Do you love to be
pigeon-holed or marginalized? I know I don't! A speaker at a recent conference
said older adults were no longer "producers" but "drainers."
To me, that characterization
was a slap in the face. In my mind, a line was drawn. It brings who we are as older people into
question.
Are we only
valuable as consumers? Or, are we a societal handicap because we use medical
services at a higher rate than other age groups?
Truly and
economically, we are important to our country. Older adults impact many parts
of our society in positive ways. If there were no
Medicare program, who would employ your granddaughter when she finishes nursing
school?
Our healthcare
and pharmaceutical sectors, household technologies, comfort clothing and shoes,
and air-quality systems are designed and succeed because they use the health of
older adults as their standard of service. Older adults generate meaningful
jobs and literally support health and medical professionals.
Books and book
clubs, art, movies, and concerts are all eagerly sought by older adults across
the cultural spectrum. We get to reflect our value with poetry and commentary.
We have shaped cable TV and made Facebook the new family photo album. We are the early
voters, the vote-by-mail voters, and must accept that it was the older adult
vote that shaped our current consciousness. So, we do make a difference.
Yes, I'm a Boomer. I
didn’t choose to be one,
but like the rest of my giant generation I was born into it. And because I'm in
my sixties I face new and sometimes frightening situations.
My appearance is
changing, I need to avoid foot pain and adjust for my declining vision. The
economics is that I'm encouraged to consider crรจmes, balms and inserts along with
long soft blouses and walking shoes. All which I have to purchase. So, I still
care about my appearance and not so much what my neighbors think.
If we just hang
out with our same age group, we may be reinforcing some worn out ideas. I'm
beginning to think we are missing something if we just stay within our
generation. We need to reach out to other generations like Millennials. As I see it, we have a great deal in common.
Those in their
20's and 30's are faced with an unsure future filled with questions about how and
where to live, what to do for work and play, and how to get there, and staying
healthy and happy in the process.
Questions we
Boomers had at their age, and that we still have today. They are social
and curious, and that sounds like me. Rather than see the insurmountable, they
seem to think they are invincible. I dig that because I'm a boomer, ex-hippie,
and a “question authority” kind of gal!
The critical
difference between Millennials and older adults may be how we approach our
financial futures. I'm faced with the tax consequences of taking early social
security, the looming threats to Medicare, and having sufficient savings to
support a monthly income until age 90 or beyond. Serious topics that are frequently
found under the column “Senior Services.”
So that means I
am a senior - that financial juggernaut where benefits and services are
recalculated. For some, there are pensions and IRAs. For others it is
qualifying for assisted living and becoming eligible for both Medicare and
Medical. Whereas 30-somethings
are undergoing meta-data analysis on where they will eat next and what shoes
they'll buy, seniors are lumped together to determine which health services and
social supports should be cut.
So as an elder to
my GenX, GenY and Millennial friends, I am more than a person with white hair
and lots of experience to share. I bring a need for their time and talents. I
bring interest in their wants and needs. I bring the generation of grandparents
to care for their newborns and their favorite family recipes.
When people say
“elder,” you are either the oldest in the group, like being the elder sister.
My older sister hates that. Or, you've have advanced age relative to your life
span. Coming from a youth culture, this latter point of view is hard to accept.
But accept we
can.
We are the elders
for the next generation. We share hopes and dreams. Leave the nostalgia behind
and look at how each of the generations is being marketed to and regulated
against.
So I'm a boomer
by birth, a senior based on statistics, and an elder depending on the company I
keep. And, you? Who are you? A category? A person? Please comment at www.healthandfunctionblog.com or send commentary to Heart of
Ida - AgeWell Long Beach, PO Box 8194, Long Beach, CA 90808.
