Help Address the Population’s ‘Inverted Pyramid’
By Rob Liebreich | August 27, 2024
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Alexandria Times newspaper in Alexandria, Virginia, on July 17 and it has been reprinted with permission. The article was written by senior-living executive Rob Liebreich, and though it’s clearly geared toward the Goodwin Living market, the overarching theme is universal. If you are a senior-living executive at a community with an idea for an article that you’d like to write and publish in Senior Living News you’re welcome to submit your written article or idea to our editor, Jim Nelson, at jnelson@seniorlivingnews.com. We welcome all ideas relating to senior living.
The United States is experiencing the successful aging of its older adult population and an increase in overall life expectancy as birth rates are decreasing across the globe. In 2023, the U.S. experienced the lowest birth rates in a century.
The convergence of these two demographic facts means the U.S. population will soon be inverted. Demographers call this a “population inverted pyramid.” We are shifting to a population where there are more and more older adults, and not enough young people to replace those older adults.
For those of us who serve older adults and those who are or will soon be older adults, we face a certain reality: we will be desperately seeking hands to support our older population for decades to come. Alexandria is full of many solo agers who do not have immediate family to support their caregiving needs as they age because many older adults never married, were widowed, or divorced.
There are three approaches we need to adopt to address these demographic realities.
Engage Older Adults
We need to engage older adults as contributors to our local communities and economies. Just as the “gig economy” has created opportunities for younger people, we need to bring that same spirit of creativity to engaging older adults. Older adults are capable and have a desire to continue to be actively engaged in the economy.
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, turns 94 in August. Audrey Keith, a key dining service team member, will celebrate 54 years of dedication in August at Goodwin House Alexandria. There are a growing number of stories of 70-, 80-, and 90-year-olds actively engaged in the workforce all over Alexandria, and we need to celebrate, elevate, and generate more opportunities for this mature workforce.
Stay Active and Healthy
We need to do all we can to keep older adults physically and mentally healthy for as long as possible. Given the lack of future caregivers, older adults who can avoid the need for care for as long as possible will help themselves financially and emotionally.
Research continues to shine a light on the importance of physical movement as a key elixir for staying healthier, longer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests adults 65 and older need at least 150 minutes of physical activity weekly, including activity to strengthen muscles and improve balance. In case you think 150 minutes is a lot, it represents the amount of time it takes to watch a movie or binge watch four episodes of that amazing new show. It works out to less than 22 minutes a day.
Keeping up brain health is just as important. George Mason University’s research on Goodwin Living’s StrongerMemory program showed that people who spent an average of 23 minutes a day reading aloud for 12 weeks, writing by hand, and completing simple math saw their cognitive tests improve at a statistically significant level. The more ways we can maintain and improve cognitive scores, the less likely older adults will need to use caregiving resources in the future.
Recruit More Caregivers
We know that birth rates are down, so we, along with many countries throughout the world, will need to successfully compete for and convince caregivers from other countries to choose the U.S., and ultimately Alexandria, as a place they want to live and thrive with their own families.
At Goodwin Living, where we serve 3,000 older adults in the region, it is made possible through the hands of 1,300 team members with an estimated 40% of whom came from another country in pursuit of the American Dream.
The reality of the demographics are here and will stick around at least until 2060, so we need to collectively pull together for the best chance of success. Expanding our view of older adults in the workforce, committing to a preventative healthcare approach and rolling out the international welcome carpet to the global workforce will determine whether we succeed or fail in the coming years. Time to start today.
