Opinion: New reality of aging
By Barry Rand, AARP Bulletin
Recently I participated in a roundtable discussion at Stanford University on the new realities of an older America. Hosted by Tom Brokaw, our discussion focused on “Generation Ageless: Longevity and the Boomers.”
What became clear to me is that five key changes are shaping the aging of America. First, older people are growing in number and living longer. During the 20th century, life expectancy grew by nearly three decades, and longevity gains are continuing. We’re approaching a time when older adults will outnumber children for the first time in history. And while people are living longer, they also are doing so with lower rates of disability and poverty than previous generations. This is creating a new longevity that has tremendous implications for people 50-plus and for society — young, old and everyone in between.
Second, this new reality is also shaped by increased racial and ethnic diversity. By 2030, racial and ethnic minorities will make up 42 percent of the U.S. population, and one in five Americans age 65-plus will be Hispanic.