The Silver Tsunami. Ride the Wave.

By Karen and Erica

Is the silver tsunami going to overwhelm the world? Not if we can help it. If we play our cards right, we will revitalize the world.

Many people fear the silver tsunami. When the Baby Boomers get older, our health-related demands will engulf everything in their way as we get frail, sicken and die–slowly. Here’s what Claude had to say:

The “silver tsunami” refers to the significant demographic shift occurring due to the aging population, particularly the large cohort of baby boomers—people born between 1946 and 1964—reaching retirement age. As this generation ages, there are notable impacts on various sectors, including healthcare, housing, and the workforce.

Key aspects of the silver tsunami include:

1. Increased Demand for Healthcare: Aging individuals often require more medical care, leading to a higher demand for healthcare services, professionals, and facilities.

2. Social Services and Support: There will be a greater need for social services, such as senior care, transportation, and mental health services.

3. Workforce Changes: As more people retire, there may be labor shortages in certain industries, affecting economic productivity and requiring adjustments in workforce planning.

4. Housing Market Shifts: The preferences of older adults may influence housing trends, with a potential increase in demand for downsized or assisted living accommodations.

5. Economic Impact: The aging population can lead to shifts in consumer spending patterns, influencing the economy.

This synopsis is so out of date that we wonder who is feeding Claude this nonsense. 

It is of course true that Boomers are aging. Since the alternative is death, we think that’s a good thing. And it is also true that as we age we will have health needs. But this unfortunate list of negatives takes no account of the fact that we are an extraordinary cohort, the first ever, that is both blessed with valuable experience and healthy longevity. There is no reason to assume most of us will spend years and years in a nursing home. Unless, of course, everyone else sidelines us. Then, the feared predictions will come true.

Claude’s unfortunate list also takes no account of what we bring to the party. As we age, we have decades of experience, a willingness to make life easier for younger people, wealth, and more, all of which will act as a counterweight to any health issues accelerated by age. (And by the way, we hope the brilliant minds that gave us our good health and now give us generative AI will figure out a way to make us even healthier.)

We were fascinated by a geopolitical perspective described in a paper published by the National Institutes of Health, written [t]o assess the coming challenges of caring for large numbers of frail elderly as the Baby Boom generation ages. After discussing the possible scope of these challenges, the author correctly notes that the rest of the world will decide which path to take. now that we are the beneficiaries of a long health span:

The fourth challenge related to meeting the long-term care needs of an aging population is quite intangible and is dependent on culture rather than public policy. The idea of elders as an economic burden or as frail and weak is a twentieth-century construct. An interesting book by Thomas Cole traces the history of society’s views on aging (Cole 1992). In ages when death struck randomly and evenly at all ages, people did not focus so much on a birth to death, linear view of life. And, agrarian economies where the young, the middle-aged, and the old all play productive roles enhanced the sense of the value of all ages.

So, in past eras life was viewed more as a circle—the Lion King image. But, since the Victorian Age and especially during the twentieth century, as more people have lived to old age, the linear interpretation of the life cycle has become dominant. The past century’s improvements in medical and economic conditions for older people have been accompanied by cultural isolation and a change in the conception of old age. Old age has been removed from its once spiritual location in the journey of life to being redefined as a medical problem.

Perhaps it is time to rethink the value of aging and the positive aspects of aging and to adopt a cultural view captured by the imagery of the “Long Late Afternoon of Life.” While it is difficult to change “culture” per se and the way elders are viewed in society, there are practical steps communities, employers, and individuals can begin to take to prepare for a society with greater numbers of healthy elders.

So strange–as healthy longevity lengthens our lives, being older becomes a liability. Is this some sort of wayward algorithm? Is visualizing life as a linear process causing us to devalue those who live further along the line?

We don’t have to accept this devaluation of a population that is growing larger every day. Those of us who are getting older, who are relishing the opportunities we now have with our newly lengthened health span, can be the leaders. We know the value of older people, and we know older people want to play productive roles in society–alongside younger people. We can change the thinking of everyone about what it means to have for lived many years–including ourselves.

The author of the paper makes a few suggestions, summarized here:

• We must reassess the responsibilities and assets of elders. All ages need roles in life. 
• We must reassess the value of older people in the workforce. Half a million people age fifty and older have gone back to college. Firms are integrating workforces through programs of “unretirement” or by hiring retirees as temps, consultants, and part-time workers. … Most forecasters project this trend to continue as more elderly work longer for economic, social, and personal reasons, employers become more flexible and aware of the needs and benefits of older workers, and the labor market remains tight, with a smaller number of available younger workers.
• We must create a new picture of older people. Since the sheer size and energy of the Baby Boom generation has led to other dramatic social shifts, some experts see hope that a new imagery for aging is possible. A growing interest in “age integration”—a process that takes advantage of the broadened range of accumulated “life course” experiences in society—has occurred over the last few decades. 
• We must reassess the policies that isolate older people. Actual physical integration between the generations can take place too. Although some towns have seen a trend toward “senior-only” housing, others are exploring options in integrated apartment buildings. Surveys have shown that most older people prefer a mixed-age neighborhood over one restricted to people their own age. Some community centers are integrating senior centers with child-care centers, facilitating cross-age interaction and at the same time conserving space and resources.
• As individuals, we can change our assumptions. Baby Boomers have made an art of enjoying and taking pride in everything about caring for children; some even go so far as managing to almost “enjoy” paying $30,000 annually for college tuition. The needed cultural shift is for children and communities to find more enjoyment and pride in providing for the care of parents and neighbors.

This is of course what Lustre advocates–that everyone understand that we are all fully human throughout our lives, with something to offer at every stage.  We will thrive if we live together and learn from one another. 

The silver tsunami can be a blessing, not a curse. It’s our choice. Let’s lead the way to the right outcome.