In 2014, fifteen percent of the United States population consisted of Americans aged 65 or older.  Every single day 10,000 people turn 65 in this country. The oldest boomer alive this year is 77. By 2030, every single Baby Boomer will be aged 65. People who reach 65 could be expected to live another 18.4 years on average (although due to “the U.S. Health disadvantage,” ((Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University)) U.S. life expectancy has decreased significantly for the past two years, especially among Native and Pacific Islanders and White Americans.)

Add to the relative longevity of the aging Baby Boomer the fact that fewer people are choosing to have children. Women in this country now average 1.7 children. To maintain the current population by replacing those who die, women need to have an average of 2.1 children. This means that in about a decade those who are 65 or older will outnumber those who are under 18 for the first time ever. 

Many in aging and death care consider this incoming boom in older Americans a “silver tsunami” or the “gray wave.” Over half of those surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation believe that this oncoming wave is and will continue to be a big problem for the country, including 62% of those that are 65 or older. 

• 57% – Number of older Americans is a problem for the country (62% of those 65 or older) 
• 62% – U.S. Government is not prepared for the growth of 65+ population
• 50% – U.S. healthcare system and U.S. families are not prepared for the growth of 65+ population

There is a divide between people about who ultimately is or should be responsible for the costs of care and support for aging Americans’ health and wellbeing: Slightly more, 44 % versus 42%, believe that the individual and family is and should be responsible for the health and wellbeing of aging citizens, while the other (42%) believe the government is and should be.

Regardless of what you you might think or feel, the government does provide Social Service Block Grants for services needed and used by older Americans. Social Security income itself helps keep retired and disabled people out of poverty. If Social Security was eliminated, nearly 40% of older Americans would live in poverty. With this safety net, only about 11% do (these are numbers compiled this month by NWLC.) Women, minorities and those who live alone are twice as likely to live in poverty. Nearly half of unmarried women (46%) rely on received Social Security Income for 90% of their income. And Social Security income is the ONLY source of income for nearly half (45%) of family income for Hispanic women and over half (53%) of family income for Black women over 65. 

Beside the Social Security income, Social Security Block Gants fund all sorts of services for older Americans of which you may not be aware: fresh delivered meals, community centers and adult day care, abuse and neglect interventions, emergency services and counseling. Outside the Social Security funding, programs such as Medicare and Medicaid help older Americans receive medical care and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps older Americans purchase food. 

I find it concerning when people who are elected to represent us at federal, state and local levels grimace about the amount of money being spent on social services or “handouts” given to Americans and campaign to cut funding to those programs. Granted most of these people will never have to depend on Social Security Income, Medicaid, Medicare or SNAP to remain healthy and alive if they get the privilege to grow old. How can we possibly consider ourselves compassionate or say we value life if we have no concern about how our aging populace live in our communities? As long as it remains politically cogent to argue for smaller government that spends less money (but only on some people and programs) we will not be prepared for the oncoming wave of baby boomers. 

I don’t wish to be political, but taking care of our parents/grandparents shouldn’t be considered political anyway. The truth is we all have to think about aging, how we want to help our parents now and ourselves in a few short years. It’s a gift to live long enough to grow old, but with the way things are today, it’s also very scary for too many. If we, as a compassionate, caring country are going to survive the oncoming wave, we must remove our heads from the sand, put them together and help one another.

What do you think? Are we ready as a country? Are you ready as an aging person? Is your family ready?