Life Comes At You Fast Guest Lecture
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Transcript of Life Comes At You Fast Guest Lecture
Life Comes at You Fast: A Life Course Perspective on Aging
Carol L. Jenkins, PhDAssociate Professor, School of Social Work
Associate Director for Educational Programs,
Center on Aging
East Carolina University
Why Do We Care About Aging?
Life comes at you fast
What Is “Old”?
Chronological age Social roles Functional age Subjective age
Why Do We Care about Aging?
Changing age structure: 65+1900: 4.1%2000: 12.8%By 2030: 20%
Why Do We Care about Aging?
Changing age structure: 85+By 2040 the 85 and older population will
quadruple in size to nearly 14,000,000
Why Do We Care about Aging?
Changing age structure: 100+2004: 95,000 centenarians2050 projections: 1.15 million
Source: National Centenarian Awareness Project
http://www.adlercentenarians.org/
U.S. Population:2006
Projected U.S. Population:2040
Why Do We Care about Aging?
Families Workplace Policy
Why Do We Care about Aging?Families
More years in intergenerational roles
Why Do We Care about Aging?Families More years in intergenerational roles High divorce rates
Marital Status, 65+
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Married Widowed Nevermarried
Divorced
Men
Women
Why Do We Care about Aging?Families
More years in intergenerational roles High divorce rates Blended families
Why Do We Care about Aging?Families
More years in intergenerational roles High divorce rates Blended families Primary source of care for older
relatives80%-85% of community-based care
Why Do We Care about Aging?Workplace
Increasing labor force participation by womenConflict with caregiving demands
Why Do We Care about Aging?Workplace
Increasing labor force participation by womenConflict with caregiving demands
Aging labor force
Why Do We Care about Aging?Workplace
Increasing labor force participation by womenConflict with caregiving demands
Aging labor force Growth in aging-related careers
Why Do We Care about Aging?Policy
Social Securitywithout it, 40% of older people would be
in povertyONLY source of income for
9% of older married couples 20% of older unmarried men 25% of older unmarried women
Why Do We Care about Aging?Policy Social Security Medicare
Part A: hospital, some nursing home & home health care
Part B: physicians, outpatient servicesPart C: managed carePart D: prescription drugs
Why Do We Care about Aging?Policy Social Security Medicare Medicaid
Joint federal/state About 2/3 of Medicaid spending is on long-
term care, making it the primary public source of financing for long-term care
Life Course Framework
The interaction ofhistorical events individual opportunities and decisionsthe effect of early life experiences
in determining later life outcomes
Terms
CohortGroup of individuals experiencing the same
event within the same time interval
Terms
CohortGroup of individuals experiencing the same
event within the same time interval Age cohort
All individuals born during the specific time period experience major life events at the same age
Age Cohorts: Historical Events Swing Generation
1900-1926 83-109 years of age
Silent Generation 1927-1945 64-82 years of age
Baby Boomers 1946-1964 45-63 years of age
Age Cohorts:Opportunities Swing Generation
1900-1926 83-109 years of age
Silent Generation 1927-1945 64-82 years of age
Baby Boomers 1946-1964 45-63 years of age
Age Cohorts: Early Life Experiences Swing Generation
1900-1926 83-109 years of age
Silent Generation 1927-1945 64-82 years of age
Baby Boomers 1946-1964 45-63 years of age
Cumulative Disadvantage
Life course assumes a cumulative effect of lifetime events, opportunities, and choices
Cumulative Disadvantage
Life course assumes a cumulative effect of lifetime events, opportunities, and choices
Inequality (e.g., wealth, health) greatest among the old
Cumulative Disadvantage
Life course assumes a cumulative effect of lifetime events, opportunities, and choices
Inequality (e.g., wealth, health) greatest among the old
Disadvantage early in liferesults in disadvantage in old agepersists over generations
Cumulative DisadvantageResults in Inequalities
in Old Age
Inequalities in Old Age:Education
Inequalities in Old Age :Education Education is highly correlated with income
Inequalities in Old Age :Income Primary sources of retirement income
Social SecurityPensionsAssets
Inequalities in Old Age :Income Primary sources of retirement income
Social SecurityPensionsAssets
ALL ARE DEPENDENT ON LIFETIME EARNINGS
Inequalities in Old Age :Income
Inequalities in Old Age :Poverty
Inequalities in Old Age :Health
Inequalities in Old Age:Health African-American women have the highest
death rates from heart disease, breast and lung cancer, stroke, and pregnancy among women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds
American Indians are more than twice as likely to suffer from diabetes as whites
Inequalities in Old Age:Health In 2001, rates of death from heart disease
were 30 percent higher among African Americans than among whites
Latinos are more likely to be employed in high-risk occupations than any other racial or ethnic group
Inequalities in Old Age:Health Among adults, death rates for African
Americans are approximately 55 percent higher than they are for whites
In 2001, death rates from stroke were 41 percent higher among African Americans than among whites
Source: Families USA
Implications
Majority of older people are independent Only about one-third need long-term assistance
Many older people are economically stable Nearly half have incomes above 200% of the poverty level
Approximately one-fifth have some cognitive difficulties
Growth in the older population will increase demand for services – especially for those who are disadvantaged
Implications
Need to improve public education
Implications
Need to improve public education Need to reform Social Security, Medicare
Implications
Need to improve public education Need to reform Social Security, Medicare Need to provide support for family
caregivers