Celebrating the Older Americans Act: Four Snapshots, Three Lenses Eric Meade Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC © Whole Mind Strategy Group, LLC

Happy Birthday, Older Americans Act!

Celebrating the Older Americans Act FOUR SNAPSHOTS

1915 % of pop % % of pop % 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

1965 % of pop % % of pop % 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

2015 % of pop % % of pop % 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)

2035 % of pop % % of pop % 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

Celebrating the Older Americans Act THREE LENSES

Time % of U.S. population age ~25% 2035 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 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. Image source: Wikipedia

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, See

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.

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