It says something about our Baby Boomer generation that the poets who have given us a large portion of our collective identity are rock stars. So when Pete Townshend of the Who prayed all the way back in 1971 that “…we don’t get fooled again…” he undoubtedly had no idea that we would in fact get fooled again, many times over.
It’s amazing to learn how technology is improving the lives of our aging loved ones as well as caregivers whether at home or in care centers. In my quest for innovative new technologies I’ve come across the following developments that are addressing both the physical and the cognitive needs of our seniors.
With all of the pressures the world is putting on baby boomers these days, if you’re feeling like you’re trapped in a many sided maze, a classic boomer band suggested some good advice several decades ago in a hit song. “So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key…”
If you are a baby boomer or someone who loves a boomer, here is a challenge for you. You are the generation who did not trust the “Establishment.” So, why should you join it now? Here are some ideas about how to think about your future now.
The fact that health club memberships for people 55 and older have increased 380% in recent years is a pretty good indication that Baby Boomers are working hard at working out. Little do they know that because of their age, exercising just got easier for them!
It looks like most baby boomers will have to make new career choices that will definitely be a change for life in their retirement living. Life choices are like a road. There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. We will travel many roads as we journey through life.
In the United States, Baby Boomers account for more than 75 million, and in Canada about 10 million. Starting this year the boomers begin turning 65 and analysts plus marketing specialists are paying a great deal of attention to their habits. This is the group that grew up with dynamic change, rebellion, exploration, breakthroughs in technology; all of the above characterized in the decades that make up their personal history. Their experiences influence the decisions they are making now regarding work, travel, where to live and how to spend their money.
Many older women are deciding that this is a great time to start their own businesses. There are still some great businesses that you can start without high tech skills or lots of money.
In Canada there are approximately 10 million baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965) and they begin turning 65 this year. One of the biggest upcoming decisions that boomers will face, and one that will impact the economy and housing market, will be whether they downsize the family home along with retirement. Financial experts are saying that we can expect today’s high house prices to start falling as an over abundance of homes appears on the market.
According to research data from the Pew Internet Project, computer use among Americans 65 and older has doubled in the past 10 years and Internet use in the same age group has more than tripled. A side note about the Pew Internet Project, and to quote from their website, “The Pew Internet & American Life Project is one of seven projects that make up the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world…
