The Boomer Time Bomb Arrives

They were a time bomb ticking away as soon as they were born in the post-WWII period, and now that the early Boomers are approaching 70, like Angelica, it’s shameful that planners did not make provision for the social crisis in health and housing that they are now spearheading.

“We early Boomers spearheaded the social revolution of the 1960s and 70s,” says Angelica, “and because we promoted drugs, divorce and zero population growth we, as a group, have a higher rate of people who are childless, single and suffering drug related health problems than any other age group.”

“Despite the social revolution that started in the 1960s, society still operates as if it’s a coupled world and families are there to take care of you,” explains Angelica. “Very little sympathy is extended to a single person who becomes vulnerable through illness or accident. It’s assumed that someone exists somewhere to take care of you, but that’s not always the case.”

“Married seniors, even if they’re not happily married, do provide protection, advocacy and company for each other,” says Angelica. “It’s single seniors, like myself, who are found dead in apartments weeks after they’ve fallen ill or had an accident; and that’s why we need access to appropriate accommodation and care, just like the previous generation had.”

“All it takes is an unexpected incident to render you vulnerable,” says Angelica. “Whether you're a single senior by choice or circumstances, with or without adult children, an illness or accident can render you virtually helpless overnight. Suddenly, you no longer feel confident or happy about living independently; you can't afford to pay for the extra services you now need; and when you check out senior accommodation options you can’t believe that nothing suitable exists for you.”

“Unlike married seniors whose aged care needs are largely met by each other and who can opt for retirement villages where they can retain independence while enjoying the company of other aged couples,” explains Angelica, “single seniors in a vulnerable situation need a family-type environment, ideally provided by assisted living facilities, where company, safety, security and services such as meals, cleaning and heavy laundry are provided.”

“Unfortunately, assisted living facilities are now geared for the generation before ours (80+ seniors), not our age group,” explains Angelica, “and because of this you feel pushed prematurely into the arms of the Grim Reaper.”

“It is very likely that 80+ seniors will outlive their Boomer children,” says Angelica. “This is simply because they received the best possible care and accommodation at the appropriate age (the age that their children are now entering).”

“Lobbying governments and private enterprises to address our needs takes time and perseverance, which we don't always have,” says Angelica. “So before the Grim Reaper claims us we need to help ourselves but unfortunately the ‘cons’ of our alternative options (shared accommodation, serviced rooms/apartments, group living, finding a mate, home-care, living with family, etc) far outweigh the ‘pros’.”

“To put it bluntly, our alternative options suck.”

“After an illness or accident, independence becomes a liability for a 60+ single senior for the first time in their life,” says Angelica. “Death becomes your stalker. You're terrified at the prospect of dying alone in isolation before you qualify for the companionship and care that assisted living facilities provide; or, worse still, bypassing assisted living facilities altogether and going straight into a nursing home or hospice.”

“The assisted living facilities our parents entered at our age are now, in effect, de facto nursing homes,” says Angelica. “It's obvious to anyone who has visited these places that more than half of their residents should not be there. This may be because there is a lack of dementia specific facilities and nursing home beds, but the most salient factors are reluctance of the 80+ residents to admit they’re on their last legs as well as reluctance of families to pay the extra cost involved in caring for their loved ones in a more appropriate nursing home.”

“In effect, the 80+ population – practically nonexistent 20 years ago as a significant population group – has redefined not only the aged care industry but also the whole concept of ‘old age’,” says Angelica. “This is great for them, but awful for us Boomers (especially vulnerable singles) because we are not only being denied the services that they enjoyed at our age but we are also being denied the dignity that being old warrants.”

“Us early Boomers feel severely disadvantaged by the age care crisis caused by lack of planning,” says Angelica. “With the incredible medical advances that have led to more and more seniors 80+ living longer and staying far longer in assisted living facilities than their frail condition warrants, planners had a double-duty to plan ahead for the care and accommodation of the massive Boomer generation and they’ve failed us miserably.”

“At 60+ you're not considered old enough to need any sort of aged care, even if you’re on your last legs,” explains Angelica, “but this is only because the whole industry is geared towards supporting the fastest growing age cohort in society – the 80+ population.”

“Nothing exists in-between retirement villages (which cater for independent seniors, mainly married couples, and offer little more than what we want to move away from) and assisted living facilities which cater mainly for ex-retirement villagers 80+ who can no longer take care of themselves and, as such, are essentially de facto nursing homes.”

“If more facilities suitable for younger seniors are not built soon,” says Angelica, “we’ll not only have an aged care crisis but a generation war too.”

Read more of Angelica's story:

Three Score Years and Ten