BY VICTORIA STUART
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Baby boomers, those Americans born between 1946 and 1964, have always done things in a big way. "If you look at the history of the baby boom generation, you see that they have been the trendsetters in each decade for our entire society," says Stephen Sapp, professor and chairman in the Department of Religious Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. When baby boomers were born, hospitals and the obstetrics and gynecology fields expanded to meet the need. When the boomers went to school beginning in the 1950s, hundreds of new elementary schools were built to accommodate them, followed by middle schools and high schools. From the mid-1960s to the early 1980s, when baby boomers went off to college, American higher education experienced the largest enrollment in history. After graduating, baby boomers wanted still more education, and the interest in M.B.A.s and postgraduate degrees soared, becoming a national phenomenon. When the baby boomers went to work, big business flourished. And, when they suffered mid-life crises in the 1980s, the boomers spawned a whole new self-help industry. Now, in the 1990s, as baby boomers turn 50, they are at the center of the trend toward "wellness" and the growing interest in spirituality. "In just about every culture, when people reach the age of 50 or so, they start looking for the meaning of life," Sapp explains. "They start asking, 'Why am I here?' That makes you face up to your mortality to some extent." But not everyone is prepared for the inevitability of growing older and all that it entails, Sapp says. "Every one of us is going to get old, but how many of us really want to? Have you ever heard anyone say that he or she can't wait to be 70? We may say we're looking forward to retirement, to spending time with our grandchildren, but we forget to project that we'll be older then. That's not a goal that we, as a society, relish-the baby boomers least of all. We all expect to live forever, but none of us expects to get 'old.'" The baby boom generation will "get old" much later than any generation in history. Already they have redefined the word. There's no such thing as simply "old" anymore. Now there are the "young old"-those active, healthy seniors between the ages of 65 and 80-and the "old old"-frail and infirm people age 80 and over, who require assistance with daily living. Boomers can expect to remain physically active well into their seventies and beyond. Boomer men can expect to live to an average age of 86, while boomer women can look forward to celebrating their 92nd birthday. On one hand, those longer life spans are a testament to achievements in science, medicine, and technology. On the other, it means that by the year 2030, nearly one-fourth of the nation's population will be age 65 or older, and the fastest-growing segment of that population will be the "old old," those who need a dedicated amount of financial support and health care. "The bad news-I call it Eisdorfer's Law-is that for every five years of life after age 65, baby boomers can expect to double their rate of developing medical problems and diseases," says Carl Eisdorfer, professor and chairperson in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Medicine.
The future of one chief resource, Social Security, is uncertain. President Clinton foresees a balanced budget in 1999 and has urged Congress to apply a surplus in subsequent years to strengthening the system. But barring such action, some experts say that Social Security could go bankrupt in 2013, when the first of the baby boomers start to retire. What's more, Ullmann says, most Americans are not financially prepared to support themselves in retirement. Not only do Americans have one of the lowest personal savings rates of any industrialized nation, most believe that they fund their retirement while they're working and paying into Social Security. In reality, the current working population funds the current retired population.
The biggest problem arises because, while the baby boom generation is one of the largest in history, the next immediate generation is one of the smallest. That means a smaller workforce supporting more retirees than ever before. "Unless Congress makes some spectacular adjustment, there will be no more money for Social Security after 2013," Ullmann says. "We will still have to care for our aging and infirm, and the money has to come from somewhere, which will mean a higher tax burden for the working population. That could lead to deep resentment and intergenerational disputes. It will force us, as a nation, to reconsider how we distribute scarce resources-to the sick and aging population or to the younger population who are maturing and developing." Could this lead to "age wars" that would cause a deeper schism in this country than the Civil War? Or Soylent Green-type suicide parlors for those who reach a certain age? Absolutely not, Sapp says. "We can't conceptualize this issue in a zero-sum mentality, meaning that one group wins at the expense of another. The real issue is not between the aging and the young. The real issue is the age-old issue of unequal distribution of wealth. At some levels, intergenerational resentment already exists. The term "greedy geezer" was coined about a decade ago as a shorthand terminology for those seniors and retirees who were financially secure but continued to accept Social Security payments and other entitlements. "There's no question that older people as a whole are in better shape financially than ever before," Sapp says, "but instead of calling them 'greedy geezers,' why not applaud them? Why not celebrate that for the first time in history we have managed to bring a generation into old age basically financially secure?" It is anticipated that the baby boomers will be responsible for the largest net transfer of wealth from one generation to the next. On the other hand, baby boomers will be some of the poorest seniors, with many forced to go back to work in low-paying jobs following retirement, due to their extended life spans and lack of Social Security benefits. According to George Wilson, professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences, this is already becoming a widespread phenomenon. "When baby boomers find that Social Security will not support their retirement, they will seek work in supermarkets and fast food restaurants or in service positions. We see this starting to happen now," he says.
"There will be a revolution in this country as businesses try to meet the needs of this powerful consumer group," Wilson says. "They will not only be consumers of health-related products, as in past generations," Eisdorfer says, "but of all the products a long, healthy life can attain. The potential economic impact is enormous." The revolution has already begun. "Senior discounts" have become standard at every type of business in the country. Hotels that redesigned their services during the 1980s to accommodate the "business boomers" are now creating special rooms and amenities for traveling seniors, with features like big-button phones and brighter lighting. Retirement communities are adding fitness centers and sports facilities that rival those on most college campuses. "The baby boom generation is setting new standards for everything, including urban design and architecture," says Nicholas Patricios, professor of architecture in the School of Architecture. "We will have to rethink how we plan our cities, educational facilities, sports facilities, cultural facilities, and open air parks to accommodate the boomers' leisure demands." At the University of Miami, architecture students are beginning to study, in depth, how to design housing for the aging so that they can maintain their independence for as long as possible. "This includes everything from the overall structure of the house to considering simple things like changing a door handle from a round knob to a lever to accommodate someone with arthritis," Patricios explains. "In the past, our study of the aspects of aging was very limited. Now, our architecture students are becoming more immersed in human behavior issues and the impact that has on design."
"In the past, we have treated our elderly as the 'no deposit, no return' generation," Eisdorfer says. "But if we don't invest in aging research now, we'll miss out on a lot of opportunities. The University is taking a broad-based approach, studying everything from molecular biology to dementia, from prostate cancer to driving safety, all of which are designed to keep older people active, healthy, participatory members of the community for as long as possible." One example of the center's research is the interaction between the elderly and computers.
"The shift to computers is as drastic an upheaval in their lives as the switch from horses to cars was two generations ago," Eisdorfer says, "and it has created a technologic barrier. But that barrier doesn't have to exist. Our research has shown that the so-called drop in intelligence among the elderly is due to disease, not the aging process. So, now, as we deal with those diseases, we remove the interference with performance, and the aging population can continue to learn and adapt to changes." Another important way aging baby boomers can adapt is to define a new role for themselves as they ease into retirement. In effect, they can become our nation's "human capital," Sapp says, providing volunteer services that are crucial to society's familial infrastructure. "They may not generate an income from a job," he says, "but they can generate much more by serving as volunteer tutors, bus drivers, day care assistants, baby sitters, health care givers, and so forth. In an era when the vast majority of families has two working parents, the importance of volunteers increases dramatically. Who has the time to volunteer? Retired persons." One of the most controversial and emotional issues baby boomers will have to face is how long to prolong life. The debate began in the late 1980s when Daniel Calahan, the founder of the Hastings Center-the leading national think tank on aging-wrote his watershed book, Setting Limits: Medical Goals in an Aging Society. He followed with two more books questioning the limits of the natural life span, how much technology should interfere with prolonging the end of a life, and how much we as taxpayers should pay to support prolonged life. Even though that debate began a decade ago, the issue is directly in front of us now, and it is a difficult one, Sapp says. "We have not really thought about the consequences of the success of our technology and our ability to cure diseases and prolong life. Just because we can do something, should we?" Aging is the one thing all humans have in common, Sapp adds. "We're aging from the moment we're born, not just from the moment our hair turns white. We're all in this together. Instead of intergenerational warfare, surely we can use different models and language that would encourage us to make a better world for all ages." |
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Aging in the Modern World
Scientists at the University of Miami's Roybal Center for Research on Applied Gerontology are exploring this question, studying areas in which age-related problems arise-work performance, transportation, and living environments. The center is one of six Roybal Centers in the country devoted to improving the quality of life and productivity of older people through applied research. The centers are funded by the National Institute on Aging and are named for the late Congressman Edward R. Roybal, former chairman of the House Select Committee on Aging. Engaged in a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary study of gerontological issues, the University's Roybal Center involves faculty from several disciplines, including engineering, psychiatry, exercise science, family medicine, and surgery. The center is directed by Sara Czaja, professor of industrial engineering and psychiatry.
A number of projects are currently underway at the center. Interventions for caregivers. In this project, University researchers are looking for ways to alleviate the stress and burden on home caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer's. One intervention they are considering is an electronic phone system to allow caregivers to conference with other caregivers, access hospital information bases, and network with doctors and specialists. It will also alleviate some of the crushing isolation and loneliness of the in-home caregiver. "We're marrying therapeutic and engineering solutions in a unique way," says Czaja. Employability research for technologically based jobs. Working with companies such as IBM and Ryder, researchers are trying to discover if age makes a difference in an employee's ability to learn new technologies, and, if so, how to train older workers so that they can successfully compete in jobs that involve technology. Driving simulator study. Statistics indicate that older drivers are involved in more accidents per mile than younger drivers (but not youth drivers). University researchers hope to discover why older drivers may have difficulties driving and then develop ways to help them drive more safely. A unique driving simulator is making this research possible. Computer voice recognition. University researchers are looking at ways in which this new technology may be beneficial for older computer users handicapped by arthritis or other infirmities. Improving the human/computer interface. University researchers are studying how the computer/human interface can be redesigned in order to enhance the work performance of older adults. Once the programs are developed, they will be tested at IBM, Ryder, and Prudential Health Care. |
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| Victoria Stuart is a freelance writer based in Miami. Illustration by Mick Wiggins. Photography by Donna Victor. |
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onger life spans will mean more demands
on our health care system, with only so many resources to go around, adds
Steven G. Ullmann, professor of management in the School of Business Administration
and vice provost for the University.
ut for the most part, boomers will be
as influential on American society in their senior years as they have been
throughout their lives.
he University of Miami is also the site
for the Center on Adult Development and Aging, a multidisciplinary research
center under the leadership of Professor Eisdorfer and involving the medical,
nursing, business, architecture, and law schools, as well as the colleges
of engineering and arts and sciences. Additionally, the University houses
one of six national Roybal Centers for Research on Applied Gerontology.
Funded by the National Institute on Aging and led by Eisdorfer's colleague
Sara Czaja, professor of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering
and professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine, the center helps
older people adapt to new technologies.
ith the aging of the baby boom generation
and lengthening life spans, the 65-and-older age group is the fastest-growing
segment of the U.S. population. How well will this significant portion of
our society be able to function in everyday home and work environments?
"As the majority of the
population reaches seniority, we need to have infrastructures in place that
will allow them to live independently," Czaja says, "because,
as a nation, we certainly cannot afford the costs associated with a majority
of the population who must be institutionalized. Our activities at the University
are geared toward solving these problems as well as helping improve seniors'
quality of life."