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Celebrating the Older Americans Act: Four Snapshots, Three Lenses Eric Meade Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC www.wholemindstrategy.com ericmeade@gmail.com Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC Slide 2 Happy Birthday, Older Americans Act! Slide 3 Celebrating the Older Americans Act FOUR SNAPSHOTS Slide 4 1915 % of pop. 65+4.48% % of pop. 75+1.33% life exp. at age 65~0 % of pop. on farms32% Multi-generational households are the norm Far more likely to die at home with family Limited public support - e.g., benefit societies Someday all this will be yours 1912: Teddy Roosevelt proposes social security Slide 5 1965 % of pop. 65+9.50% % of pop. 75+3.38% life exp. at age 6515 % of pop. on farms7% Multi-generational households still the norm 1960: Sun City opens Social Security well established, but many elderly facing medical bankruptcy Scarce senior centers and community supports 1965: Older Americans Act creates first formal structure - a national aging network Slide 6 2015 % of pop. 65+14.88% % of pop. 75+6.30% life exp. at age 6520 % of pop. on farms2% High cost of health care and long-term care Struggling sandwich generation Funding cuts, pressure on entitlements After hitting a low (12.1%) around 1980, multi- generational families on the rise again Proliferation of technologies for older adults Focus on aging in place (Village model) Slide 7 2035 % of pop. 65+21.39% % of pop. 75+11.09% life exp. at age 6535? % of pop. on farms2% New technologies for aging in place Other tech: 3D printing, nanotech, self-driving cars, holographic communications, Internet of Things, etc. Second round of health care reform complete Family caregiving the norm Boomers as dominant older adult cohort Slide 8 Celebrating the Older Americans Act THREE LENSES Slide 9 Time % of U.S. population age 65+ 1915 1965 2015 ~25% 2035 A Systems Lens: Completing the S-curve Slide 10 Based on Carstensen, L. (2011), A Long Bright Future. A Systems Lens: Redesigning the Life Course Life Course 2.0 Life Course 1.0 Childhood 01318306585 01325406580100 Adolescence Young Adulthood Productive Years Encore Retirement Slide 11 A Systems Lens: Delinking Decline and Age If adulthood doesnt even begin until 40, then why am I an older adult at 50? Growing economic disparities Focus on social determinants of health Pressure for entitlement reform (means-testing) Administration on Aging is now the Administration for Community Living Conclusion: Its not about aging anymore. Its about vulnerability (including disabilities) across the life course, and helping people adjust to large-scale change. Slide 12 A Generational Lens Four archetypes: Hero (G.I.) Artist (Silent) Prophet (Boomer) Nomad (Gen X) Key points: OAA was passed by G.I.s G.I.s were the first Heroes since Jefferson and Madison Millennials are Heroes too great things to come! Based on Strauss, W., and Howe, N. (1992). Generations. Image source: Wikipedia Slide 13 Scenario 1: A Haven in the Suburbs Scenario 3: A Village on a Cloud Scenario 2: Aging in a Hard Place Scenario 4: Keepers of the Meaning A Scenario Lens: Accounting for Uncertainty Based on Planning for the Growth of the Older Adult Population in Howard County: A Framework for Becoming an Age-Friendly Community, Howard County (Maryland) Department of Citizen Services, 2015. See www.howardcountymd.gov/agingmasterplan.www.howardcountymd.gov/agingmasterplan Slide 14 A Scenario Lens: Accounting for Uncertainty Will communications technology bring us together or keep us apart? Will retired Boomers serve society or serve themselves? Will our political system reform (or transform) to effectively address our shared challenges? Will funding for older adults keep pace with demand? Will social isolation among older adults become the social ill we can wait out? Will change happen fast enough? Slide 15 Celebrating the Older Americans Act IMPLICATIONS FOR AREA AGENCIES ON AGING Slide 16 Implications for Area Agencies on Aging The OAA is an important historical artifact. AAAs will be critical nodes on the future aging network. There will be new nodes on that network (e.g., libraries, health systems, private sector). Its not about aging; its about the vulnerable elderly, and helping people adapt to change. Old ways of operating no longer sufficient. Very different landscape for older adults 20 years from now, with new opportunities and challenges. Slide 17 For the Howard County report, stay tuned at: http://www.howardcountymd.gov/agingmasterplan Eric Meade Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC www.wholemindstrategy.com ericmeade@gmail.com 571-201-5379 THANK YOU!