This is a keynote presentation I made at Idaho State University on October 19, 2012 at the 5th Annual Thomas Geriatric Health Symposium in Pocatello, Idaho. It was also streamed to the Meridian campus. I discuss demographics, how boomers will change the aging culture and the impact on Medicare and Social Security.

1. 5th Annual
Thomas Geriatric Health Symposium
“Barriers to Community Participation”
Idaho State University, October 19, 2012
Keynote Speaker: Lorie Eber,
JD
Gerontologist, Certified Personal Trainer, Speaker,
Author, Boomer Blogger on Healthy Living, Healthy Aging
& Elder Care

2. THE BABY BOOMERS
ARE TURNING 65
How They Will Change Everything

3. What Age is “Old?”
Generation Age Now Age Considered
“Old”
Greatest Generation 88-98 81
Baby Boomers 48-66 77
Gen X 32-48 71
Gen Y 11-31 62

4. How Do You Feel About
Aging?

5. % of Population That is Aging

6. 100 Year-Old Bride: Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIyTVH_ldHY

7. WHAT IS YOUR AGING 1Q?

8. What’s Your Aging IQ?
1. Families don’t usually bother with
older relatives.
True or False

9. Most Live in the Community
 3.1% living in skilled nursing
 2.5% live in assisted living

10. What’s Your Aging IQ?
2. Most older people are depressed.
True or False

11. Most Older People Are Happy
 Many studies show that older people
are happier than younger people.
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI-l0tK8Ok0

12. What’s Your Aging IQ?
3. People 65 and older take more
medications than younger people.
True or False

13. Polypharmacy
 13% of population is 65+, but
accounts for 33% of prescription drug
usage
 Average 75 year-old takes 5
prescription meds
 90% of Medicare recipients take
prescription meds

14. AGEISM

15. Society is Ageist
 What is ageism?
prejudice or discrimination against a
particular age-group, especially the
elderly
Are you guilty?
15

16. Examples of Ageism
 Media Portrayals
 Employment Discrimination
 Negative Attitudes
 Making elderly invisible

20. React

21. React

22. This is how older people see themselves

23. Famous Faces
23

24. Famous Faces
24

25. 2010 Census Bureau—Special
Populations
Changes from 2000-2010
DEMOGRAPHICS

26. Fast Facts on 65+
 More people 65+ than in any previous
census
 65+ is increasing at faster rate and
becoming a higher percentage of total
population
 Men are catching up with women

27. 65+ is Growing Faster Than Total
Population
Population Increase from 2000-2010 % Change from 2000-
Group 2010
65+ 35 to 40.3 million +15.1%
Total 281.4 to 308.7 million +9.7%
Population

28. 65+ is Larger % of Total
Population
Year Number % of Total Population
2000 35 million 12.4%
2010 40.3 million 13.0%

29. 65+ Population

30. % Change in 65+ Age Groups

31. Men are Catching Up
2000 to 2010
 Percentage of men 65+ grew by
20.5%
 Percentage of women 65+ grew by
11.3%

32. 2008 Census Bureau
Projections

33. 72 million
baby boomers
(1946-1964)
Woodstock

34. Impact of Aging Boomers
 One in five US residents will be age
65 or older in 2030

35. Changing Pyramid

36. Increasing Diversity
of the Aging Population
 US is becoming more racially and ethnically
diverse
 The current MINORITY population
(everyone other than non-Hispanic whites)
will become the MAJORITY by 2042

37. Diversity of Aging Population
(65+) (shown as %of US population)
30
25
20
15
10
5
2010
0
2050

38. CULTURAL IMPACT

39. How Are Boomers Changing
Aging?
 Video of Lissa Rinna advertising
Depends
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfqwmTQO6LY

40. Driving Kid’s Cars
• Honda Element
• Toyota Matrix
• Pontiac Vibe
• Dodge Neon

41. A New Message

42. A New Slogan

43. A New Look

44. What Boomers Won’t Do
 Move to “The Villages” and golf their
lives away
 Go to the Senior Center for lunch or
bingo
 Watch TV all day

45. What Boomers Might Do
 Live in multi-generational households
 Move to city centers and urban
villages
 Make health and wellness a priority
 Delay retirement
 Travel and volunteer

46. SOCIAL IMPACT

47. Inter-Generational Tension
 Medicare
 Social Security
 Keeping younger people out of the
workplace

48. “How We Need to Learn to Say
No to the Elderly”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/06/24/david-
frum-on-how-we-need-to-learn-to-say-no-to-the-elderly.html

49. Say No to the Elderly
6/24/10 The Daily Beast by David Frum
 “They’re the worst drivers—and we’re
too scared to tell them so. If we don’t
push back, they’ll steal our benefits
and bankrupt the county.”

50. http://nationaljournal.com/features/restoration-calls/my-father-the-
parasite-20121004?page=1

51. “Leeches”
10/6/12 National Journal by Jim
Tankersley
 “Baby boomers took the economic
equivalent of a king salmon from their
parents and, before they passed it
on, gobbled up everything but the
bones.”

52. Brief History of Medicare
 Established in 1965
 Medical coverage for 65+
 1972: expanded to cover disabled
 2003: prescription drug coverage
 2010: new health care law brings
uncertainty

53. Brief History of Social
Security
 Established in 1935 because
depression had wiped out savings
 Age 65 chosen because it was normal
retirement age
 Funded by a tax on wages; 10 years
 96% of all workers are covered
 Expansions: disability, cost-of-living
increases

54. Changes to Social Security
 1977: benefit computation
change, reduced benefits paid
 1983: gradual increase in eligibility
age from 65 to 67 years old

55. Why Shortfall in Social
Security?
 Not because life expectancy for those
aged 65 has increased significantly
 One Factor: Baby boomers are at
entitlement age
 Biggest Factor: proportion of those
paying in versus beneficiaries claiming
payments

56. Proportion of Workers Paying
into SS versus Beneficiaries
Year Workers Paying In: Beneficiaries
1940 159:1
1945 42:1
1955 8:1
1960 5:1
1975-2009 3:1
2010 2.9:1

57. Still a Safety Net
 Social Security provided at least half
the income for 65% of the aged
beneficiaries in 2010

58. Percentage of Federal Budget
Social Security & Medicare = 36%

59. Projections of Entitlement
Spending

60. Projected Deficits

61. Social Security: Dire
Predictions
 By 2023 incoming resources and trust
fund resources will be insufficient to
pay full benefits
 By 2036 trust fund may be exhausted

62. Something’s Gotta Give
 How can we solve this problem?

63. Proposed Solutions
 Raising eligibility age
 Cutting benefits
 Raising payroll taxes
 “privatizing” Social Security
 Imposing a “means test”

64. The Baby Boomers Will Change
Everything!