Aging Baby Boomers Research Articles

REDLE: A Platform in the Cloud for Elderly Fall Detection and Push Response Tracking

Caring for a rapid and ever-increasing older population, providing social support and monitoring emotional wellness, is the most immediate and most urgent challenge prompted by the global aging of baby boomers. Elderly assisted systems do not only promote independent lifestyles, enhancing their quality of life, but also reduce stress and worry of families and friends. While being physically active is beneficial and much encouraged, it does increase the risk of falls. We developed an affordable fall detection and response tracking application on the cloud platform; mobile cloud computing is a major evolution with rising impact in information technology and enterprises. Our system, named REDLE, features push notifications for fall alerts and real-time maps for tracking and providing locations and phone numbers of nearby hospitals. Implemented on Android, it captures signals from an embedded tri-axial accelerometer and a global positioning system sensor. Coupled with an efficient threshold-based fall detection algorithm for instantaneous responses, REDLE achieved a near perfect fall detection rate and accurate tracking. Users enjoyed the smoothness of our interactive interface, and complimented on its ease of use and familiarity.

Later Life Moves and Movers in Germany: An Expanded Typology

In times of ageing baby boomer cohorts and increasing regional disparities, residential choice in later life is important regarding family relations and the provision of social services. In this study, a new typology of later life moves is developed based on observed patterns and characteristics of residential changes. For this purpose, the German Socio-Economic Panel data has been linked to uniquely detailed neighbourhood information to study how aspects of both later life movers and moves are structured. The results suggest four types of moves, namely: residential improvement, family, residential adaptation and care moves. The typology expands rigid classifications based on age, health status or distance moved, and highlights intergenerational family ties, housing concerns and fragmented forms of partnership as key aspects. Family moves to one’s children are associated with the existence of grandchildren, showing that elderly people take on roles as both care-takers and care-providers. The residential consequences of being widowed or divorced are socially stratified and can lead to residential and economic instability.

Later Life Moves and Movers in Germany: An Expanded Typology

In times of ageing baby boomer cohorts and increasing regional disparities, residential choice in later life is important regarding family relations and the provision of social services. In this study, a new typology of later life moves is developed based on observed patterns and characteristics of residential changes. For this purpose, the German Socio-Economic Panel data has been linked to uniquely detailed neighbourhood information to study how aspects of both later life movers and moves are structured. The results suggest four types of moves, namely: residential improvement, family, residential adaptation and care moves. The typology expands rigid classifications based on age, health status or distance moved, and highlights intergenerational family ties, housing concerns and fragmented forms of partnership as key aspects. Family moves to one’s children are associated with the existence of grandchildren, showing that elderly people take on roles as both care-takers and care-providers. The residential consequences of being widowed or divorced are socially stratified and can lead to residential and economic instability.

Retirement villages in Australia: a literature review

With the increasing growth in the ageing population of Australia, providing older adults with suitable housing has become a significant focus of policy and practice. Retirement villages are a type of housing that delivers specialized accommodation for older people. Although previous research focused on a variety of topics concerning Australian retirement villages, a systemic overview of the development of the industry is still lacking. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to deliver an overview of its development. Considering the scarcity of data regarding the industry, secondary data collected from various sources are analysed to present the whole picture. It is found that, although the industry has grown gradually in past decades, it is currently still in a formative stage. Its development is confronted with various issues and challenges including affordability, inadequacy of social and physical environment settings, low penetration level and challenges from the unique requirements of ageing baby boomers, technological applications and sustainability, and the lack of policy support. This paper provides a platform for researchers and industry stakeholders to plan for the future development and growth of this sector.

The Changing Landscape of Vocal Needs in the Aging Baby Boomer

Abstract Aging is a natural part of the human condition and the voice is not spared changes with increasing age. There is a progressive decline in the respiratory, phonatory, and resonatory systems associated with aging as a result of sarcopenia, metabolic slowing, and changes to the neuromuscular system that begin earlier in life but accelerate at 60 years. Behavioral and surgical treatments offer people with age-related voice loss (presbyphonia) the opportunity for improved voice quality of life. Interest in these treatments has risen over the past 20 years with the arrival of the baby boom generation reaching 65 years and experiencing age-related changes to voice. Unlike their parents, many baby boomers are not able to retire at 65 years and are required to maintain and even improve their vocal endurance and vocal quality for occupational demands. This article will explore age-related changes to the body, specific to the vocal mechanism, and a summary of several treatments available to improve the voice in light of the changing needs of the baby boom generation as they get older.

Commentaries on health services research

Commentaries on health services research

Ethical Challenges in Geriatric Psychiatry.

Ethical Challenges in Geriatric Psychiatry.

When I’m 64: Assessing Generational Differences in Public Transit Use of Seniors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The growth rate of adults older than 65 in Canada is increasing more rapidly than the population as a whole. This increase is reflective of the aging baby boomer population. That population is known to have a strong attachment to automobiles, which might be reflected in their travel behavior as they move toward different stages in their older life. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the travel behavior, mainly public transit usage, of Canada’s older population relative to younger cohorts. A pseudocohort analysis was conducted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, of residents who were 50 or older to follow changes in public transit use of similarly aged respondents from 1998 to 2013. The results revealed that older generations used public transit more than younger generations did at the same age. In addition, the most recent survey year showed a stagnation of transit use across all age groups. Differences in transit use between males and females were more pronounced in earlier cohorts, but the difference was decreasing in more recent years. These findings add to the growing body of work suggesting that the nature of transportation behavior in seniors is changing, and accordingly planners and engineers cannot expect the baby boomer generation to behave the same way as previous generations. Addressing the transportation needs of seniors around the world will be an important challenge for planners and engineers, as the population of seniors is growing more rapidly than the population as a whole in the majority of developed countries. This growth imposes new challenges on the transportation system because of differences in the travel behavior of today’s older adults compared with that of previous cohorts of seniors.

Will the Trend Toward Higher Education Impact Nurse Supply? Implications for Workforce Planning

Shortages of nurses, particularly regional and specialty shortages, are widely acknowledged among care providers and in the health care staffing and workforce solutions sector of the health care industry. Orders for temporary nurses—including travel and per diem nurses—surged beginning in mid-2014 for AMN Healthcare, the nation's largest nurse staffing company, and have continued to be so strong that they cannot all be filled with existing supply. This trend for both permanent and temporary nurses is occurring throughout the health care industry, and is clearly reflected in data from federal sources showing a widening gap of unfilled health care jobs over the last 2 years. Shortages of nurses, particularly regional and specialty shortages, are widely acknowledged among care providers and in the health care staffing and workforce solutions sector of the health care industry. Orders for temporary nurses—including travel and per diem nurses—surged beginning in mid-2014 for AMN Healthcare, the nation's largest nurse staffing company, and have continued to be so strong that they cannot all be filled with existing supply. This trend for both permanent and temporary nurses is occurring throughout the health care industry, and is clearly reflected in data from federal sources showing a widening gap of unfilled health care jobs over the last 2 years. Letter to the EditorNurse LeaderVol. 15Issue 3PreviewI was interested to read the article “Will the Trend Toward Higher Education Impact Nurse Supply? Implications for Workforce Planning.”1 I agree this is a topic that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. More than once in the article, the authors state that at the time the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report2 was released in 2010, there was no nursing shortage. An article on The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) website, Facts About the Nursing Workforce, dated that same year in July 27, 2010, noted that “…the nation faces a shortage of 250,000 nurses by 2025 the result of several trends, including the increased need for health care for aging Baby Boomers and the influx of new patients into the system as a result of health care reform.”2 Full-Text PDF

How generational differences will impact America’s aging workforce: strategies for dealing with aging Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how generational differences impact America’s workforce as it changes and to provide strategies for companies to address aging Millennials (born 1982-2000), Generation X (born 1961-1981) and Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960). Design/methodology/approach The author's approach was based on research on behalf of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging; insights and expertise from her 20 years at the helm of Generational Targeted Marketing, LLC; her teaching at New York University; her experience working with clients and organizations in a wide range of diverse industries; and the insights from her book Marketing to the Millennial Woman. Findings Every generation is unique. Practitioners, employers and managers of human resources (HR) who understand and respect the differences between Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers can develop strategies from a generational point of view and thereby enable these employees to perform at their peak regardless of age. Research limitations/implications Practical examples are given for HR practices in employee retention, benefits, performance management and review, work-life balance, digital and technology applications and for meaningful corporate outreaches. Originality/value This tried and true approach to dealing with distinct generations in the workplace leads to increased employee motivation and satisfaction, so that employees not only remain longer at a job but also are eager and happy to report to work each day; they are more productive; and the company’s bottom line benefits as a result.

Guest Editor's Page

There are about 4 million older people in the United States who are blind or have severe vision impairment. This population is expected to double over the next 35 years to exceed 10 million. Among people who are older and have vision loss, there are some things we know very well: visual impairment is associated with age and, therefore, it is more prevalent in the oldest age groups. Vison impairment is more likely to affect women, racial or ethnic minorities, people who are poor, and people who have less education. Older people with vision loss report poorer health-related quality of life, they are more likely to report chronic conditions than their peers who are not visually impaired, they are more likely to fall and have injuries related to those falls, and older people with vision impairments have higher rates of mortality. Given the magnitude and complexity of the problem, this population is poorly served. People with vision loss have less access to eye care, medical care, and oral health care. Significant gaps remain in access to rehabilitation services, and the rehabilitation system remains fragmented; is poorly funded, with little third-party funding; has few standards of practice, few outcome measures; and is not linked to vision and eye care providers in a systematic way. If the past is a prologue, then the coming decades will see these disparities magnified, with hundreds of thousands or millions of older people without the ability to obtain quality vision rehabilitation services, good health, and high quality of life. Given the problems we can identify, all of them can be solved or greatly ameliorated with the knowledge we have. Although difficult to manage, these problems are not intractable. The field of vision rehabilitation has lamented for decades the fragmentation in service delivery and funding, and the apparent inability to compete with other disciplines. At the same time, others have anticipated the surging population of older people that is now driven by the first wave of aging baby boomers. What can be done? This Special Issue on Aging and Vision of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) demonstrates the continuing commitment of leaders in vision rehabilitation to make a difference in the lives of older people with visual impairments. These examples are instructive and promising. Farrow and Steverson, for example, report on the funding for the older blind program, and they summarize the number of people served and the cost of services. The results are not encouraging insofar that the demand in all probability outstrips the capacity to provide services. As Sheffield and Rogers note in their commentary, only about 2% of older people with vision impairment receive vision rehabilitation services of any kind. In spite of funding constraints, novel and innovative strategies are emerging. Current and emerging telemedicine-like technology has the potential to revolutionize access to eye care. Ihrig, for example, demonstrates an example of how telemedicine strategies can reach underserved or remote populations. …

Aging and Vision Advocates Unite to Move the Bar for Older Persons who Are Visually Impaired: A Call to Action

Almost two decades ago, the following information on the development of a national agenda on vision and aging was published in the From the Field section of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB): ... the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Aging and Vision Network have launched the development of a national agenda on vision and aging. The concept of a national agenda began with a survey that AFB's National Aging Program team sent to National Aging and Vision Network members in December 1997.... [A]t the March 1998 Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute, aging work-group participants, comprised of professionals and consumers, worked on identifying critical issues for the agenda to address (National Agenda on Vision and Aging, 1998, p. 850). The issues identified at the conference became a list of goals, which had the intended purpose of shaping public policies and attitudes in order to ensure the full participation in society of individuals aged 55 years and older. The goals of the agenda were: * develop a self-advocacy skills training curriculum for inclusion in vision rehabilitation programs serving older persons who are visually impaired; * increase public awareness about age-related vision loss and vision-related services; * carry out advocacy efforts to increase federal funding for the Title VII, Chapter 2 Program of the Rehabilitation Act (Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind [OIB]); * increase the supply of qualified personnel providing vision rehabilitation services to older individuals who are visually impaired; * expand access to employment opportunities for older persons with visual impairments; and * promote the coordination of data collection and outcome measurement efforts, which support the targeted goals of increased consumer self-advocacy, greater public awareness of vision rehabilitation services, sufficient funding for services, increased supply of qualified personnel, and expanded access to information and community resources. OUTCOMES OF THE FIRST NATIONAL AGENDA ON VISION AND AGING By 2005, the National Aging and Vision Network (formed by AFB) accomplished two objectives from the third goal of the agenda on vision and aging (Orr, Scott, & Rogers, 2005): * achieve the $13 million threshold established by Congress in the Rehabilitation Act as the trigger level for Chapter 2 formula funding to ensure that each state receives a minimum level of funding; and * achieve a funding level of at least $26 million for the Title VII, Chapter 2 program, a funding level established by state agency directors as the base amount needed to establish a nationwide service delivery program. These achievements established a framework to fund a nationwide service delivery program, ensuring money for every state to provide OIB services. Although the Aging and Vision Network worked diligently toward its goal, since 2005, no united effort has been sustained. Thus, it is time to renew the call to action to meet the needs of millions of aging baby boomers who are losing vision at a time when national, state, and local resources are stretched and overwhelmed. With the exception of stimulus funding, the OIB program has received approximately the same amount of funding annually, and the numbers of individuals being served by this program appear to be declining. During fiscal year 2005, 63,766 individuals were served with a federal allocation of $33,227,040 (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). According to the Rehabilitation Services Administration's 2012 report, only 67,273 individuals nationwide benefited from independent living services provided through this program (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). The latest published reports (2013) indicate that 59,133 received services (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). …

Evaluating Hepatitis C Therapy in an Urban Population Aged 65 Years or Older

Introduction: It is estimated that over 5 million people are chronically infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States. Aging baby boomers account for 75% of this population. Despite the recommendation for one time HCV testing in those born between 1945-1965, it is believed that many remain unaware of their HCV status. This lack of awareness will lead to individuals presenting at an older age with complications of advanced liver disease. The aim of our study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the newer direct acting antiviral (DAA) regimens in patients age 65 or older and to evaluate for any barriers to treating this population. Methods: This is a retrospective review of 31 patients age 65 or older who began treatment with a DAA regimen from January 2015-January 2016. Some of the data collected includes demographics, treatment history, fibrosis staging, laboratory values, adverse events and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Results: All 31 patients (100%) achieved sustained viral response at 12 weeks after treatment completion (SVR12). 29 patients (93.5%) were treated with ledipasvir/sofosbuvir and were either genotype 1a (45%) or 1b (41.9%). Mean age was 72 years and ranged from 65 to 87 years. Male gender accounted for 21 (67.7%) of the patients and 22 (71%) were black. Cirrhosis was present in 19 patients (61.3%), of those 4 had been diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma prior to starting treatment. No significant side effects or discontinuations were reported. Conclusion: HCV remains the most common cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer in the U.S. With the newer treatment options available, HCV cure is now an attainable goal. The elderly population had previously been under represented in studies involving interferon. There is now fair evidence to support the use of DAA regimens in this group as they appear to be highly effective, safe and well tolerated. Our study is the first to evaluate the safety, efficacy and barriers to treatment in a predominantly black population within our urban institution. This study further demonstrates the high rate of efficacy in the traditionally more difficult to treat groups, namely genotype 1a, black patients and those with cirrhosis. The main limitation of this study is the small number of patients included, however we feel it will serve as a significant contribution to the growing body of evidence to support treatment in this population.

Do baby boomers use more healthcare services than other generations? Longitudinal trajectories of physician service use across five birth cohorts.

ObjectiveIn light of concerns for meeting the provision of healthcare services given the large numbers of ageing baby boomers, we compared the trajectories of primary care and specialist services use across the lifecourse of 5 birth cohorts and examined factors associated with birth cohort differences.DesignLongitudinal panel.SettingCanadian National Population Health Survey (1994–2011).PopulationSample of 10 186 individuals aged 20–69 years in 1994–1995 and who were from 5 birth cohorts: Generation X (Gen X; born: 1965–1974), Younger Baby Boomers (born: 1955–1964), Older Baby Boomers (born: 1945–1954), World War II (born: 1935–1944) and pre-World War II (born: 1925–1934).Main outcomesUse of primary care and specialist services.ResultsAlthough the overall pattern suggested less use of physician services by each successive recent cohort, this blinded differences in primary and specialist care use by cohort. Multilevel analyses comparing cohorts showed that Gen Xers and younger boomers, particularly those with multimorbidity, were less likely to use primary care than earlier cohorts. In contrast, specialist use was higher in recent cohorts, with Gen Xers having the highest specialist use. These increases were explained by the increasing levels of multimorbidity. Education, income, having a regular source of care, sedentary lifestyle and obesity were significantly associated with physician services use, but only partially contributed to cohort differences.ConclusionsThe findings suggest a shift from primary care to specialist care among recent cohorts, particularly for those with multimorbidity. This is of concern given policies to promote primary care services to prevent and manage chronic conditions. There is a need for policies to address important generational differences in healthcare preferences and the balance between primary and specialty care to ensure integration and coordination of healthcare delivery.

Comparing Private Financial Preparations for Aging of BabyBoomers and Pre-BabyBoomers in Korea

Comparing Private Financial Preparations for Aging of BabyBoomers and Pre-BabyBoomers in Korea

Reassessing Longer-Run U.S. Growth: How Low?

What is the sustainable pace of GDP growth in the United States? A plausible point forecast is that GDP per capita will rise well under 1 percent per year in the longer run, with overall GDP growth of a little over 1-1/2 percent. The main drivers of slow growth are educational attainment and demographics. First, rising educational attainment will add less to productivity growth than it did historically. Second, because of the aging (and retirements) of baby boomers, employment will rise more slowly than population (which, in turn, is projected to rise slowly relative to history). This modest growth forecast assumes that productivity growth is relatively ?normal,? if modest?in line with its pace for most of the period since 1973. An upside risk is that we see another burst of information-technology-induced productivity growth similar to what we saw from 1995 to 2004.

Wohnmobilität im Alter – ein zukunftsfähiger Ansatz für die Siedlungsentwicklung nach innen?

AbstractWhen planners debate settlement density, residential mobility typically gets short shrift: conventional wisdom holds that people want to stay where they are. Unsurprisingly, therefore, demographic change is often framed as a burden: an ever larger cohort of ever older people live ever longer in family dwellings, exacerbating pressures on land use. Yet the residential preferences of ageing baby boomers suggest that change is often welcome, and that demography can be an opportunity for a more sustainable use of built-up areas.To empirically ground the often emotional debate about a more efficient use of the housing stock, the author conducted a representative survey of 1200 people, aged 50–87, in the Cantons of Aargau and Zurich in 2011. Contrary to widely held beliefs, 43% of respondents said they could envisage moving: to purchase real estate, to upgrade residential qualities or location, and to reduce space and housework. Add to this the desire to remain mobile, and to remain independent, and it ...

Study Shines Light on ‘Invisible Epidemic’ of Alcohol Use

Study Shines Light on ‘Invisible Epidemic’ of Alcohol Use

Driving over the life course: The automobility of Canada’s Millennial, Generation X, Baby Boomer and Greatest Generations

Mercado et al. (2010) called for greater recognition of the diversity of Canada’s demographic structure with respect to automobility. For instance, recent anecdotal evidence suggests that Millennials (individuals born following Generation X and between the early 1980s and early 2000s) are less likely to have a driver’s license and less likely to drive than their older counterparts. On the other hand, older generations, including aging baby boomers and those who have already retired, grew up with the automobile, and having a license was a rite of passage into adulthood. Not surprisingly, Canada’s old have some of the highest rates of automobility (Scott et al. 2009).Based on data from Statistics Canada’s General Social Survey (GSS) ‘Time Use’ cycles, this paper evaluates differences in automobility by generational cohort (i.e., Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Greatest Generation). Descriptive statistics are used to measure whether different generations are more (less) likely to hold a driver’s license, and the characteristics of trips (i.e., number of trips, trip mode, and duration). While Millennials are more likely to use public or active transit options, the results suggest that they are ‘catching up’ with other generations, characterized by a growth in the proportion holding a valid driver’s license and increasing trips by car. We conclude that Canadian Millennials will likely share the same automobility profile as older generations.

Exploring Nonprofit Executive Turnover

Projections of executive turnover loom over the three sectors with aging baby boomers filling many executive‐level positions, and research into causes, outcomes, and processes of turnover are timely inquiries. Yet, scholarly attention into nonprofit executive turnover has been limited to date and has not sufficiently examined actual turnover events. To help address this gap, forty nonprofit organizations that had recently experienced executive turnover were selected from a national random sample, and the current executives participated in an interview. This qualitative data was analyzed to identify factors and dynamics that define nonprofit executive turnover. These findings both confirm practical knowledge and offer new insights relevant to future research and practitioners alike.