percy Sledge and Otis Redding; the lush Nashville countrypolitanism of  Eddy Arnold and Tammy Wynette; the country-rock blends of the Flying Burrito Brothers; the progressive, psychedelic sounds of the Grateful Dead and the Doors; the self-reflective meditations of singer-songwriters James Taylor and Laura Nyro; the daring blues-rock-jazz blend of Jimi Hendrix; the pioneering funk of James Brown; the garage rock of the Standells and Seeds; and the avant-garde noisescapes of Captain Beefheart and the Velvet Underground.”

I would add The Rolling Stones, Queen, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Simon and Garfunkel to the list of classic rock singers and bands that influenced music forever.

Many younger people still listen to these musicians today.

4. Boomers Tend to Work Hard

Boomers typically do not shy away from hard work. Most boomers grew up in well-structured and disciplined households. Boomers were taught to respect their parents and grandparents and do their chores. As a rule, boomers are self-disciplined, highly motivated, and focused on goals in life.

You would think that’s a good thing. But these qualities are often used against us. Boomers are called “workaholics” and a “greedy generation,” perceived as always putting money first. However, growing up in a spiritual family, these were not the values I was personally taught. I’d venture many boomers would say the same.

5. Boomers Want to Give Back

Now, can we talk a little about the blame game? Boomers are seemingly responsible for all that’s gone wrong in the world. In part, due to the size of their generation. By the way, is it my fault that my parents’ generation had a bunch of kids making the population “boom?” (The basis for the name of our generation, baby boomers.)

Good thing we weren’t around for the Great Depression. Somehow, that would be our fault too.

At any rate, baby boomer blaming seems like a way of oversimplifying extremely complex issues.

Although I do not feel personally responsible for every problem in the world today, I do understand the younger generation’s frustrations. For example, many boomers know how difficult it is for younger people who face challenging economic conditions today.

As a result, many parents have been generous with adult children who often need to live at home longer than expected. Some help their children financially even to their own detriment. And many grandparents are helping care for their grandchildren to help adult children save on child care costs.

In addition, boomers tend to look for a mission in life that offers meaning and purpose. Many of us are involved in volunteer work and our community.

Julie Gorges is a blogger, writer and author of non-fiction and fiction books. Check out her blog at https://babyboomerbliss.net

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In a conversation with Karen Breslau of Bloomberg News at the Century Summit 2022 sponsored by the Longevity Project, Maria Shriver spoke eloquently about the concept of "reframing aging." The 67-year old Shriver is a journalist, best-selling author, entrepreneur, Alzheimer's advocate, film maker and more. The former first lady of California is now part of a task force on aging for Governor Newsom in the state.

With regard to the workplace, says Shriver, "So many industries are stuck in an old model." She observed that there are many people in their 70s, 80s and even 90s who "are at the top of their game," among them architect Frank Gehry and investor Warren Buffett.

Shriver added that people in their 50s and 60s want to keep working but are frustrated because society doesn't look at them as "valuable players." Says Shriver, "I think we need a sea change, a narrative change, a reframing change" and she credits Boomers with driving that change. She believes that workforces are better off when people in their 20s and 30s are working together with people in their 60s and 70s.

Shriver herself is a model for what she believes. She says for the first time in her life, she is free of bringing up children and caring for her elderly parents. She now thinks about where she wants to make a difference -- in aging, longevity and women's health. Interestingly, Shriver is also a model for intergenerational living. She has started a business with one son and says, "I love working with my children. I do a lot of that, and my parents did a lot of that." She says her parents worked up until their 80s.

Another key strategy Shriver has continued from her experience as first lady of California to the present day is putting lots of different people together in the same room -- whether they are different ages, from different walks of life, or with different perspectives. She does it "so people can talk, can share stories and learn a new narrative." Shriver believes in "updating story lines on a continuous basis because people don't hear the new story unless they meet people on the ground who are living that new story."

You can find more of Shriver's comments, as well as recordings of other sessions from the Century Summit 2022, here: https://www.longevity-project.com/century-summit-2022-videos

Image: Maria Shriver speaking at the Century Summit 2022, The Longevity Project, Stanford Center on Longevity

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Watching Serena Williams play tennis in the first round of the U.S. Open on Monday night, August 29, was like watching an unstoppable force of nature. The 40-year-old Williams defeated a 27-year-old opponent, not easily but convincingly. Yet earlier in August, in Vogue magazine, Williams shocked the sports world by announcing her retirement from tennis.

Normally, when you hear the word "retirement," you think of the traditional meaning: older generations ending their work lives to move on to something else. But in the case of Serena Williams, she was making a different kind of life choice, announcing to the world that she wanted to grow her family rather than remain in the sport as arguably the best tennis player in the world. Here is the way she expressed it:

"I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people. Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family."

I think her use of the word "evolution" as a label for what Williams is feeling is very appropriate. In fact, it strikes me that the concept of evolution just as easily applies to Boomers on the brink of "retirement." Like Williams, I have never liked the word "retirement." For several years, I have used the word "rewirement" to describe a new way of looking at retirement (after all, "rewired" is in the header of my blog).

I think the concept of rewiring is still relevant, but I also think evolving is an apt description for the collective advancement of Boomers into the next phase of our lives. The reality is that we go through phases that are not hard and fast with defined beginnings and ends; rather we evolve. Recognizing that evolutionary process may make it easier to understand and accept the phases of life that have passed and are still to come.

So thank you, Serena, for redefining retirement. You are showing the world that you can be the best you can be in your career and love what you do -- but still acknowledge that there are indeed other things in life that may be of greater importance. That's something Boomers would do well to acknowledge. Life's challenges and choices are not always easy, but we continue to evolve.

Whether or not she wins the U.S. Open, Serena Williams is teaching all of us a lesson about competing at the highest level -- in both sports and in life.

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A current controversy in Canada dramatically highlights the potentially damaging effects of ageism.

Canada TV anchor Lisa LaFlamme has been removed as the anchor of CTV National News, a program she has hosted since 2011. The 58-year old LaFlamme claimed she was "blindsided" by the decision, which is believed to be related to her grey hair. LaFlamme stopped dyeing her hair during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing her hair to return to its natural grey color, telling viewers that it was "liberating."

It was reported by news sources that Michael Melling, a senior executive at CTV News, wanted to to know who approved the decision to "let Lisa's hair go grey." It appeared to be suspiciously coincidental that LaFlamme, who recently won Best News Anchor at the Canadian Screen Awards, was let go soon after she let her hair go grey. LaFlamme had been with the news organization for thirty-five years.

When furor erupted over the firing decision, Bell Media, the owner of CTV, said LaFlamme was terminated due to "changing viewer habits." The company did not comment on the hair color allegations, but said it regretted that the decision "may have left viewers with the wrong impression."

One company, Dove Canada, immediately responded by launching a campaign on social media. The company changed its gold logo to grey. While the campaign doesn't specifically mention LaFlamme, the timing is obvious. On Instagram, Dove said:

"Aging is beautiful. We should all be able to do it on our own terms, and without any consequences. That's why we're going grey, and donating $100,000 to Catalyst -- a Canadian nonprofit organization dedicated to helping build inclusive workplaces for all women. Join us by turning your profile picture greyscale, and tag #KeepTheGrey."

The Dove Canada campaign reinforced speculation that the firing was influenced by ageism. On Twitter, LaFlamme stated in a video, "I'm still shocked and saddened. At 58, I still thought I'd have a lot more time to tell more of the stories that impact our daily lives."

Image from Dove Canada social media campaign

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Retirees tend to live on a few income streams, typically made up of (1) Social Security monthly payments (2) RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) from deferred income retirement accounts, such as 401(k)s, (3) pensions and other long-term investments and (4) savings accounts. Financial conditions affect all of these financial vehicles one way or the other, especially if retirement, pension or savings are invested in stocks or bonds. Last year, for example, the stock market probably rewarded most retirees with healthy gains, while so far this year, stocks haven't fared nearly as well.

Currently, there is another factor that more directly affects retirees: Inflation. As we've seen over the past several months, inflation has caused a spike in the prices we pay at the gas pump and in the grocery store. In fact, prices are broadly higher everywhere, and for those retirees living on a tight budget to begin with, that is not good news. A recent hike in Social Security benefits due to the higher cost of living didn't help so much because, at the same time, Medicare premiums went up.

So what can retirees do to ride out the financial ups and downs we're experiencing? A recent article in The New York Times by financial writer Tara Siegel Bernard cites a few sound strategies. Retirees who turn 72 must take RMDs from retirement accounts, so some of your options are limited, but you still have control over your other assets. Here are some suggestions from the article:

• Reframing: Covering your needs is more important than spending money on wants. Think about how much of your basic living needs can be covered by such regular income as Social Security and pensions and keep withdrawals for other items to a minimum.
• A Cash Bucket: Set aside cash to cover a year's worth of basic expenses not accounted for through Social Security and pension income. Use this "bucket" when necessary instead of withdrawing from investment accounts.
• Guardrails: Consider being flexible with annual withdrawals from investment accounts instead of being locked in to the same percentage or withdrawal amount. Consider taking higher amounts when financial conditions are favorable and lower amounts when they are unfavorable.
• Check up: Do periodic reality checks based on your retirement age and anticipated longevity. Look at your entire portfolio and, using the widely accepted withdrawal rate of 4 percent annually, estimate how long your money will last if you withdraw at that rate. You could also determine how higher or lower annual withdrawal rates will affect your overall picture.

Of course, none of these strategies should be applied in a vacuum. It is best to do your own evaluation in conjunction with a Certified Financial Planner, who can objectively assess your unique situation and help you determine which of these strategies, or others, will work best for you.

Read more about advice for handling retirement during a financial downturn here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/11/your-money/retiring-recession-financial-math.html?

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New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the prevalence of everyday ageism, demonstrating that exposures were "associated with multiple indicators of poor mental and physical health." The study employed a newly developed multidimensional "Everyday Ageism Scale" to measure exposures.

Among 2,035 adults ranging in age from 50 to 80 years old, most respondents in the study (93.4 percent) reported regularly experiencing one or more forms of everyday ageism. Internalized ageism was reported by 81.2 percent of respondents, ageist messages by 65.2 percent of respondents, and interpersonal ageism by 44.9 percent of respondents. Mean Everyday Ageism Scale scores were higher for several sociodemographic groups. For example, ages 65 to 80 experienced higher exposures than ages 50 to 64, women experienced higher exposures than men, and White and Hispanic adult respondents experienced higher exposures than Black adult respondents.

The study showed that everyday ageism was associated with poor physical and health across four outcomes examined: Fair or poor physical health, Chronic health conditions, Fair or poor mental health and Depressive symptoms. Odds of negative health outcomes increased and the associated number of chronic health conditions also increased. The researchers stated:

"Everyday ageism may affect health outcomes via multiple pathways. Ageism may hamper quality of older adults' interactions with health care clinicians. Ageist cues, beliefs and interpersonal interactions may serve as stereotype threats, primes for stereotype embodiment, and models of normative expectations for older adults, all of which have been associated with poor health outcomes. Accordingly, everyday ageism may be a chronic stressor in the lives of older adults. ... Older adults with poor health may experience more ageist messages and discrimination (and discrimination based on health and disability) and personally relevant evidence supporting negative beliefs associated age with health."

While major incidents of ageism have been shown to be associated with poorer health and well-being among older adults, this study is unique in its focus on routine types of age-based discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping that older adults encounter in their day-to-day lives, known as everyday ageism.

We should all be vigilant in recognizing all forms of ageism, whether external or internal. As we age, we should speak up when we are confronted with ageist attitudes, not practice ageism toward others and not beat ourselves up for being old. As this study indicates, everyday ageism in all of these ways can negatively affect our physical and mental health.

If you are interested in the full report of this study, click on the PDF link below.

Download JAMA-Ageism

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Discover How World War II Helped Launch "Boomer Brands"