Baby Boomers Ageism

Improved Essays
Baby Boomers and Ageism: Will There Be a Storm? In the article, “The Future of Ageism: Baby Boomers at the Doorstep”, by Charles Longino, he depicts the negative affects of ageism and the impact that baby boomers impending retirement and Medicare will have on society. The term ageism was coined by Robert Neil Butler (1969), it describes the stereotyping and discrimination against a single person or a group based solely on their age (seniors). While the immense population of baby boomers (those born approximately between 1946 and 1964) begin to contemplate retirement, it is on the verge of encountering ageism on a degree never observed before. As the baby boomers reach the “normal” retirement age of 65, the number of people eligible for retirement …show more content…
There are burgeoning apprehensions that the baby boomers will deplete the social security resources presently being used. Meanwhile, the elderly are leading healthier lifestyles and living considerably longer lives than before. As the baby boomers approach old age, Longino predicts that there will be a crisis because “the population of the United States has aged during the entire twentieth century because the mortality rate has declined at all ages, causing life expectancy to increase” (2005:80). The rate of the U.S. population surviving into old age is quickly thriving and as it expands, “the older population itself is also aging, so the oldest portion of it is increasing the fastest” (2005:81). In addition, Longino states that “the old age “dependency …show more content…
The problem with declining Social Security and Medical funds is not recent, “for more than two decades, a steady drumbeat has hailed the impending demise of Social Security and Medicare when the baby boom retires. It seems inevitable” (2005:80). Longino states, “the baby boom is on our doorsteps. Is this the calm before the storm? We fear that it will be like a wrecking ball unleashing its destructive potential” (2005:83). With Social Security and Medical being drained further everyday, it is appropriate to assume that there is a storm upon our horizon and while it may not be present currently, this storm will produce a great deal of chaos in our future

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    This continues to be a problem because the cost of living is increasing, birth rates are declining, and people are living longer (NOLO, n.d.). These factors put a strain on the funds available for the elderly. Unfortunately, the silver tsunami will also affect Medicare negatively. There will be an increase in chronic diseases that are a result of old age as well as dementia. These chronic illnesses, especially dementia, require a large amount of healthcare providers that may not be available in the future (Gill, n.d.).…

    • 1503 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Baby boomer want to stay living in their own homes, but will face problems with enough healthcare professionals, cost of social needs, and long term health services. First, with such a large generation growing older, there is not enough healthcare workers of any type to accommodate this generation. With many…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Baby Boomer Essay

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Many fear the number of employees paying taxes to support the entitlement programs will decrease. Americans predict the demand for medical attention coupled with the aging population will challenge resources that future generations are confronted with such as escalated inflation, phenomenal tax or could result in both. The phenomenal increase in Medicare cost for individuals aged 65 and older will escalate national debt (Orlovsky, n.d.). Hospitals, nursing homes, and other organizations will need to pursue creative solutions to resolve the worker shortage in health care industry. Some hospitals and factories are currently indulging in…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1). Thus, it seems that “the most striking statistics of recent years is increasing proportion of older individuals who are maintaining their own households… Additionally, about 56% of all noninstitutionalized older persons in 2007 live alone (19 million men, 38.6 million women)” (p.8). Furthermore, Kickman and Snell (2002) stated that, “it has been estimated that the economic value of such informal care-giving in the United States reaches $200 billion a year—one and a half times the amount spent on formal care giving” (p. 854). Moreover, “this growth in elderly could lead to a precipitous drop in the number of workers per elderly if current working and retirement patterns do not change” (p. 854). All these factors will assist in determining if baby boomers will befit a boom or a bust.…

    • 1082 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Social Security: the effects of the Aging American population The Social Security system was enacted in 1935 in response to the Great Depression when millions of Americans were affected by unemployment and poverty. In 1880, the populations of farm and nonfarm workers were about equally balanced, but by 1930, workers in farm occupations accounted for only 21 percent of the workforce. Industrialization created a social problem as Americans became more dependent on wage income and less on family based structure typical of farm economy (SSA 2016).…

    • 1236 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With improved living conditions and innovative medical discoveries, Americans have been living longer than ever; the life expectancy of an average American is almost eighty years old. Not only that, but Americans are also having less children and retiring at early ages. Because of these factors, individuals are utilizing Social Security funds more quickly than ever before; it is predicted that Social Security will exhaust its funds by 2034. The end of Social Security will be injurious to those, such as retirees and the disabled, who are currently relying on the agency. As a result, many argue that Social Security will no longer exist when Generation Y reaches retirement…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States Social Security, the single most depended on welfare program across America, is in danger. Researchers have discovered that the Social Security program, newly named Old Age Survivor Disability Insurance, is deteriorating. Insolvency is deemed the forthcoming issue regarding the downfall of America's largest safety net. By the year 2034, the OASDI trust fund will only be able to pay out 75% of its debt owed to the millions of Americans advancing into their retirement years (Privatizing Social Security). Politicians have addressed the impending insolvency of our nation’s welfare.…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Population Trends Paper

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages

    ("The Effect on Population Structure of Fertility, Mortality and Migration."). When it comes to mortality, people are starting to live longer lives, however many of these older years are spent living in poor health. As a result, we see a greater need for social security benefits: both retirement and disability. It is important to have a basic understanding as to how such demographics impact the social security systems funding before being able to analyze how the system may be selective towards applicants of certain ages and educational…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Development of medical technology and the increasing use of health services appealed to many Baby Boomers. According to the American Society on Aging, improvement of health care service expanded the belief that Baby Boomers would live longer (Bragg and Hansen, 2015). On the other hand, it does not mean that people increased their quality of living and health. The Boomers wanted long-term care facilities, but issues arose when Medicare did not pay for long-term service (Bragg and Hansen, 2015). Medicare only funded nursing facilities that offered services to the elderly, so there was a difference between what Medicare provided and the demand for long-term services for elderly and disabled individuals (Bragg and Hansen, 2015).…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Retirement income is something most people do not prepare for. Many people think of retirement as an age to retire and not thinking of a way to save up after their long years of working. In today’s society, families spend most of their time worrying about their present financial situation that they forget to put away savings for their retirement. The higher costs of living put a damper on building a nest egg to save for the future. Older adults did not think of the possibility of living longer due to medical advancements that are available.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Baby Bust Analysis

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The article, Baby Bust, outlines the problems of the aging populations around the world, what the causes of the aging populations are, and how some countries are trying to fix the problem. Canada, which is only one of 60 countries that are experiencing the same problem, has a declining population where fertility rates are below the number needed to keep a stable population. This story is happening in most of the industrialized nations. Aging populations cause many problems, in Germany pensions eat up a lot of the tax money and the cost of health care benefits for the elderly are expected to rise. Aging populations affect the whole society through daily life and house and consumer products.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Pathophysiology Of Aging

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages

    What used to be an anomaly of aging is the norm in the 21st-century. In 1900, economists reported the United States’ (U.S.) population was 76 million of which 3 million (4%) attained age 65 and older (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). Whereas, in the year 2000, there were about 282 million of which 35 million (12%) were age 65 and older (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). Economists explain the increased proportion of older adults living longer were due to decreases in infant and child mortality and increases in immigration (Population Reference Bureau, 2002). The U.S. population in 2050 is predicted to be 458 million (Ortman, Velkoff, & Hogan, 2014) of which 84 million (18.84%) will be age 65 and older (Administration on Aging, 2015).…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the research it was noted that this type of withdrawal also impacted fulltime employees. Often tardiness and absenteeism affect productivity. Since employees may be rated on this, it also has an effect on performance reviews, which if those are negative it can lead to turnover. Another thing they found and compared is the difference in the withdrawals for part time vs. full time employees. They believe that the effects may be different with the full time employee because they are able to spend more time with supervisors and build a deeper, more meaningful relationship with supervisors that is not based on similarities.…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social Security Policy

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Social Security is one of the biggest domestic federals programs that is funded by the largest tax paid by most workers, the largest source of income for most retirees, and is relied by the most vulnerable people of society. The program is designed to provide benefits towards the elderly, disabled, and to families with eligible workers, who have died. Unfortunately, the program is financially unstable for the upcoming decades to come. Specifically, according to a news article by, National Affairs, written by, Andrew Biggs, “ A New Vision for Social Security”, “It is therefore incumbent upon today 's policymakers to address Social Security 's fiscal problems and to ensure the program can provide what its very name promises: security, or at…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    People are living longer lives these days. They need a way to support themselves as they get older. One way is to continue working every day until the end. The other method is to plan for retirement while young so they can enjoy a leisurely retirement in their later years. Which one would work best for you?…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays