Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Aging in America - Fascinating Facts

The Population Reference Bureau, which searches for population trends around the world for a variety of populations including the aged, children, and minorities, has a very interesting brochure which can be downloaded from their website.  It contains fascinating statistics about how and where the population of the United States is aging.  It is called Aging in America and you will find a link to it at the end of this article.

The twenty page brochure contains charts, statistics and far more information than I could possibly fit into a blog post.  However, I thought I would summarize some of the more fascinating facts here.

America's Aging Population

*  Baby Boomers are the people who were born between 1946 and 1964.  This means that the Baby Boomer generation began turning 65 in 2011 and is continuing to turn 65 at a rate of about 10,000 to 11,000 a DAY!

*  There are currently a little over 40 million Americans ages 65 and older; by 2050, that number will more than double to 89 million Americans.  By that time, about one-fifth of the U.S. population will be age 65 and older.

*   Japan, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom are aging at even a faster pace than the population of the United States.  Aging is also accelerating in other countries, including Russia, China, Brazil, India and Mexico, and is becoming a global phenomena.  As life expectancy grows longer and birth rates drop, the world's population will continue to age.

*  The racial make-up of this country is also changing.  In California, New Mexico and Hawaii, non-Hispanic whites now make up less than half the population of those states.  Typical Caucasian, non-Hispanic whites will be a minority nationally by 2041.  In the near future, there will no longer be a single racial majority nationwide.  The labor force at that time be made up primarily of Hispanic, Asian and multi-racial workers, while the aging Baby Boomer population consists primarily of non-Hispanic whites.  Will this knowledge encourage the non-Hispanic whites in positions of power in our government to adopt policies that provide greater access to education and jobs for those minorities who will soon be running this country?  After all, in the future those Hispanic, Asian and multi-racial workers will be the ones to support and take care of the aging Baby Boomers.

*  The aging population is not spread out evenly across the country, but is heavier in certain pockets.  For example, in the Midwest and Northeast, the population is aging faster because many of the young people are moving away and older residents are aging in place, remaining in their familiar communities. 

*  On the other hand, when people do choose to relocate, they are moving in large numbers to certain retirement destinations, bringing a higher than average number of senior citizens to those regions.  Among the retirement destinations that are heavily impacted are Florida, Arizona and Nevada.  In addition, many retirees are choosing to move to or remain in small towns and rural areas, which will increase the demand in those areas for senior housing, public transportation, health care and retail businesses.

*  According to the Index for the Well Being of Older Populations, the best countries for those 65 and older are Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States.  Our goal should be to make sure we remain near the top of the list in the coming decades.

There is a great deal of additional fascinating demographic information about our aging population in this brochure.  It is well worth reading ... as are other brochures that are available from the Population Reference Bureau.

To read the full brochure for yourself, you can download it at:  America's Aging Population from the Population Reference Bureau at PRB.org - Volume 66, No. 1.

If you are looking for additional information about aging and retirement, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of articles about where to retire in the United States and overseas, health issues, financial planning and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo credit:  Morguefile.com

Monday, September 2, 2013

Start a Baby Boomer's Club in Your Community

We Baby Boomers like to stick together.  Although there are many differences among us, we also have had numerous shared experiences over the decades, including our enjoyment of the music of our youth.  As a result, one of the most popular clubs in our homeowner's association is the Baby Boomers Club.

Our retirement community, like most over-55 developments, has a large number of clubs and organizations for the benefit of the residents.  There seems to be something for everyone ... bridge, golf, tennis, writing, paddleboard, swimming, fishing and dancing clubs.  About five years ago, a group of the first Baby Boomers to move into our community started their own club, too, and since its inception it has been a big hit.

Activities of the Baby Boomers Club

The Baby Boomers Club is not one of those organizations where everyone gets together to chat, eat snacks, have political discussions or quilt.  It fact, it is one of the more physically active groups in the community.  All of their gatherings are major social events and are well-attended by both men and women.  Some of the recent activities they have hosted or co-hosted with other clubs are:

Regular Saturday night dances featuring music from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
A Woodstock Festival at one of our clubhouse parking lots
Trips to area attractions, concerts, casinos, etc.
Cruises
Beach parties

Benefits of a Baby Boomers Club

After retirement, many people feel cut off from the work connections they made over the years.  Joining a club is one way to make friends and form new connections.  It is also a way to celebrate life and return to those activities and hobbies that you loved when you were young.

While you may also benefit from taking an art class, bridge lessons, or getting more exercise, joining a group of your peers who enjoy the same music, the same dance styles, and who have similar interests is one way to enjoy reliving your memories and celebrating the life you have lived.

The relaxed, friendly socialization has also had an additional benefit for some members.  A number of couples in our community have met and begun dating as the result of having attended one of the events held by the Baby Boomers Club and other organizations.

If your current retirement community has not already started a Baby Boomers club, this may be a good time to start one yourself.  Baby Boomers are turning 65 at the rate of 10,000 to 11,000 a month.  Many of these new retirees are choosing to move into over-55 communities that have a wide assortment of amenities.  Now is the time for your community to begin welcoming your peers as they move in, and to help them feel they have found the right home!


If you are planning to retire soon, you may also be interested in looking through the links in the index articles below.

Gifts, Travel and Family Relationships

Great Places for Boomers to Retire Overseas

Great Places to Retire in the United States

Health and Medical Topics for Baby Boomers

Money and Financial Planning for Retirement


You are reading from the blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of a sunset wedding is courtesy of morguefile.com

Monday, October 17, 2011

Top Places to Retire by U.S. News

Beautiful Arizona is
One of the Best Places to Retire
photo by public-domain-photos.com
How much thought have you given to where you are going to retire?  It seems as if every few days another news source comes up with their own list of the best places to live cheaply, or the best retirement communities with a low crime rate.  Below is a summary of a list of wonderful retirement areas that was released by US News and World Report in an article written by Emily Brandon on October 17, 2011. Although this was a few years ago, these areas remain excellent choices for retirees who are looking at a variety of retirement options.

The criteria used by U.S. News when they compiled this list included cities that have good weather, affordable houses and other real estate, as well as plenty of activities to keep you busy and interested in life. 

Based on their list, here are the top places you may want to settle during the Golden Years of your life:

Flagstaff, Arizona
Boone, North Carolina
Traverse City, Michigan
Walnut Creek, California
Ithaca, New York
Lincoln, Nebraska
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Port Charlotte, Florida
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Of course, these are just suggestions.  What is particularly appealing about this list is that it includes a number of mid-sized towns from a variety of regions of the United States.

Baby Boomers will not want to limit their choices only to this list, however.  There are a number of other communities that also could be desirable, depending on your interests.

If you are looking for more places to retire, you will want to use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of other articles about great places to retire in the United States or overseas, health issues to consider, financial planning and more.

Your may also want to check out these blog posts for other areas that have been recommended by various groups:

Living on Social Security in the US
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/10/living-on-social-security-in-us.html

Cheap Places to Retire
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/cheap-places-to-retire.html

Finding the Best Places to Retire
http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/2011/09/finding-best-places-to-retire.html

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Thursday, October 6, 2011

When Grandkids Live Far Away

Facetime on your iPhone is one
way to stay in touch!
Photo from www.morguefile.com

When your grandchildren live far away from you, how can you stay in touch?  How can you feel like you are still a part of their lives?  How can you help your grandkids know how much you care about them?

These are some of the questions that my husband and I have faced.  We have six grandchildren ranging from age 1 to age 21, with another one on the way.  They are quite spread out, living in Northern California, Southern California, New York and Delaware.  Although we make an effort to travel and see them all at least once a year, we realize that is not nearly enough to be part of their lives.  Although it is not the same as having your grandkids live next door, we discovered there are some things we could do to stay in touch and feel close to our grandkids.

The first thing we do is send them all greeting cards and a few dollars on all those little holidays that kids enjoy so much.  We mail out cards for Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Easter.  If they lived nearby, we know we would give them treats on those occasions.  Since they don't live close, we still enjoy recognizing those days as special for the kids and sending them a little money.  It is fun for them and us.

The next thing we do is put the internet to work.  My husband and I are both on Facebook.  Although my husband and I have very few Facebook friends who are not relatives, we have discovered that this site is a great way to stay in touch with our family and close friends.  Our daughters are all wonderful about updating their Facebook pictures and videos often, so we get to see our grandkids getting awards at school, competing in sports, and wearing their Halloween costumes.  Some of our grandkids also have their own Facebook pictures and will post their own comments and pictures to share with us.  We cherish every little thought and comment they share!

Another way we use the internet is by using Skype.  One Christmas morning, one of our daughters set her laptop on the coffee table in the living room and we contacted her using Skype.  We fixed our breakfast and relaxed in front of our computer.  Then we spent a couple of hours watching our grandkids open their presents, and they watched us open ours.  It wasn't quite as good as getting a warm hug, but it was much better than a phone call.  It was hilarious watching them laugh as they opened their gifts and held them up to the computer for us to see!  We have also Skyped on Halloween to see their costumes, and on other special occasions.  We've found that young kids, in particular, will stay on the phone much longer when they can see us and show us things.  Technology has made it so much easier for our family to stay in touch!

In addition to Skype on our computers, we also have it on our Android phones.  We love being able to see our kids and grandkids whenever we chat.  Having Skype on our phones is like having our grandkids in our purse or pocket!

Recently, one of our daughters, and her two kids, moved just seven  miles from our home.  We are delighted to have some of our grandkids living close by, once again.  However, we still have four other grandkids who live far away and the new baby will also be living on the other side of the country.  One thing we have learned is that, while it is not always possible to have our grandkids nearby, that is no excuse for losing touch with them.  We hope we are always part of their lives, whether they live nearby or not.

If you haven't yet used some of these services, you may want to give them a try.  They are a cheap and easy way to keep your grandkids close.

If you are interested in learning more about retirement and aging topics, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of additional articles on where to retire, health issues, family relationships, financial planning and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com