Chicago

Getting older no longer looks how it used to, and as the boomer generation approaches their senior years, we’ll need to adjust our perceptions on aging today even more. These changes come with both positive and negative aspects for the generations nearing older adulthood today, and for those of the future.  Here’s how aging today has changed from the structure we knew from watching generations past:

1. Seniors today are living longer – with the standard retirement age set at 65, seniors are spending more and more time in retirement than generations past. The seniors of today and those of the future will have to reconsider how they will survive financially, since social security might expire before they do

2. Changing career structure – while this might not apply today, it’s a shift we’ll certainly see in the future as living longer in retirement will come with increased financial burden. Instead of retiring at 65, we might just see seniors living into their 100s working into their 70s, 80s and 90s out of obligation

3. 60 as the new 40 – today’s seniors are more active than ever, and at 60 show few signs of slowing down, and to think, not so long ago we looked at 40 as “old”!

4. Embracing life – today’s seniors are adventurous and have a zest for life, but society still fits these seniors into stereotypes, thinking that 70 year old grandmother’s should be in their rockers with their knitting, not going out skydiving or hiking

Via: About.com

Image:medical.philips.com

When needing help with aging parents or older adults living in the Chicago area please contact one of our offices –  Home Care Chicago North Side (773) 784-4024, Home Care Chicago Gold Coast and Lincoln Park (773) 463-3500, or Home Care Chicago Downtown, Near West, South Side (312) 348-7238.