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Celebrating the Older Americans Act:Four Snapshots, Three Lenses
Eric MeadeWhole Mind Strategy Group, LLC
www.wholemindstrategy.com@ericmeade
© Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC
Celebrating the Older Americans Act
FOUR SNAPSHOTS
1915 % of pop. 65+ 4.48%
% of pop. 75+ 1.33%
life exp. at age 65 ~0
% of pop. on farms 32%
● 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
1965 % of pop. 65+ 9.50%
% of pop. 75+ 3.38%
life exp. at age 65 15
% of pop. on farms 7%
● 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
2015 % of pop. 65+ 14.88%
% of pop. 75+ 6.30%
life exp. at age 65 20
% of pop. on farms 2%
● 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)
2035 % of pop. 65+ 21.39%
% of pop. 75+ 11.09%
life exp. at age 65 35?
% of pop. on farms 2%
● 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
Celebrating the Older Americans Act
THREE LENSES
Time
% o
f U.S
. pop
ulat
ion
age
65+
1915
2035
1965
2015
~25%
A Systems Lens: Completing the S-curve
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
0 13 18 30 65 85
0 13 25 40 65 80 100
Adolescence
Young Adulthood
Productive Years
“Encore”
Retirement
A Systems Lens: Delinking Decline and Age
● If adulthood doesn’t 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: It’s not about “aging” anymore. It’s about vulnerability (including disabilities) across the life course, and helping people adjust to large-scale change.
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.
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.
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?
Celebrating the Older Americans Act
IMPLICATIONS FOR AREA AGENCIES ON AGING
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).● It’s not about aging; it’s 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.
Eric MeadeWhole Mind Strategy Group, LLCwww.wholemindstrategy.comeric@wholemindstrategy.com571-201-5379
THANK YOU!