The AAA invited some of the worlds’ foremost design gurus to reimagine the relationship between our older selves and the built environment. Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Professor of Design Royal College of Art, opened the session by pointing out that the majority of older people will not move into specialist housing or retirement villages. Most will be obliged to make do, adapting, and retrofitting their existing properties where possible.
As soon as my parents became eligible for Medicare, my siblings and I started nudging them about planning for their future. They were healthy at the time, but we found ourselves looking at their house with a fearful eye. It had lots of steps, narrow door frames and uneven floors, and it was a hundred miles from my sister, their nearest child. We could easily imagine a nightmare unfolding.
Between 2010 and 2040, we predict the nation’s 65-plus population will grow by roughly 90 percent. This ballooning number of seniors will impact industries as diverse as health care, technology, and, especially, real estate.
When considering the next thirty years for Western New York, we must also think about Baby Boomers’ roles within that future.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that helps people 50 and older improve the quality of their lives.
Are older Americans financially prepared for their retirement years? Do they feel optimistic about the future? Several recent news articles have tackled the issue, but with all of the contradictory statistics its hard to draw a clear picture. A recent telephone poll conduced by USA Today in partnership with UnitedHealthcare and the National Council on Aging suggests that many older Americans are feeling optimistic about their lives and the future.
From the March 2, 2011, issue of The New York Times comes this article about the growing number of people becoming aware about Universal Design and the advantages it offers.