“We live in a world that will never be young again.”

This was the opening statement given in a class on aging I attended some years ago. The professor paused after delivering the line and gazed out at a silenced audience, then repeated it softly—for effect.

Suddenly he raised his voice and in a matter-of-fact tone said: “Every generation will grow older than the one before until the old out number the young.” He had me at that moment as I was intrigued by the idea of a world that would never be young again. Could this possibly be true?

To put this in perspective consider a time when Thomas Jefferson strolled the grounds of his beloved hill top home of Monticello. Half the U.S. population at that time was under the age of sixteen. Contrast this with projections of the year 2030 where those ages 65 and older will out number teenagers two to one.

This aging population trend is also global and has been called “the Floridation” of the developed world; meaning 20 percent of the population is over the age of 65 (which reflects the demographics of Florida).
For example:

Country and Year of “Floridation” (20% population >65)
USA: 2021
Japan: 2006
Germany: 2005
Italy: 2003

The 16th century Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon went in search of the fountain of youth and found Florida—or what Jonathan Winters dubbed, “God’s waiting room.” The adventurer could have never envisioned a future which now belongs to maturity!

Living longer is one of our greatest human achievements, and provides some of our greatest challenges. Surveys from the AARP have shown that 89 percent of participants aged 55 and older want to stay in there homes as they mature; this mega-trend is know as “aging in place.”

Aging in place means enjoying the pleasures of living at home in a familiar environment and community, safely, comfortably, and independently, regardless of age, income, or ability.

For older generations and baby boomers facing retirement most are not looking toward the retirement home as a place to end up. However, many of the homes that they love and want to continue to live in are not suited for older people.

The good news is this trend is generating huge demand for products and services to help keep people in their homes as they age. As the market responds the options for aging in place continue to improve. There has never been a better time to remain home by choice. 

 

See

5 Aging in Place Trends to Watch for in 11′