Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Age Management
Joseph Coughlin and G Force
Boston Globe
January 4, 2010

Overview: “Joseph Coughlin aims to reinvent the way we live, work, and play as we age.”
http://tinyurl.com/yec9jbo

Editorial: The baby boomers come of old age
Financial Times
January 3, 2010

Overview: “This year marks the start of the decade when – if the penny has not dropped already – employers will realise they are not just dealing with an ageing workforce, but with an ageing workforce much of which will want to work on.”
http://tinyurl.com/yed4wrv

How to Train the Aging Brain
Barbara Strauch
New York Times
December 29, 2009

Overview: “Over the past several years, scientists have looked deeper into how brains age and confirmed that they continue to develop through and beyond middle age.”
http://tinyurl.com/y8lot25

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Health Spending Rises in 2008, but at Slower Rate
Robert Pear
New York Times
January 4, 2010

Overview: “By slowing the growth of health spending, the recession achieved what a generation of public officials tried unsuccessfully to accomplish. But in their annual report on the topic, federal officials said the deceleration in health spending was a result of the soft economy, and they did not cite any factors that would alter the long-term outlook for continued increases in health spending as baby boomers age and doctors make greater use of new medical technology to treat patients.”
http://tinyurl.com/ykvhlgg

It’s boom times, Granny
Alex Beam
Boston Globe
January 5, 2010

Overview: “Watch out, granny. Watch out, grandpa. En garde, each and every member of the so-called Greatest Generation, with your trillions of dollars of net worth. This is going to be your Year of Living Dangerously.”
http://tinyurl.com/yacq8mb

Investing in seniors' golden years
Cathy Gainor
The Examiner
January 5, 2010

Overview: “Over the next decade, the mighty baby boomers, more than 80 million strong, will enter their golden years. With life expectancy on the rise -- today's 65-year-old can expect to live about 19 more years, on average -- an aging population will put a huge strain on an already beleaguered federal budget.”
http://tinyurl.com/yc2wtnn

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Americans Grow Less and Less Satisfied at Work
Phil Izzo
Wall Street Journal
January 5, 2010

Overview: “The decline [in job satisfaction] … spans all age groups. ‘These numbers do not bode well given the multigenerational dynamics of the labor force,’ says Linda Barrington, a managing director at the Conference Board. ‘The newest federal statistics show that Baby Boomers will compose a quarter of the U.S. work force in eight years, and since 1987 we’ve watched them increasingly losing faith in the workplace.’”
http://tinyurl.com/y8r43rk

Staying power: Older moms aim to live longer
Linda Carroll
MSNBC
January 5, 2010

Overview: “The number of older moms has steadily increased over the past 30 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Between 1976 and 2006, the birth rate among women ages 35 to 44 more than doubled. In 1976, for instance, there were 190 births per 10,000 women 35 to 39. By 2006 that number had climbed to 473 births per 10,000 women.”
http://tinyurl.com/yaftmrz

Media Consumers: Under-Valued But Over-Profitable
Stephen Reily
Engage Boomers
January 4, 2010

Overview: “Year-end events reminded me of the ongoing importance of Boomer consumers to mainstream media businesses. Boomer music fans and moviegoers are not just a fast-growing demographic; their patterns of media consumption also make them the most profitable media consumers -- and deserving much more attention.”
http://tinyurl.com/y95bmxa

10 Reasons To Put 'Em In Your '10 Plan
Matt Thornhill
Engage Boomers
December 28, 2009

Overview: “In the last year we think marketers have experienced enough "pain" to their bottom line to examine the opportunities of targeting Boomers, or those over 50. To help in that examination, we offer 10 reasons Boomers need to be part of your marketing plan in 2010.”
http://tinyurl.com/y989az3

How do you define your freedom? What does freedom mean to you as you age? Do you feel more restricted and less free than in your younger years?

As you find yourself increasingly dealing with age-related issues and decisions that may change how you think and live now and in your future, we invite you to share your comments on growing older and how it’s affecting your outlook on life. To kick-off the conversation, Eileen Marcus shares her thoughts below.

FREEDOM’S JUST ANOTHER WORD …
… For nothing left to lose. That was my mantra for life. When I was young, it meant way open vistas of life unlived, people I hadn’t yet met and loved, and places still to be seen and experienced. Freedom was all that and the knowledge that I had years to do it all. But with this view from the other side of sixty, freedom has new meaning for me and not all of it positive.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Thank God For The Boomerang Channel!
Michael Musto
The Village Voice
January 6, 2010

Overview: “I usually don't channel-hop past 100, but the other day I did so out of sheer boredom, and at 109 I came across Boomerang, a living museum for all the cartoons baby boomers like me grew up on.”
http://tinyurl.com/y8w4smr

A High Tech Answer for "I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up"
Lance Ulanoff
PC Magazine
January 6, 2010

Overview: “It's no secret that the world's baby-boomers are now part of a rapidly aging generation, one that's quickly passing from middle into old age. As more and more of us approach dotter age, the need for elder-care becomes that much more pressing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly one-third of the U.S.'s over-65 population fall each year, some suffering injuries serious enough to require hospitalization.”
http://tinyurl.com/ydglpqk

Top 10 stories on the Boomer Consumer for 2009
Rita R. Robison
Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 5, 2010

Overview: Rita Robison highlights the most popular 2009 posts appearing in Seattle Post Intelligencer’s Boomer Consumer blog.
http://tinyurl.com/y8nj6q7

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

A Dreary Decade's Long Shadow
Ronald Brownstein
The National Journal
January 9, 2010

Overview: "Two principal forces are recasting America's complexion. One is making the U.S. grayer: the aging of the Baby Boomers, who in coming years will vastly increase the over-65 share of the population. The second is making America less white."
http://tinyurl.com/y85okcx

Baby Boomers Still Doing Drugs as Seniors
HealthDay News
January 8, 2010

Overview: "Almost 5 percent of aging Baby Boomers in the United States are abusing drugs, a new government report shows. That’s about 4.3 million adults over the age of 50 who are smoking marijuana, abusing prescription medication and engaging in other illicit drug activity -- a number that far exceeds that of their parents' generation."
http://tinyurl.com/yetpwhg

Seeking Greener Pastures
Michael Winerip
New York Times
January 10, 2010

Overview: Boomers cope with unexpected, late life changes from job loss to dating.
http://tinyurl.com/yexzfdt

Workouts For Your Brain
Bonnie Rochman
Time Magazine
January 18, 2010 Edition

Overview: "With a host of companies trying to tap into baby boomers' fear of senior moments, the growth in cognitive-fitness products has as much to do with aging consumers as it does with the discovery that adult brains can generate new cells."
http://tinyurl.com/ybzkg4k

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Mr. Rogers Lied to Us
Jen Kim
Psychology Today
January 11, 2010

Overview: “The repercussions of this mindset vary. In business, the baby boomers (our bosses) must learn to treat their youthful workers with cajolery and gentle guidance. They become therapists instead of authorities.”
http://tinyurl.com/ybdd23r

Marketing to baby boomers just smart business
Mark Ellis
Appleton Post Crescent
January 11, 2010

Overview: “Today I would like to share marketing to the baby boomer generation: those born between 1946 and 1964, a generation that, unlike the senor market, is not overlooked, but sometimes, mis-marketed to.”
http://tinyurl.com/ya2e74w

Cellphone use for shopping up: Motorola
Phil Wahba
Reuters
January 11, 2010

Overview: “Motorola found that 64 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 had used their mobile phones while shopping in the preceding two weeks, and about a third of Baby Boomers, or people over the age of 50, also used cell phones.”
http://tinyurl.com/y9xg7en

Grandparents put aside yesterday's labels
Joe Burris
Baltimore Sun
January 9, 2010

Overview: Many of today’s grandparents opt for non-traditional labels, taking “to foreign-language versions of "grandmother" and "grandfather." For many, it means connecting with their ethnic roots; for others, such words are just easy to pronounce or sound good.”
http://tinyurl.com/yk6mwd8

Passing along life's lessons
Sandy Banks
Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2010

Overview: “As a woman who hasn't managed yet to thank her Facebook friends for last year's birthday greetings, it seemed odd to be online this week making arrangements to let them know when and where my funeral will be.”
http://tinyurl.com/y9e7wu9

Continuing our series “Freedom as we Age”, another perspective on aging and freedom follows below.

GOING GRAY GOLDEN GIRLS STYLE
By Samantha Palans

I can’t exactly speak from direct experience about aging and its potential to wreck havoc on my personal freedom.

I only recently discovered the first silver strand in my otherwise brunette mane-- a dramatic experience, but no doubt due to some freak accident or bleach conspiracy. That’s what I’m telling myself and I bribed my hairdresser to confirm it. The power of third-party validation cannot be underestimated even when it’s a flat out lie. So, perhaps denial (supported by a loyal hairdresser) is the first step in growing older.

That said, I recognize I -- as well as my fellow Gen X’ers -- will at some point have to face living in old age. We can’t avoid it so why not embrace it? I know this is easy for me to say as I type this with my nimble, non-arthritic fingers, but I want to grow old Golden Girls style.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Some doctors drop patients on Medicare
Suzanne Hoholik
Columbus Dispatch
January 12, 2010

Overview: “There are about 45 million Medicare beneficiaries, including 1.5 million in Ohio. With baby boomers aging, the number is expected to explode in coming years.” An Ohio State Medical Association contact said that while doctors aren’t dropping Medicare patient, it’s a growing trend.
http://tinyurl.com/yd9g2ch

Baby Boomers' Treatment Needs May Double
Buddy T
About.com
January 12, 2010

Overview: “As the Baby Boomer generation continues to grow older, the percentage of older Americans who use illicit drugs is increasing dramatically. According to a new study, this could mean that substance abuse treatment services required for adults 50 and over may double by the year 2020.”
http://tinyurl.com/y9yewa3

A recent US News & World Report Money article quoting Ken Dychtwald stirred up the readers. Dychtwald, author of 16 books on aging, said that though times look bleak for boomers, he predicts a high quality of life. He paints a rosy picture of semi retirement, flourishing new businesses and twenty bonus years to enjoy it all.

You have to respect Mr. Dychtwald as he’s one of the major league boomer marketing consultants in the country. But in their posted blog responses, Paul, Bruce and Chris gave that point of view the heave-ho. One blamed financial insecurity, another loss of America’s manufacturing equity and finally acquisition mania as sad mileposts in the boomer’s coming of age.

My point is that there’re two sides to this story. For sure, marketers will look at these big, bigger, biggest population numbers marching into golden years and play to their new appetites. Question is, will those in the demographic swell have the funds to buy into it all?

-Eileen Marcus

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Defining Diversity: Beyond Race And Gender
Kevin Whitelaw
National Public Radio
January 13, 2010

Overview: “While diversity has traditionally referred to categories like race and gender, companies and diversity experts are increasingly considering a wide range of factors from age and sexual preference to disabilities and even weight.”
http://tinyurl.com/yff7l92

Alzheimer's Disease, Where America Stands
Jonathan LaPook
CBS News
January 12, 2010

Overview: “One in eight Americans over age 65 will eventually develop Alzheimer's disease. Starting next year, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65 years old each day. That means over the next four decades the number of patients could triple - to 16 million.”
http://tinyurl.com/ybe9tas

20 questions: Tom Brokaw
Kris Kitto
The Hill
January 12, 2010

Overview: Tom Brokaw participates in an interview with Kris Kitto regarding current projects, one of which will be a documentary on baby boomers.
http://tinyurl.com/ydqegr5

Subaru Comes Off Big 2009, Updates Forester
Associated Press
January 12, 2010

Overview: “Subaru branched out from the crunchy-granola, strap-your-kayak-to-the-roof crowd and marketed itself to baby boomers downsizing from truck-based sport utility vehicles made mainly by Detroit automakers.”
http://tinyurl.com/ydcwuyd

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Letters to the Editor: The joys and challenges of caring for an elderly parent
Paul S. Frommer
Washington Post
January 14, 2010

Overview: “Like many of us baby boomers, I, too, am confronted with providing care for an aging parent.”
http://tinyurl.com/y8mw9pl

Rethinking Ways to Give Wisely
Amy Feldman
BusinessWeek
January 13, 2010

Overview: “Baby boomers have become used to getting advice on their finances, yet there are few places to turn for philanthropic advice for those giving less than $1 million.”
http://tinyurl.com/yds43hk

A Peek Behind The Curtain; What Do Future Consumers Look Like
Jack Loechner
Research Brief
January 13, 2010

Overview: “Falling fertility, combined with rising life expectancy and the large Baby Boom generation just nearing retirement age, equates to an aging population. By 2037, nearly one in three households in the U.S. will be headed by someone over the age of 65.”
http://tinyurl.com/y9lonsc

2010: The year women come into their own
Bill Schmick
Advocate Weekly
January 13, 2010

Overview: “Congratulations! As of this year, women officially control the majority of privately owned financial assets in this country. Not only is that wealth an awesome responsibility, but it also presents women, especially Baby Boomers age 45 and over, with an enormous opportunity.”
http://tinyurl.com/ybry7y6

In Britain or France, my aging mother would have gotten better health care
Sara Mansfield Taber
Washington Post
January 10, 2010

Overview: “Like many American women of my generation, I struggled to figure out how to best care for my aging mother.”
http://tinyurl.com/ycr8enh

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Buff boomers
Mark Fadden
Star-Telegram
January 14, 2010

Overview: “While many Baby Boomers may be headed toward the slow lane of retirement, it seems they are moving into the fast lane when it comes to fitness. According to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, the 50-plus age group is the fastest growing segment of the health club market.”
http://tinyurl.com/ybl4eel

On Vacation and Looking for Wi-Fi
Michael Winerip
New York Times
January 14, 2010

Overview: “Whether we want to or not, most boomers have had to embrace technology. But the promise, that it’s making our lives easier? A lie. Indeed, I’m convinced the opposite is true, that we’re working harder.”
http://tinyurl.com/ycpraoj

Economists tell Fla. legislators that the state's glory days are over; tougher times ahead
Brent Kallestad
Associated Press
January 15, 2010

Overview: “University of Florida economist David Denslow said a big part of the Florida economy over the next 20 years will be providing services for some 3.5 million "baby boomers" retired in the state.”
http://tinyurl.com/ye2ahjn

Small cars dominate amid changing demographics
Bryce G. Hoffman, Alisa Priddle and Robert Snell
Detroit News
January 15, 2010

Overview: “The two biggest customer groups today are baby boomers, many of whom are downsizing, and young people who do not yet need the hauling capacity of a larger vehicle.”
http://tinyurl.com/y8povr2

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby boomers will create a joint replacement boom
Virginia Rohan
NorthJersey.com
January 18, 2010

Overview: “According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, more than 700,000 primary total hip and knee replacements are performed in the United States each year, “and demand for the surgery is expected to double in the next 10 years.”
http://tinyurl.com/ycdqxqg

Make It Experiential
Jim Gilmartin
Engage Boomers
January 18, 2010

Overview: “The 18-to-49 age group has been the Holy Grail since the 1950s. Today, the baby boomer generation makes up about one-third of the U.S. population but it controls three-fourths of the wealth. It wields $2 trillion in annual buying power. Nevertheless, frustration is mounting because the $275 billion ad industry still gears only 10% of ads toward 50-plus customers.”
http://tinyurl.com/yhhb9up

Demand for Beach age-restricted housing over, builders say
Aaron Applegate
Virginia Pilot
January 18, 2010

Overview: “When real estate was hot, upscale, age-restricted developments were all the rage. Planning boards loved the quasi-retirement communities aimed at baby boomers for their promise of increasing the tax base without adding kids to burgeoning schools and cars to crowded roads.”
http://tinyurl.com/yenyquv

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Business Is Booming For Big Drug Negotiators
Matt Sepic
National Public Radio
January 20, 2010

Overview: “If your health insurance covers prescriptions, you are probably a customer of a pharmacy benefit management company. These are third-party administrators for prescription drug programs, and they make up one of the few industries growing during this recession. These so-called PBMs are now poised for even more growth, as baby boomers age and Congress prepares to insure more Americans.”
http://tinyurl.com/yd2bkzt

Boomers Mix TV with Their PCs
eMarketer
January 20, 2010

Overview: “Boomers are aging, but they still dominate the US population both online and offline. They make up 32.5% of the US adult population, but 36% of the online adult population and account for about one-third of Web traffic on a typical day.”
http://tinyurl.com/ycyjqr8

Emeritus To Be Part-Owner With Blackstone In Sunwest Deal
Joan E. Solsman
Dow Jones Newswires
January 19, 2010

Overview: “Overall, the fundamentals for senior housing look good with plenty of aging baby boomers expected to fuel demand.”
http://tinyurl.com/ye2x6v8

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Best Reunion Looks Focus on the Now
Samantha Critchell
Associated Press
January 21, 2010

Overview: “Reunions are a source of excitement and dread that so many people — from recent grads to Baby Boomers and beyond — can relate to.”
http://tinyurl.com/yceo6hk

Bust of the Baby Boomer Economy: "Generation Spend" Tightens Belt
Jessica Rao
CNBC.com
January 21, 2010

Overview: “With millions of Baby Boomers entering or nearing retirement in the coming years, a three-decade old pattern of consumer spending is likely to change dramatically, as disposable income not only declines but shifts from discretionary areas such as retail to more essential ones like health care.”
http://tinyurl.com/y8fwfnx

Boomers see retirement later, less likely
Helen Chernikoff
Reuters
January 20, 2010

Overview: ‘People just starting to consider retirement are less optimistic about their ability to stop working than older people, but many still want to move when they reach traditional retirement age, according to a survey commissioned by homebuilder Pulte Homes Inc.”
http://tinyurl.com/yaoy4sq

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT: Aging Baby Boomers Need A Bucket Brigade
Max Alexander
Dow Jones Newswires
January 22, 2010

Overview: “For decades, financial planners helped baby boomers build their nest eggs. Now, as those same folks age, advisers are increasingly preoccupied with plotting how to distribute that wealth in retirement.”
http://tinyurl.com/yk94xza

Healthcare displaces information technology as favorite of venture capitalists, report says
Robert Faturechi
Los Angeles Times
January 22, 2010

Overview: “Talk of streamlining hospital record-keeping, in particular, opened the window for potentially lucrative ventures. … Healthcare investment may have also enjoyed a boost because of the bump in baby boomers reaching retirement age.”
http://tinyurl.com/yhgrc7e

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Rough outlines
Steve Kerch
MarketWatch
January 25, 2010

Overview: “If your idea of a dream retirement home is a luxury contemporary overlooking a championship golf course in the desert, you better be prepared for some mighty small block parties: When it comes to retirement living, golf courses are out.”
http://tinyurl.com/yew4tuj

Aging Bikers Taking to the Streets on Beefy Trikes
Daisy Nguyen
Associated Press
January 24, 2010

Overview: “Motorcycle industry experts say they expect to see more trikes on the road in the coming years as baby boomers, the largest group of motorcycle owners in the country, age out of their two wheelers.”
http://tinyurl.com/yb6y6eq

By Guest Blogger, Stephen Reily, CEO of VibrantNation.com, The largest online community for women 50+

We’re all familiar with the dated stereotypes that keep many mainstream companies from delivering Boomers the products they really want. But even when companies succeed with innovations that defy those stereotypes, there is another challenge that can deny Boomers access to their products: Retailers who don’t know where to put them.

I was reminded of this phenomenon recently at the Silvers Summit conference (focused on technology for Boomers and Seniors) at this year’s giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

The Diagnosis: 'Boomeritis'
Matt Thornhill
Engage Boomers
January 25, 2010

Overview: “Boomers are coming face-to-face with the reality that, at age 50 and beyond, the warranty on the equipment is running out. Vision, hearing, knees, hips and other component parts need upgrades if not complete replacement.”
http://tinyurl.com/yc43ale

Why Baby Boomers Should Rethink Retirement
Deborah Kotz
U.S. News & World Report
January 25, 2010

Overview: “The Census Bureau forecasts that the 65-and-over population will rise from 38.7 million in 2008 to 88.5 million by 2050 and that the 85-and-over slice will swell from 5.4 million to 19 million. The actual size of this "age wave," though, could reach tsunami proportions, if a December study from the healthcare policy journal Milbank Quarterly turns out to be prescient.”
http://tinyurl.com/ycllbeh

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Homebuilders Target Baby Boomers with New Amenities and Activities
Diana Olick
CNBC
January 26, 2010

Overview: “The economic recession and the housing depression will cause many Baby Boomers to push back retirement several years, but that doesn't mean they're not still eyeing and buying homes built specifically for retirees.”
http://tinyurl.com/yecoj9z

Study: Boomers' hearing is better than previous generation
Doug Stanglin
USA Today
January 26, 2010

Overview: “A recently published study on hearing loss among adults indicates that rock music may not have taken as big a toll on the Boomer generation as some may have thought.”
http://tinyurl.com/y9z3jsj

How Much Will Medicare Spending Rise in the Coming Decade?
James A. White
Wall Street Journal
January 26, 2010

Overview: “The CBO budget report released today says the growth in Medicare and Medicaid spending during the next decade ‘will be somewhat slower than the average rate seen over the past 10 years.’”
http://tinyurl.com/ybx8em9

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Baby Boomers Get Connected with Social Media
eMarketer
January 28, 2010

Overview: Boomers are jumping on the social media bandwagon at ever increasing rates with some 47 percent of online boomers maintaining a profile on at least one social networking site, according to several recent reports.
http://tinyurl.com/yej24qv

Tom Brokaw Reports: Boomer$ will Premiere March 4 on CNBC
CNBC.com
January 14, 2010

Overview: Tom Brokaw’s new baby boomer documentary debuts March 4, 2010 at 9pm EST on CNBC with additional air dates March 5-8, 2010 (check local listings). The program “tells the story of history’s wealthiest and most influential generation.”
http://tinyurl.com/yej3ov5

Top News From Today's "Boomiverse"

Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: Assisted Living for Aging Parents
Roger Fortuna & Katie Escherich
Good Morning America
January 28, 2010

Overview: “"Good Morning America's" new series "Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk" tackles tough topics on aging parents. And few subjects are more difficult to broach than the question of assisted living: When is it time to get your parents help or move them to a senior residence?”
http://tinyurl.com/ybqkuxp

Is that Right? Loud music ruined baby boomers' hearing?
Jennifer LaRue Huget
Washington Post
January 29, 2010

Overview: “Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health found that rates of hearing loss have actually been decreasing over the past decades.”
http://tinyurl.com/yakskp9

Homebuilders hope boomers beat path to their door like they once did
Steve Brown
Dallas Morning News
January 28, 2010

Overview: “Baby boomer buyers fueled a big run-up in U.S. home construction and sales in the 1970s and 1980s. Now beleaguered homebuilders say they're hoping aging boomers, who are just entering retirement age, will once again give them robust housing sales.”
http://tinyurl.com/yaw6v4d

Fox most trusted Baby Boomer TV news source
Paul Briand
Examiner.com
January 28, 2010

Overview: A new study “shows that Baby Boomers have an even greater affinity for Fox News than the general population: 52 percent of Baby Boomers trust Fox, 33 percent don't.”
http://tinyurl.com/ydtttbh

By Samantha Palans

We’ve all heard the numbers: Baby Boomers are a force some 78 million strong and represent a $2 trillion plus buying force. Although these statistics strongly underscore the overwhelming importance of businesses marketing to older generations, recent Web chatter suggests many are overlooking the demographic.