Oldest Boomers About to Turn 80

Is Central New York ready for the tsunami?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

 

Born between 1946 and 1964, the oldest members of the baby boomer generation will turn 80 in 2026.

Does the CNY area have sufficient resources available to meet their needs in older age?

Geriatrician Sharon Brangman, on the faculty at SUNY Upstate Medical University and a distinguished service professor, discussed what is available in CNY and what is still lacking.

“The biggest issue is transportation,” said Brangman, who is also chairwoman of geriatric medicine and director of the Upstate Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease. “We’re still a community where the single private car is the main source of transportation. It’s important for getting to doctor appointments, pharmacies and socializing. We don’t have that infrastructure support for public transportation.”

Poor vision, slower reflexes and limited range of motion mean giving up the keys. However, older adults still need to get to doctor’s appointments, social engagements and the grocery store. Riding a bus can make running an errand take all day, as riders must wait for others to board and get off the bus at each stop. Bus and taxi services typically do not offer any help with packages or stepping on and off the bus. And bus routes do not go to every location a person may want to go.

Ride share services can help provide transportation. However, “most older adults don’t have a smart phone, so they don’t use ride share apps,” Brangman said. “Some will have their adult children order it for them, but they feel like a burden because they’re bothering their kids.”

Some older adults continue to drive even if they are no longer safe driving because they have no other convenient means of transportation — not a good option, considering their higher rate of death and injury should they be involved in a car crash. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers aged 70 and older have a higher crash death rate than those aged 35 to 54.

Services like GoGoGrandparent.com function like a concierge, helping people link with ride sharing and food delivery. A live operator takes the call and summons help for a convenience fee, plus the cost of the service.

As people age, they tend to rely upon healthcare resources more than they did when they were younger. Considering the healthcare worker shortage exacerbated by the pandemic — when 20% of healthcare workers quit the industry — the incoming flux of older adults needing more healthcare resources may overwhelm the system.

Another way in which technology can help is telehealth, which can reduce staffing woes for healthcare providers. Telehealth is one example of ways that the healthcare system can reduce urgent care and emergency department visits. Many providers are turning to automated systems to facilitate visit reminders and prompt prescription filling. Although some older people resist using technology for telehealth, as younger Boomers age, this won’t be as big of a problem. People who retired 30 to 40 years ago were likely using technology in their day-to-day work lives.

Living in an assisted living community helps with transportation and with other types of assistance. However, not everyone wants to live in or can afford assisted living.

Aging in place at home appeals to most older adults. However, Brangman said it’s “not always feasible because of repairs that are needed and there are so few home health aides. A study showed that one of the main reasons that older adults can stay in their home is a good handyman to help when things break.”

It can also help to prepare for older age. For example, “automating” tasks such hiring a lawn care and snow removal company can prevent injury from these activities. Scheduling regular delivery of groceries and supplies can make shopping simpler. Signing up for automatic payments ensures these bills won’t be skipped.

“Get services that augment support for people to stay in their own homes, like service jobs, homecare, handyman services and food delivery,” Brangman said.