Book Summary:
"Old simply isn't what it used to be," writes gerontologist Ken Dychtwald, bestselling author of Age Wave. In the 20th century, the number of Americans ages 65 and older increased from 3 million to 33 million. This number is likely to double by 2035! After 30 years in the field of aging, Dychtwald is convinced that "'Age Power' will rule the 21st century" and that "dramatic anti-aging breakthroughs" in supernutrition, hormone replacement, gene therapy, bionics, and organ cloning will be discovered in the near future. This all sounds like wonderful news, except that Dychtwald fears that "we are woefully unprepared" for the aging of the boomers. He sounds a wake-up call to "the five social train wrecks we need to prevent." For example, society will face epidemics of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's (14 million Americans will have it by the mid-21st century). Tens of millions will live their long, last years in poverty. And living longer will be worthless if the elderly spend their last decades doing little more than watching television--40 million retirees average 43 hours a week of TV now! Age Power describes the aging-related dangers ahead of us and solutions (both social and personal) for preventing them. "Tips to age-proof your life" at the end of many chapters help you put the points into action. "Many of the painful, punishing challenges of old age could be prevented if informed choices were made earlier in life," says Dychtwald, and although this serious book is not easy reading, it will help you make much more informed choices. --Joan Price The bestselling author of Age Wave reveals how the aging of the baby-boom generation will forever reshape our homes, families and businesses--and how we can be ready.
In the past, few people had a chance to "age." Throughout 99 percent of human history, the average life expectancy was less than eighteen years. Today, however, we are witnessing an unprecedented generational shift. In America, the largest generation in history--the baby boomers--is fast approaching its senior years, in which the elderly will routinely live well beyond their eighties and nineties. While this is an exciting new stage, it begs uncomfortable questions:
-- With advances in longevity, at what age should people be considered "old" and therefore eligible for "old age" entitlements?
-- How can we adjust work, retirement, education, marriage, and family relations to accommodate tens of millions of us living to eighty--or one hundred?
-- What will we do when millions of Americans outlive the money set aside in their pensions and retirement plans?
-- How can we transform our health-care system to be ready for the coming onslaught of Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases?
-- What useful and productive roles can we create for elderly boomers, so that the age wave they are producing creates rich opportunities rather than crushing problems?
In this breakthrough book, Dychtwald explains how individuals, businesses, and governments can best prepare for the challenges of a new era in which the priorities will be set based on the needs and desires of the elderly. He surveys how we each must make individual decisions right now to "age proof" our families and ourselves. |