• When I hear the term baby boomers, I think many babies were born within a certain time, which was the end of World War II and the mid-1960s. My generation is Generation X; I was born in 1973. Generation X Babies are born between 1965 and 1980. Over the next 20 years, Baby Boomers will affect the nation in many ways. When baby boomers retire, it will free up jobs for younger employees. There are estimated 73 million Baby Boomers in the US. Older adults are projected to outnumber younger people by the year 2034. We will have more consumer debt, shaky Social Security reserves, and strains on health care. Within the next two decades, this group will become the largest group of elderly persons that American Society has ever had. As this cohort ages, the number of elderly drug abusers in the population may increase. Baby boomers hold a large amount of wealth in the US, making them the prime market segment. Baby boomers are gradually retiring, boosting demand for and investment opportunities in health care, elder care, medical devices, and related industries that cater to that demographic. The economic burden of aging baby boomers should be no greater than the economic burden associated with raising large numbers of Baby Boom children in the 60s. Some challenges of caring for the elderly will be making sure society develops payment and insurance systems for long-term care that work better than existing ones, taking advantage of the advances in medicine and behavioral health to keep the elderly as healthy and active as possible. Changing the way society organizes community services so that care is more accessible and altering the cultural view of aging to make sure all ages are integrated into the basic structure of community life. (MD)
• Share your thoughts on your classmates' predictions for the future of human services programs and social policies.