As first baby boomers turn 80, they still want change
“A generation that shaped much of our past is shaping the future of aging for themselves and those who follow,” says The Wall Street Journal. “They want better healthcare and housing, cures for dementia and a say in when to die. New professions and products will appear. Their massive spending will shift and innovators will follow.”
The baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1964 — the long increase in fertility after World War II — and peaked at 79 million, says Pew.
The group that once said “Don’t trust anyone over 30” has made a "huge impact on all aspects of the nation’s social, cultural, and economic life,” says Brookings. Earlier in their lives, baby boomers advanced the causes of civil rights and women’s equality, setting the stage for broader shifts among later generations.
Two important ways baby boomers differ from prior senior generations are their racial and ethnic diversity and their level of education, Brookings says. The boomer generation is the most racially diverse older population so far. And boomers benefited from postwar programs in the 1950s and 1960s that supported public schools, as well as federal programs that enabled them to attend college in historic numbers at a reasonable cost.
“Healthspan, rather than lifespan, will become the rallying cry of boomers as they move through their 70s and reach 80,” says Ken Dychtwald, chief executive of Age Wave, a consulting firm specializing in aging-related issues. He notes that the United States, which spends more per capita on healthcare than other countries, ranks 72nd in healthspan — the number of years people can expect to live in good health.
Dychtwald also expects that active and passive euthanasia may become openly discussed. The thought of living for years with a debilitating illness or late-stage dementia for a generation accustomed to being in control is “not something boomers take lightly,” he says.
Here is more on the gap between lifespan and health span, from Forbes.
Also in the news
Lebanon, Israel hold first direct diplomatic talks in 3 decades in Washington
House passes bipartisan air safety bill on 396-10 vote, setting up showdown with Senate
Appeals court orders Judge James Boasberg to end contempt investigation of Trump administration deportation flights
Justice Department asks appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers
Justice Department fires 4 prosecutors involved in cases against anti-abortion activists
Fed nominee Kevin Warsh discloses more than $100 million in assets
Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore falls short in push to redraw the state's congressional map to boost Democrats
Pope issues letter saying democracy remains healthy only when rooted in moral law
William Kristol in The Bulwark: ‘Orbán was first. Trump is next.’
Heather Cox Richardson: House bill would create commission to evaluate Trump’s mental state
Paul Krugman: China electrotech is the big winner in Iran war
Margaret Sullivan: ‘Reasons for encouragement, even amid the madness’
ProPublica/Frontline: Prosecution of many people arrested at anti-ICE protests fell apart under scrutiny
WSJ: About 14 percent of enrollees in Affordable Care Act health insurance plans failed to make payments as subsidies expired
KFF: Rural Nebraska dialysis unit closes despite the state’s $219 million in funding for rural health
You can call the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121, and be connected to the offices of your representative and senators. To email your House member and your two senators, you can connect to their websites at Congress.gov. Most lawmakers seem to only accept emails from their constituents, but these leaders accept emails from Americans nationwide, at:
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer
Senate Majority Leader John Thune