Tag: AARP

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New Publication Focuses on Tips for Boomers

When you’re in your fifties and sixties — as so much of the population is — there are many daunting issues to face. Whether it’s helping to launch your young adults, caring for aging parents, saving for retirement or staying healthy, there’s so much to stay on top of. I’ve enjoyed having the chance to be one of the debut writers for a new publication, Considerable, that is taking an optimistic view of the road ahead. Here’s some information on their purpose and goal from the Editorial Director, Diane Harris, who formerly was Editor in Chief of MONEY. My first article for the website focused on a persistent problem among many siblings: tensions that arise in caring for an older parent. I got the idea for this story from observing some friends go through this. I thought it was important to provide advice on how to head off disputes during what is already an emotionally-plagued time. The most recent piece I wrote for Considerable provides new tools for adult children having to navigate their parents’ finances. I know that, at some point, my siblings and I may find ourselves in this situation and I may very well consider one of these apps to simplify and manage the process in a secure way. It’s always great to see a new publication arise to tackle so many important issues. I look forward to continuing to contribute to Considerable and hope many of you will check it out.

 

 

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Where Technology Offers An Upside

Technology has recently taken a beating. Mark Zuckerberg is set to testify this week about Facebook’s privacy practices — concerns that have sent the stock reeling. Our reliance on instantaneous communication and impersonal devices has been blamed for epidemic increases in mental health problems among young people. But there’s one area where technology is being viewed as a breakthrough: the advances it will bring to the fast growing elderly population. It’s been a busy week, so I’m just now getting around to debriefing on the What’s Next Boomer Summit  I attended last month in San Francisco. In its 15th year, it’s the brainchild of Mary Furlong, an entrepreneur considered the “godmother” to those who are developing products aimed at improving the quality of life for older Americans. At this most recent gathering, I got a view of a variety of promising innovations. Apps have been developed for areas where they’re most desperately needed, like protecting the financial assets of the elderly. As AARP finds the majority of older Americans seek to remain in their homes as they age, there are a plethora of interactive technologies underway to help them. Robotics is ushering in an era that will allow not just supervision for older people, but socialization. As we take stock of the negative repercussions of technology, it’s uplifting to see the positive role it could ultimately play in improving the quality of life of aging Americans, who will soon comprise the majority; nearly one in five U.S. residents will be age 65 or older by 2030. Along those lines of living a fulfilling life, I write articles for The Wall Street Journal focused on those who switch to interesting new careers after 50. I’m always on the hunt for the next round of inspirational stories, so please contact me if you or someone you know would like to be featured.

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Aging Equals Opportunity for Forward Thinking Entrepreneurs

Every day for the next twenty years, an average of 10,000 people will turn 65. No matter how many times I hear or see that number, it’s hard to wrap my head around it. With 75 million baby boomers in our country today — defined as those born between the ages of 1946 and 1964 — a huge swath of our population is going through the aging process. And with that comes an unprecedented opportunity for entrepreneurs. I just attended the 2017 What’s Next Boomer Business Summit in Chicago, an annual gathering of entrepreneurs focused on the aging industry. The Summit is organized by Mary Furlong, an entrepreneur who is viewed as a mentor and godmother to aging-related start-up founders. According to AARP, the longevity market, as it’s called, accounts for $7.6 billion in economic activity. Realizing the gold mine of story ideas that can be found in this burgeoning aging beat, I’ve been attending the Boomer Summit for the past few years. Each year, the number of attendees has grown exponentially; there’s clearly an appetite for businesses related to aging. There are so many problems to be solved and innovators springing up to solve them.

What’s always been remarkable to me is the personal experiences that motivate positive change. Whether it’s someone who launched a ride service for seniors after his mother became isolated and housebound or a service to cook meals for seniors that took root after a founder’s grandmother could no longer prepare her own healthy meals, the businesses are often born out of a commitment to solving vexing problems related to aging. I’m not naive enough to believe these entrepreneurs aren’t also after profit, but at least the businesses seem to be founded on the principle of helping a vulnerable part of the population. I’ve latched on to this area as a journalist because it’s so clear that there are fascinating innovations happening in this space every day. And it’s not just in the traditional fields of health care. Technology developments have been a huge force. According to Aging in Place Technology Watch, there’s plenty of opportunity in this sector: the marketplace for technology to assist the many adults wanting to age in place is expected to grow from $2 billion currently to more than $30-billion over the next few years.

Jody Holtzman, AARP’s senior vice president of market innovation, speaking at the Boomer Summit said, “Addressing the needs of over 100 million people is called an opportunity.” I’ve written several articles about the plethora of new businesses being established to serve the crucial needs of Americans as they age, including this one and this one, both for CNBC. I look forward to continuing to track these extremely newsworthy developments over the next few years, as even more boomers (myself included!) continue to age.