Defiance and Aging in Place

MSN posted a piece on aging in place and boomers. It’s always eye opening to read the comments. For example, for this post here are a few that stand out:

”Have you ever looked at the cost of a retirement community? Try 4K a month! I will just stay in my paid for house.”

“What right do we boomers have to live and act as we want to?  We’re just a burden on society, right?  Maybe ‘The government’ should round us all up and put us in a camp.  Everything is our fault.”

“My house,  don’t care if you cant afford one or buy one….. I don’t care about your housing market, your pretend jobs you think will be needed, or your lack of thought about medical care.   It will be the same then as it is now.”

“Put a stair chair in for my mom, and it kept her in her house where she wanted to be.  Now it’s keeping my stepdad in the house where he wants to be.  Seniors don’t own anybody anything except themselves.  To live the best life they can.”

The thread that runs through the comments is defiance. Now, there is always the risk of sample bias, who reads and responds to posts, the source of the content, and other factors, but it’s clear the comments suggest boomers are not giving up their homes, feel they have earned the right to do as they please, and a touch of feeling slight hostility towards outside influences.

These themes, although I urge caution in thinking they are representative, do give insights into how some potential customers for aging-in-place professionals are thinking. How can you employ these insights in your business?

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The MSN piece can be viewed here