More Boomers than ever before are turning age 65 in 2024 (some 12,000 people per day), adding to the numbers of those who already have reached that milestone.
More 65-year-olds than ever
Beginning in 2011, or a dozen years ago, those individuals born from 1946-1964 – the “Baby Boomers” – started celebrating their 65th birthday. That has been a phenomenon ever since, at the rate of 10,000 additional people every day. That is, until now. This year, 2024, makes a slight but important departure from that trend. In 2024, 12,000 Boomers per day will turn 65. Then, it will return to 10,000 daily for the balance of the decade.
By the end of the current decade, just 5 additional years from now, every person who is part of the Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) will be aged 65 or more. That is phenomenal! The generation that once proclaimed many years ago not to trust anyone over 30 is now more than twice that age.
The 65 and over population is projected to outnumber the so-called school-age population (those under 18) in the next 10 years or so.
Implications for aging in place
We know that aging begins at birth and therefore aging in place does as well. As we get older, we have more options and responsibility for watching out for our well-being and maintaining it. As infants and toddlers, our world is taken care of by adults. Soon, we are those adults.
As the years pass, and as birthdays go by, we find ourselves at or approaching age 65. So it is for the Boomers.
Along the way of getting older, we are aging in place where we are living at that time. For the Boomers, they already will be aging in place at age 65 or will be doing so quite soon.
We all are aging
Each of us is aging, from the moment we are born. Therefore, we are aging in place where we are. The key then is to determine how effective that aging in place is or how effective we desire it to be.
Boomers who are turning 65, or those that already have done so – as well as all of those younger who will be approaching this threshold age in years to come, are concerned about maintaining a comfortable lifestyle where they are. Some may be planning a move in the future, but the majority of individuals are planning on aging in place where they are.
This means that the real challenge is not aging – that is happening anyway. It’s effective aging and aging in place so that our living environment provides the comfort, accessibility, and safety that we desire.