HomeHomeJune 2001
Greetings! Here in Minnesota, we’ve had a rather tumultuous spring, weather-wise. Last month we experienced temps in the 90’s one week, and were plunged back in the deep freeze the next. Such is the cycle of life in our wonderful state! We know that the changing seasons are like our changing lives, and we have only have a short time in which to enjoy good weather.
Speaking of change, every ten years in America, we experience another new “cycle” of sorts. The U.S. government releases the latest census data, and this material offers an interesting snapshot of our country. We’re already seeing stories about the “graying” of the U.S. population, and what this means to Minnesotans. One in four of us are between the ages of 37 and 55, our prime earning and spending years; however, we face numerous aging-related challenges in the not-too-distant future, not just in our state, but all over the nation.
This is a fascinating turning point in American history--a time in which the roughly 76 million baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will change the meaning of the word “elderly” and the ways in which we view senior citizens. The first wave of boomers are turning 55 this year at the rate of 10,000 per day! Naturally, businesses are looking for new ways to market products to this huge demographic group.
However, one of the major concerns regarding this particular generation is money, because millions of boomers have not planned properly for their retirements. Women are particularly vulnerable in the area of inadequate financial planning, many of whom reach old age without enough resources to live on. Gloria Steinem, an editor at Ms magazine, is trying to raise awareness of this important public policy issue.
Former President Jimmy Carter also addresses the many issues around growing older in his honest and eloquently written book, The Virtues of Aging (1998, The Ballantine Publishing Group, New York). Like Steinem, he also sees the dangers of inadequate financial planning as a serious public policy issue:
“There is a sharp contrast between the concepts of our now middle-aged children and our own Depression-era fear of debt, commitment to savings, and cautious preparation for our later years. For us older persons, financial security is coming from accumulated savings, current employment, pension income, and government benefits. It seems that our attitudes are more compatible with those of Amy’s and our grandchildren’s generation than those of our sons’. I asked a distinguished sociologist about this, and he agreed, explaining that the general attitude of baby boomers is different from that of any other generation he has studied. There is more of a “hand-to-mouth” attitude, a sense of uniqueness in historical terms, and a belief that, somehow, their needs will be met.
The fact is that programs for the elderly are facing a crunch that will force unpleasant choices on our children as they retire. The oldest baby boomers will begin receiving Social Security benefits in 2010, the beginning of an enormous wave. By the time our youngest grandson, Jamie, is a middle-aged wage earner, one in four Americans will be over 65 years old. Unless dramatic changes are made, the costs of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and federal pensions are projected to exceed total federal revenues by 2030. Belatedly, political leaders have begun to face this issue, which is destined to be the most important item on the domestic agenda. Even now, in the United States, Europe, and Japan, it is replacing concerns about schools, housing, job training, even crime and a stronger defense.”
Carter also discusses other pressing concerns:
“Government spending on health care also has been skyrocketing. When I was born, the government spent only about $1 a year per person for health care. In 1965, it was $100 (less than we spent per capita on defense); in 1975 it had risen to $1,000; and in 1995, $7,000. And all of this is before the mass of baby boomers reach retirement and Medicare age. Even now, many older Americans cannot afford either health care or the exorbitant costs of some insurance policies.
A substantial disparity already exists in government expenditures, with twelve times as many federal dollars being spent on an average retiree (above sixty-five) as on a child under eighteen. If we look at total federal government entitlements, even including welfare and Medicaid for the poor, households earning above $100,000 a year receive more than those making less than $10,000. Today, about half of the federal budget goes to pay for programs for the elderly. If basic changes are not made in entitlement programs, it has been predicted that by 2013 the entire federal budget will be going to pay for the elderly and for interest on the federal debt.”
In a nation that worships youth and beauty, the prospect of facing our own aging is challenging, not just collectively, but personally as well. How do we define “successful aging”? Again, Jimmy Carter shares his thoughts:
“Some sociologists have decided that the three most significant predictors of successful aging are (1) the level of education we have attained, (2) the amount of physical activity that we maintain, and (3) the degree of control that we feel we have over our own destiny.”
He continues:
“Others believe that happiness depends on one or more good personal relationships and some involvement with a faith community, and the ability to extract from memories the positive things that give a sense of pride or at least the satisfaction of a worthy life. These are also good, but inadequate.
I’m inclined to agree with an elaborate study sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation, which concluded that the three indicators of successful aging are (1) avoiding disease and disability, (2) maintaining mental and physical function, and (3) continuing engagement with life. The latter involves keeping up relationships with others and performing productive activities. This engagement in living---successful adjustment to the changing conditions we have to face---will inevitably involve us with responsibilities, challenges, difficulties, and perhaps pain. But these experiences will tend to keep us closer to others and allow us to develop more self-respect and mastery over our own lives---crucial elements for a good life.”
In America, we tend to define ourselves by our working lives. When asked to describe ourselves and who we are, we typically talk about what we do to earn an income. Consequently, those without paid work are often viewed as less productive or “worthy” to our society. Jimmy Carter also observes this cultural value:
“One of our societal mistakes is the failure to measure or even acknowledge the tremendous contribution that retired people make to our nation. Labor statistics compiled by our government agencies are based only on what is done for pay, excluding the same (or more beneficial) work done within one’s own home or as a voluntary service to others. People who spin roulette wheels or do striptease dances are considered to be productive, but not people who care for a disabled friend or family member or do volunteer work in a hospital. Homemakers are not included in government records as productive workers, but if my neighbor and I would agree to clean each other’s house and pay each other for the work, then both would be counted as adding to our gross national product. This statistical policy greatly underestimates the work of all Americans, but especially women and older people. The fact is that in every decade after age 55, unpaid work is the main form of productive activity for both men and women, and yet statistics overlook this and create a serious impression of idleness.
There is still a tremendous potential to expand the present level of volunteerism among elders. Although more than 80 percent of us do work around our homes and 70 percent provide some assistance to friends and relatives, relatively few retirees volunteer for other kinds of service. Two out of three older people do none, and most active volunteers contribute less than four hours a week.”
Our elders offer a wealth of information (and wisdom) on our nation’s history, on what it means to have lived a full life. It has been estimated that we are losing members of the “World War II generation” at the rate of 1,000 per day. Recently, books such as Tom Brokaw’s “The Greatest Generation”, and movies such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Pearl Harbor” have sparked an interest in the quiet lives of those American men and women who sacrificed much in the service of their nation. We need to hear their stories before they leave us. They have much to teach us, as we go through our individual and collective journeys through life.
Clearly America is at a serious juncture in the spring of 2001. Our census data indicates what we already know; that we face serious challenges as individuals and as a nation. We need to face our own thoughts, issues, and fears around the fact that we are given a finite amount of time on this Earth, and we need to use that time to the fullest. Hopefully, one of the positive outcomes of an aging boomer population is that we can change our ideas about the meaning of growing older. However, that will mean that we have to come to terms with our denial about aging and death. Paying close attention to our health, our finances, our vocations and interests, and our relationships with others is of the utmost importance.
And, elderly citizens such as Jimmy Carter can show us how to age gracefully, with humor, gratitude and dignity.
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.com
Here is a list of interesting resources:
The Carter Center founded by former President Carter and his wife Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, is “guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.”
AARP was formerly known as the "American Association of Retired Persons” and represents more than 34 million members who are 50 and over. Over half of AARP members are working, either full or part-time, while the remainder are fully retired. They recently issued a report entitled: “Beyond 50: A Report to the Nation on Economic Security”. AARP also offers a wealth of info on aging with their links page at: http://www.aarp.org/cyber/sitealph.htm.
The National Institute on Aging “leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form the National Institute on Aging to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary federal agency on Alzheimer’s disease research.”
The Administration on Aging’s web site “includes information designed for Older Americans and their families as well as those concerned about providing the opportunities and services to enrich the lives of older persons and support their independence.” Their resource page offers links to many reports about the topic of aging.
The American Society on Aging “brings together researchers, practitioners, educators, business people and policymakers concerned with the physical, emotional, social, economic and spiritual aspects of aging. ASA is founded on the premise that the complexity of aging in our society can only be addressed as a multidisciplinary whole.”
Teresa
tcallies@hotmail.com
Copyright © 1995-2007 Gary Johnson Communications. All rights reserved. BraveNewWorkWorld, NewWork, NewWork News, Careers in the NewWork World, WITNE, and WITNE: Women in the New Economy are trademarks of Gary Johnson Communications.