Aging "Gray Tsunami": Challenge or Opportunity
Written by: Richard Caro. Posted: July 18, 2013.
The world's growing elderly population is starting to get a lot of attention. As usual, there are several ways to look at this looming gray tsunami. The demographics are typically framed as "a challenge". I prefer to think of this as an opportunity.
Glass half empty or half full?
Challenge:
Large and growing population of elderly people. Fewer young people to take care of them. Less and less spare money in the wealthy world economies to pay for aging services. Predictions of shortages of doctors, nurses, and caregivers.
Opportunity:
Affluent baby boomers want it all, and have lots of assets. With powerful computers in everyone's pockets (smart phones and tablets), low cost, pervasive networking and communication, and rapid advances in fields like robotics, there should be huge opportunities for technology to do what people cannot or will not do anymore, and transform the lives of these young-at-heart boomers.
Thoughts?
[This post modified and reprinted with permission from SciencetoProfits blog by Richard Caro.]
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Last Updated: May 13, 2020.
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Reader Comments: "Aging "Gray Tsunami": Challenge or Opportunity"
from Bev Cobb (unverified) at January 06, 2022
My thoughts about “Aging At Home” alone lead me to thinking about the very serious questions:
When should we start preparation (instead of ‘out of necessity)?
How do we move forward to the end?
Helping whomever learn about technology, how to use it etc so it becomes normal instead of doing it at a later stage in life. The beginning to the end . . . How to do this. I need to plan for the next chapter . . .
from Ruby in Manhattan (unverified) at January 15, 2022
Best to research, plan & prepare for possible changes or interruptions to your normal lifestyle while you're able-bodied rather than wait until you're in crisis mode. What would you need help with, and what are your potential resources (neighbors/friends/professionals, home assistance options, etc.)?
We all move forward one step, one day at a time. Good luck.
from WENDL Kornfeld (unverified) at January 15, 2022
"Tsunami" sounds ageist, it's a word for something threatening, capable of great damage. Prefer to think of the older demographic as a silver reservoir of wisdom, skills, historical perspective, and valuable life experience to nourish everyone.