Positive Aging and Brain Fitness

Signs of the Times

While growing numbers of us are advocating for successful aging and battling aging stereotypes, there are new frustrations regularly that set back the movement. The latest entries are “Senior Crossing” signs. That’s correct…like children playing, pedestrians (seniors evidently don’t qualify), and deer crossing, motorist evidently need to be warned that there may be slow moving creatures in the area. This raises both stupidity and insensitivity to a new level.

During an online dialogue on LinkedIn, a member of the ICAA group commented that in Toronto workers are busy installing yellow caution road signs that read "Seniors" outside shopping malls, medical facilities, restaurants (especially McDonald's) and on the streets near retirement homes, aand the trend seems to be international. "Elderly Crossing" signs appear in the U.K., complete with a picture of two bent-over figures, one with a cane; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1046975/Beware-elderly-people-getting-crosser-OAPs-demand-revamp-insulting-crossing-sign.html. California uses a single bent-over figure with a cane; http://claycord.blogspot.com/2010/01/senior-crossing-in-concord-funny-sign.html.

Rather than wasting the taxpayer’s money on signage that is both offensive and unnecessary, why not spend some of that money on aging awareness training.

GM Is Without a Clue

“Misunderstanding” was the perfect designation for the tasteless, ageist, stereotype riddled Super Bowl ad for the Chevy Cruze Eco (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWsWIbnPIeA&NR=1). In 30 seconds, the company clearly communicated that it neither understood the older consumer or the demographic realities of the market place. If the ad had used racial/ethnic, gay or sexist stereotypes, the media would have gone ballistic.

By 2020, 1 in every 5 adult consumers will be over age 60. Since the baby boom has been moving steadily toward the magic age for over six decades, this should come as no surprise to either major corporations or the advertising agencies that do their bidding. Still, someone at General Motors approved a campaign that older adults (20% of the market) and anyone working in the senior living industry would find offensive. This fact was validated by a Datamonitor report, which documented that 71% of adults over age 55 felt that advertising did not reflect their current lifestyle and were turned off by the marketing messages that targeted them.

As the Boomers start turning 65 this year, conventional ideas of what it means to be 65 are increasingly untrue worldwide. What we generally hear from the media and politicians is that 65-year-olds will become a burden on the healthcare system and society. However, many 65-year-olds are contributing to the success of society and enjoying good health. Furthermore, American Boomers and their parents have $2.1 trillion in their pockets, according to the Met Life Mature Market Institute. If there is any justice, not one nickel of it should go to General Motors until they issue an apology to mature consumers.

Let the Paradigm Shift Begin

On January 1, the shift from a youth dominated market to one dominated by middle age and older people began in earnest. For the next 18 years, someone will turn age 65 approximately every 8 minutes. Why this seems to have come as a surprise to our elected leaders, business leaders and educators boggle the imagination. However, all three have pretty much failed miserably in planning for the greatest demographic shift in history.

Politically, we debate fixing a Social Security System that is grossly out of date from an actuarial perspective and generally unfunded. Medicare obligations will grow exponentially and the Medicaid outlays at the state level threaten budget solvency in many states and will get progressively worse in the next two decades. Still, few are emphasizing the importance of or providing incentives for preventive health and well being programs. Likewise advances in brain fitness programs that could delay the onset of memory loss receive little attention.

When it comes to business, there has been minimal attention to the reality that older consumers’ process information differently, and have physiological changes that affect their hearing and vision. Simplily stated, it is way past time to reconsider sales, marketing, and merchandising materials as well as how they train and educate their employees. The majority of business collateral materials utilize type is too small, improper fonts, paper that is too glossy, ineffective copy, and colors that may make it difficult to even see the message.

Finally, few educational institutions offer courses on communicating with an aging market, how life stages impact decision making or the benefits successful aging strategies that should begin early in life. There is more than enough information on how to succeed in an aging marketing; but few are yet to pursue that knowledge. Regardless of the sector you serve, there is still an excellent window of opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. However, a new paradigm will be required in order to bring the potential into focus.

 

Branding and Marketing Thoughts

About a year ago, I was interviewed by Colin Milner, Executive Director of the International Council on Active Aging. This led to an opportunity to chair a year long work group on Rebranding Aging. The results of that process was presented at a strategy meeting at the Annual Meeting in San Diego earlier this month. As the plans are formalized, I will be sharing them on this blog. In the mean time, here is a link to the interview on ICAA TV:

Ambrosius on branding and marketing on ICAA TV

ICAA TV Interview

How Pervasive Is Ageism?

I am coming to believe that age bias is much more pervasive than any of us realize. This does not mean that we consciously discriminate against older adults; however, at the subconscious level we may carry a bias much more in favor of youth. The first step in fighting ageism is for those in the field of aging to determine if they are biased.

A recent email from my mentor, David B. Wolfe reminded me that more people should be encouraged to use Harvard University's no cost assessment. In the email David stated, "most people claiming to be innocent of any charge of ageism who take the Harvard Implicit Association Test discover that in fact they do harbor ageist biases at unconscious levels of their minds. Other research supports the conclusion that ageism (like racism and other "isms") is far more pervasive than most of us realize or want to admit." Take a few minutes and see whether or not you may have an unconcious bias.

 The step is to eliminate all stereotypical terms and age references from our own publications, promotional materials and messaging. We must also be conscious of using only photos that show the resilience, wisdom and experience of older consumers. If we can not first become self-aware and make our organizations bias free, we are not likely to succeed in our effort to dramatically reduce ageism in the general media.

Zoomers or Peter Pan Syndrome?

It would seem the media in this country will go to any lengths to deny the aging of our culture. On October 18, the Huffington Post related “Tips for Staying Younger, Longer” to detail some “facts” about Zoomers – or Boomer narcissists in my view.

The article opened with the Warning: What you are about to read could very well extend your life by several years. According to the article Zoomers are “a growing segment of the baby boomer population who despite their advancing years are refusing to get old.”  

In reality, the article is about a growing fitness and wellness movement among older adults age 60 and over, which included both the Greatest and Eisenhower generations. Generally speaking, older adults have always been open to new experiences; this characteristic was not created by any fringe group of boomers.

 The author goes on to state that, “Zoomers … know true wisdom lies in the fact that learning is an elixir of youth. And who better to learn about being young, than from people who are young.” I offer a counter reality, “Old people know way more about being young than the young know about being old.” The explosive growth of Elderhostel and lifelong learning programs primarily populated by those age 70 and older blows a big hole in this theory.

Next is the claim that, “Zoomers have found a purpose that is greater than themselves.”  So Mother Teresa, Einstein, et al were slackers? Well, developmental psychologists have long documented that we tend to become more altruistic in later life. Likewise, Maslow felt self-actualization was most often found in later life. The late Dr. Gene Cohen was definitely not a Zoomer, but he most definitely pioneered the later life creativity movement with youthful exuberance.

Not surprisingly, the author missed a major factor in longevity – a positive aging self image. While all the other Zoomer “facts” play a role (exercise, diet, socialization, seeking purpose, and brain fitness) to deny one’s aging in pursuit of fading youth is the stuff of Peter Pan. Rather than holding on to the myth that you “can refuse to grow old,” let’s just redefine what aging is really all about.

The Many Dimensions of Brain Fitness

Just as physical fitness is about more than the strength of your biceps, brain fitness is much more than just the strength of your memory. To help in the definition of personal performance targets, we need to develop a better vocabulary for describing the full breadth of key brain functions. In fact, understanding this breadth is a critical piece of the brain fitness puzzle.

“Cognition” describes our “thinking” abilities- it’s about processing, coordinating, strategizing and responding to information. This includes a range of critical brain functions such as the ability to remember, pay attention, and make decisions. While there are many ways to categorize the key areas of cognition, one useful approach is to focus on the following four areas:

1. Recall measures the strength of your memory. It includes the ability to remember specific information (e.g., facts, ideas, experiences, etc.) as well as how to perform tasks (e.g., opening a door, tying your shoes, etc.).
2. Attention measures your ability to focus or concentrate while ignoring distractions and irrelevant information. Attention is a fundamental brain process that enables you to perform a wide range of activities (e.g., driving a car). Many activities require a person to divide attention among many things, while others require a shift of attention quickly from one task to another.
3. Processing Speed measures the time it takes for your brain to process information and/or respond to it. An increase in processing speed can make you feel more alert and better able to react. A decline in processing speed can make you misunderstand what people are saying, or make it difficult to follow instructions.
4. Executive Function measures high-level thinking skills such as planning, making decisions, solving problems, and reasoning. Executive function skills are required for everyday activities such as setting goals, organizing events, and playing games.

Meanwhile, “emotional well-being” describes how you “feel”. Emotional well-being allows you to calmly handle day-to-day challenges, maintain a positive outlook, adapt to change, and understand and care for others. One way to make sense of emotional well-being is to break it into five key areas:

1. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or apprehension involving physical and/or mental experiences. Anxiety appears in the form of physical symptoms (e.g., sweating) or as a feeling of increased nervous energy. Moderate, short-term anxiety is a normal part of life, but it can cause physical and psychological problems if it’s chronic.
2. Stress is a response to demands or changes in one’s environment. It involves emotional, mental, and physical components that each serve to help meet challenges. Moderate stress can be positive; for example, it enhances alertness and motivation, which increases abilities. On the other hand, longer-term or high levels of stress can weaken emotional, mental, and physical capabilities.
3. Mood can be described as a predisposition, attitude, or state of mind. It can include positive emotions like happiness or enthusiasm for everyday life. It also includes more negative states such as sadness.
4. Emotional Control includes the ability to evaluate your feelings, manage negative emotions, and handle conflict.
5. Emotional Recognition enables you to pinpoint feelings (in yourself and others) and to understand the ways in which your behavior may affect the emotions of others. This skill helps you to connect with others and better engage in social interactions.

The brain fitness movement is still in its early stages. If we want to pursue and achieve truly meaningful improvements in our capabilities over time, we need to adopt a perspective that enables us to understand, discuss, and track the full range of important brain functions.

What is Brain Fitness?

For centuries, it was assumed that mental decline and memory loss were just a natural part of aging and there was nothing that could be done. Whether or not someone became “senile” was just the luck of the draw. Once a myth is accepted as fact, it can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy – and did for decades. An insidious aspect of ageism is that it can operate without conscious awareness, control or intention to harm once the myths are accepted as fact.

A few researchers and authors railed against the “decline theory” of aging. Harvard’s Ellen Langer wrote her brilliant anti-ageism book, Mindfulness, in 1989. In the book, she shares the results of several research projects documenting that, “much of what older people experience could be the result of negative stereotypes, internalized in childhood.” Among those stereotypes studied was memory loss. As Dr. Langer observed, “When there is one ready explanation for something – being old – we rarely search for other possible causes.”

This paradigm began to change in the 1990’s as we scientists aggressively began conducting brain research to explore “other possible causes” for memory loss other than age.  In the last two decades, we have learned that not only does the brain continue making new connections between brain cells, it can grow new cells. Further studies have also documented the benefits of lifelong learning and the importance of keeping the brain active. Just as muscles grow stronger with exercise, so does the brain when engaged in brain fitness.

There is little doubt that the brain will change with age and there will be some declines, but studies show that only certain aspects of brain function actually decline. There is no sign of decline in long-term memory and knowledge retention in normal brain aging. Vocabulary has also shown to increase through at least age 60 and emotional intelligence, social skills, and self-control improve with age as well. The debate on the effectiveness of brain exercises, from crossword puzzles to expensive computer games, is ongoing, but studies have definitively shown that aerobic exercise does increase mental acuity. A study done by scientists at the University of Illinois found that 3 40-minute walks per week for six months improved memory, reasoning, and may spur the birth of new brain neurons. [1]

Dr. Mike Merzenich, founder of Posit Science, believes the recent brain fitness movement is a revolution, “It is the beginning of a great societal change in how we think about aging and how we think about making the most of our lives.” While there are new claims made almost daily about the benefits of a new computer game, vitamin, supplement or exercise, little time has been devoted to explaining what brain fitness is and how to pursue it holistically.

Brain fitness is NOT about the diagnosis or treatment of brain-related disorders. It's not just about delaying or preventing cognitive disorders. It is not just the latest memory enhancing computer game or nutritional supplement.

Brain fitness is about capability and performance. Having a fit brain means that we possess the thinking abilities and emotional well-being necessary to work productively, sustain meaningful relationships, and achieve our goals in life.

This definition of brain fitness has several important implications. First, it means that each of us can set our own performance targets. Just as a professional athlete might pursue a different level of physical fitness than an office worker, our brain fitness goals will naturally vary, depending on what each of us is hoping to achieve at each juncture in our lives.

This definition also means that brain fitness is about much more than just one or two narrow measures of brain function. Just as physical fitness is about more than the strength of our biceps, brain fitness is about much more than just memory. In order to pursue brain fitness, we need to consider all of the dimensions that define how we think (e.g. memory, attention, processing speed, problem solving) as well as how we feel (mood, anxiety, stress, etc.). The brain fitness movement is in its early stages, and we need to broaden our perspective if there is to be a meaningful impact on the health and well being of an aging society.

Finally, this means that brain fitness can (and must) be pursued through multiple modalities. Just as physical fitness is not achieved solely through the use of a bench press machine, a single activity (e.g. crosswords, computer-based brain exercises) cannot possibly provide a complete solution for maintaining or improving brain fitness. As with physical fitness, brain fitness is achieved through a wide range of different activities, proper nutrition, sound medical care, and many other lifestyle choices. Navigating through all of the scientific evidence and comparing the options is best done with the help of an expert advisor, but a comprehensive approach is clearly the best bet for achieving brain fitness.

Brain fitness is the capacity of a person to meet the various cognitive demands of life, and involves an ability to assimilate information, comprehend relationships, and develop reasonable conclusions and plans. It can be developed by formal education, being actively mentally engaged in life, continuing to learn, and exercises designed to challenge cognitive skills. Brain fitness is also accomplished with healthy lifestyle habits including mental stimulation, physical exercise, good nutrition, stress management, and sleep can improve brain fitness.

On the other hand, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, aging, decreasing estrogen, excess oxytocin, and prolonged cortisol can decrease brain fitness as well as general health. The first step in developing a brain fitness plan is to become mindful of the fact that living an active, purposeful life can dramatically improve motor abilities, strength, agility and mental responses; and then commit to a plan.

Professional fitness centers encourage people to see their physician before beginning a fitness program. When given the green light, the center then recommends a general fitness assessment to establish baseline parameters before developing a program to achieve optimum well being as well as the person’s primary personal goal which could be anything from reducing blood pressure to losing weight to looking better in a bathing suit. The same approach should be considered for creating a brain fitness program to fight future cognitive decline as much as possible.

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[1] Newsweek, June 18, 2010.

Key to Reversing Aging???

A member of the LinkedIn Changing Aging group asked me to comment on an August 23, 2010 article entitled, “Listening for the Key to Reverse Aging” by Jessica Hilo of Miller-McCune. The article is a perfect example of how the media dismisses positive news about aging – in this case by using analogies to sitcoms and condescension. Since the article demonstrates both the progress in brain research and the pervasiveness of ageism, I decided to post it here as well...

While the Neuroplasticity of the brain is now a generally accepted fact, it is not the key to "reversing aging;" nor is anything else. Aging is a biological process whereby an organism moves from a simple to a highly complex state. Physical and brain aging declines are both a part of this process; but not everyone ages the same. The problem is that way too many people age prematurely due to self inflicted physical deterioration, disease or the ravages of the "self-fulfilling prophecies" of aging that occur when adults accept and live out aging stereotypes.

My problem with the article is not with the content but the headline and conclusion. I am very familiar with the efficacy studies of the auditory cortex discussed. I did considerable research before investing in a computer program for an upscale community for older adults. We ultimately purchased the Posit Science program, which I have loaded on my personal computer and used. While we cannot reverse "aging," it appears we can reverse or delay cognitive loss by building a cognitive reserve and also increase the brain's processing speed. Posit’s research documents that use of their products can reverse the affects of cognitive decline by as much as ten years. Likewise, their programs that exercise the visual cortex have produced some impressive results. Like the body, you get the most from your brain by exercising it.

Just as it is improbable that we can "reverse aging," we can most definitely mitigate the impact of both physical and mental declines with fitness and wellness programs. I joined NeoCORTA because the company offered an affordable brain fitness assessment vehicle with which adults could evaluate their own brain fitness, identify risk factors that research indicates can result in cognitive decline and offer a holistic action plan to achieve comprehensive brain fitness. Whether or not it can be cured, wouldn't it be great if it could be delayed for 25 or 30 years? What would happen if we spent as much time and money on prevention as we did curing those things that are preventable?

The author of the article uses the analogy that this type of research is like the quest for the Fountain of Youth and so far has only benefited the "beloved aging lab rats." How sad that is the conclusion that can be drawn from such exciting research. Instead of celebrating advances in neurological research and memory, the media so long enamored with the youth culture tends to minimize the advances. Twenty years ago, the scientific and medical communities generally accepted that mental decline and memory loss was a "natural" part of the aging process. Just imagine what we may learn in the next twenty years now that we have data that dementia is not a "natural" part of brain aging.

Is Brain Fitness Bad for You?

There are times when I am convinced the media go out of their way to perpetuate aging myths and misconceptions of the aging process. Today a friend sent me a CNN article entitled, “Brain exercises delay, speed up dementia? The article related the results of a study of more than 1,100 participants aged 65 and older, none of whom had dementia when the research began.

The article reported that, “people who regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, doing puzzles, and going to museums may stave off the onset of dementia longer than people who don't. This has been shown in several other studies in the past. But here's the flip side: Those who are cognitively active also decline more rapidly when they do develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, the new study in the journal Neurology found.”

So, is that a bad thing? Wouldn’t it be better to delay dementia for 20 years and be impacted for a few months or have dementia for 20 years? Seems like a no brainer.

All the research I have seen states that NEW learning and challenging activities are necessary for an effective brain fitness program. Numerous studies, such as the Nun’s Study, have documented that in fact there are numerous positive benefits from challenging the brain and having a positive aging self esteem, which this article totally ignored.

Generally, things like learning a new language, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, travelling, reading and attending classes are examples of being cognitively active. However for this study, "cognitively active" activities included going to a museum, watching television, listening to radio, reading newspapers, reading magazines, reading books, and playing games. Watching television? Listening to the radio? I’m not convinced that years of soap operas and game shows may not actually cause dementia.

Further, the article went on to report that “The researchers did not ask participants about whether they continued to be cognitively active after the initial assessment at the start of the study.” Wouldn’t that pretty much trash any assumption that what they found out really proved anything? Instead, the article reported that, “The National Institutes of Health delivered the grim news in April that evidence on preventing the onset of Alzheimer's disease continues to be fuzzy (evidently research methodology is a little fuzzy as well), and that there is no lifestyle modification a person can make that is proved to help.”

Both the headline and portions of the article imply that being cognitively active can be potentially harmful, which is exactly the type of uncertainty that can lead to inaction and fuel the self-fulfilling prophecy that dementia is just a natural part of aging and if you fight it you will lose. This is irresponsible as best.

The Power of Ageless Terminology - Part III

In an aging marketplace, marketing messages, promotional materials and newsletter stories, should depend more on values-based messages and less on objective logic. In photos and headlines, the appeal should be emotional rather than stating facts or posing questions. A subjective lead paragraph or Rockwell type photo will pull the prospect into the ad and increase the probability that the reader will consider whatever you have to offer.

Life experience tends to teach consumers to view the world in shades of gray and to trust their feelings and emotions as they grow older. Therefore, how each person receives and responds, or not, to your message is conditional or qualified based on their worldview and beliefs; and then analyzed in the context in which it is presented. Generally speaking, mature consumers tend to use right brain functions (intuition, visuals, creative, and emotions) to screen messages before processing them rationally. If your message does not get through the screening process, you offer will not be considered.

The older mind becomes increasing context sensitive, so be sure the prospective consumers can see themselves in the story you are telling. If you focus on an exaggerated view of later life, you will leave out the vast majority of older adults who do not go skydiving or mountain climbing. This is not to encourage a sedentary look, but rather real people who are very engaged in everyday life.

Once you have the reader’s attention, you can present features and benefits; however, present only the facts, not your conclusions. For example, never use phrases such as, “you should”, “you must,” “wise consumers will”, “you need to”, “act today” or similar directive language. Creating “a sense of urgency” simply does not work on seasoned, experienced consumers. Directive language may also threaten the autonomy of the targeted consumers. While the initial response is emotional, older consumers will spend more time examining facts and figures than younger consumers once you gain their attention.  

By using inclusionary terms and conditional, conversational style, you take advantage of the mind’s irrepressible need to complete and incomplete picture. Open-ended, deferential statements are also more likely to connect with the experiential backgrounds of multiple consumer segments.

Older consumers place a high value on their experiential perceptions developed through years of sorting through offers and sales presentations. They have heard and seen it all so avoid hyperbole (terms such as new, best, latest, unique). Instead, use positive, conditional, value charge words of phrases… for all life can be, future opportunities await, designed with you in mind, etc. Text should use a clear, easy-to-read, personalized, narrative style, and involve the reader. Information should be presented in a clear and familiar way using positive statements in the active voice, and lengthy documents should be broken into short sections to aid in comprehension.

In summary, ageless marketing communications celebrate the uniqueness and worth of each individual regardless of their age.

The Power of Ageless Terminology (Part II)

To keep our conscious minds from being overloaded with unimportant information, our brains conduct what might be called information triage. Like a trauma unit that makes treatment decisions according to severity of the injuries suffered, the brain sorts through billions of bits of information each moment to select information for the conscious mind to think about.

The brain does not process words; it processes pictures and sensory data in context with the circumstances. If there is a perception that "senior" means old, frail, dependent, bingo player, or other traditional stereotypes, the mind of a the targeted customer may "exclude" whatever is associated with that word from conscious consideration if they do not view themselves as fitting the stereotype. For example, the current stereotype that frustrates marketers in the senior living industry is the common perception that “retirement community” means a place to go when your health is failing…a place for the frail – the elderly.

A targeted consumer’s eyes and ears may detect what you are trying to tell them, but unless their brains sense personal relevance, little of the message content will reach their conscious mind. Your challenge therefore is creating messages that resonate with the needs and interests of the prospect in order to make it past the mental screening process.

You can begin the slow change process by sensitizing all team members to the power, both positive and negative, of the words we use, and subsequently begin using more inclusionary terms to describe our members, communities and services while avoiding the use of exclusionary term (words shrouded in stereotypes that could be perceived negatively).

One simple test is to read your copy and eliminate all age related adjectives senior, retirement, older etc. and then re-read the same copy to see if it still makes sense. If it does, using the terms would seem offensive or demeaning on their face.

Inclusion's/conditional terms allow a people to then screen a message based on their expectations, aspirations, needs and life experience rather than preexisting stereotypes. Inclusionary terms are simply more likely to be positively perceived than the terms traditionally used in our industry.  A few examples follow:

¨Nursing home - Almost without exception, the term nursing home conjures up negative images. Assisted living is beginning suffer the same fate as stories of substandard care are shared by the media. So, don’t use it; but replace it with inclusionary descriptors like The Highlands, The Springs, etc. Skilled nursing care is a service not a brand.

¨Residents  – This is a very impersonal reference to those calling “retirement communities, nursing homes or assisted living facilities” home. While it may be acceptable during a board meeting or staff meeting, the use of terms like depositor, client, or resident terms should be eliminated from materials and signage.  Instead, try community members, neighbors, even people is preferable. As with many terms, the context in which they are used determines the appropriateness

¨Seniors, senior citizens, and elderly – the same principle applies as with residents. First, in conversation use the person’s name; in communications try customers, people, citizens or similar terms of inclusion.

¨Titles– avoid incorporating stereotypes into titles, like “retirement counselor” or “activity director”. Instead, have some fun with terms like “planning adviser” or “events coordinator”. Instead of receptionist, try “director of first impressions” or “concierge.”

¨Retirement – terms like “retirement” should only be used to establish a context. Retirement is basically the act of leaving a full-time career or leaving one profession after years of work…it is not an accurate descriptor of a life stage. While “retirement” once lasted only a few years, individuals now enjoy two or three or more decades of productive life after age 65, which is still considered traditional retirement age. Since retirement suffers from many of common aging stereotypes, avoid using it if at all possible while also explaining why. 

These are just a few examples of how the use of exclusionary terms could be costing you business, donations and profits. Even if 70% of your prospective customers have no problem with the term senior citizen, but 30% do; ask yourself, “Am I willing to give up 1/3 of my potential market on purpose?”

The Power of Ageless Terminology - Part I

 

Amazing!  It took the 64^th birthday parties of a few thousand leading edge baby boomers for corporate America and the mainstream media to finally wake up to the fact that the median age of adults in the US increased by about a decade while they were ignoring older consumers.  Today, articles and conference topics on boomers are proliferating, but understanding of the maturing marketplace has a long way to go. 

For example, are some Boomers old people? If yes, what do we call them?  Are they like other older people? What do they want?  How do we get their attention?  As the market potential becomes more and more obvious, consultants, authors and trainers are pontificating on how to capture the elusive boomer beast – still up to 18 years away from traditional retirement.

If you are searching for four easy steps or six simple typologies that will insure success in the aging marketplace, you’ll not find them here. Why? Because, the typical boomer, like the typical senior, is as much like other boomers as a snowflake is typical. Consumers become more dissimilar as they age not more alike, although they do tend to share common ‘gut level’ values.

Since so few companies have successfully targeted the older consumer, quantifiable evidence on what works best is limited. Some have explored the mature market using traditional methods only to conclude there was little potential because consumers failed to respond. They blamed neither the messenger nor the message, but the intended recipient. Likewise, millions of dollars have been spent teaching aging sensitivity without first developing an empathetic understanding of the consumer and their decision-making processes. Unfortunately, this sensitivity training often reinforces and perpetuates rather than correcting aging stereotypes.

As businesses continue to track the elusive elder beast, there will no doubt have varying degrees of success. To increase the probability of success, one must first abandon the approaches that worked so well in yesterday’s youth market; and adopt an ageless approach more likely to appeal to a maturing consumer base while not alienating other segments.

You can begin by projecting a positive, mindful image of aging. This positive image should underlie all marketing communications, collateral material, web sites, and PowerPoint presentations. Consumers tend to select products/services that reflect images of what they want to be not what they are, and this applies to older adults as well. While physiological declines are a part of life, older consumers “feel” anywhere from 15 to 25 years younger than their biological age, which doesn’t mean they think they “look” 15 to 25 years younger. Therefore, when models are either too young or engaged in extreme sports or too old and dependent, the consumer simply dismisses the message. The key is realistic people in meaningful real world activities.

Advertising and communications should focus on holistic health and well being; being productive, the importance of autonomy and involvement, the importance of relationships and being responsive to the wants, needs and aspirations of targeted consumers and stakeholders. Remember that a prospective customer will consider your initial message for from .2 to .8 of one second (your cognitive window of opportunity). Not much time to make a first impression – that is why every word and image is so important.

 

 

 

 

Wisdom?

The longer I spend in the field of aging; the more the paradoxes and anomalies bother me. I have come to believe that working in the field of aging is no guarantee that a person knows anything about the older people they serve. Oh, they know a lot about the aging process; just little about the older person, their world views and wisdom. I think this is especially in large bureaucratic government and nonprofit organizations.

I make this statement following a unique anomaly that occurred last week. I was about to write a blog entry about a new research project that documented what Tom Peters would call a “blinding flash of the obvious” for anyone that has been mindfully observing older adults. The research documented that “older adults are indeed wise – especially in knowing how to deal with conflicts and accepting life’s uncertainties and change.”

The research from the University of Michigan found that older people were more likely than younger or middle aged people to recognize that values differ, to acknowledge uncertainties, to accept that things change over time and to acknowledge others’ points of view. What struck me most about the story sharing the results was a statement that the research “suggests the critical importance of workplaces’ maintaining the opportunity for older employees to continue to contribute.” So, what is the anomaly?

Shortly after reading the story, I called a good friend who has spent the past 30 years working in either a state unit on aging or area agency on aging. He had just retired from a job in a state office on aging as the result of an attractive early retirement package offer. This man has a wealth of experience that could continue to benefit his state and its older residents for years. However, one of the terms of the package was that he could never again work for the state in any capacity to include as a consultant…so much for the importance of organizations recognizing the value of allowing older workers to “continue to contribute.”

I could almost understand this level of stupidity from a private sector organization that has yet to recognize the changing realities of marketplace that is becoming more senior than junior for the first time in history. For a state department on aging to adopt such an ageist position is inexcusable. The citizenry looks to these organizations as a source of wisdom to address the challenges of an aging society and I fear we will all be sadly disappointed.

 

What if...

I recently read the latest projections on Alzheimer's disease. It was estimated that the number of affected patients would increase from 5.1 million at a cost of $172 billion to 13.5 million at a cost of $1 trillion. We spend millions in search of an illusive cure, but very little on prevention by comparison. The same report estimated that by delaying the onset of the disease by five years would reduce the population by 4 million and save Medicare $33 billion by the year 2020.

At the same time, we have made considerable progress in the past few years documenting the benefits of brain fitness. While we accepted that the brain was unchangeable for decades, we now know that it is constantly rewiring itself. We also know that older adults are less likely to use their brains in specific ways that are required to sustain our cognitive abilities. What if we spent as much time focusing on prevention as we do agonizing over the exploding health care costs.

Generally speaking, the brain fitness programs provide several important benefits: they introduce adults to the key measures that improve cognitive functions, program such as NeoCORTA's allow user to track their abilities over time, and when brain fitness is a part of whole body wellness programs they empower adults to enjoy happier, more productive lives. 

Several fascinating studies have shown that physical fitness and brain fitness are closely linked. For example, a long-term study of 1,500 adults found that those who were obese in middle age were twice as likely to develop dementia in later life. Surveys  also have consistently shown that older adults fear memory loss more than heart disease, yet the benefits are not generally well known by older adults.

What if, as a population...we spenfocused more on later life purpose and less on pills?

What if we focused as much on preventing diseases as we spent on curing them?

What if we invested as many Medicare dollars in prevention incentives as we do on motorized scooters?

What if we began to view an aging nation for its potential rather than its challenges...What if

A Major Disturbance in The FORCE

Everyone working in the field of aging felt a major disturbance in the FORCE on Sunday with the passing of Dr. Robert Butler. Throughout my professional career his has been a consistent voice on behalf of positive aging. The man who coined the term "ageism" to describe the denigration of older adults in both word and deed was a role model for anyone interested in promoting productive, positive aging. His passing on Independence Day seems appropriate for a man that championed later life autonomy while demonstrating the wisdom and contributions that should be central to later life.

He left behind an incredible legacy. In a nation that is becoming more senior than junior for the first time in our history, leadership in every sector of the economy could benefit from his advice. In his last book, The Longevity Prescription, Dr. Butler framed the challenge, "Strictly speaking, longevity is measured in numbers: it is the arithmetical accumulation of days, weeks, months and years that produces our chronological life. Yet aging — or, more accurately, its converse, staying young — is in no small measure a state of mind that defies measurement." Clearly, we are in a time when we need to focus less on age and more on wisdom; less on youth and more on contributions; less on rights and more on responsibility; and less on pills and more on purpose.

Rest in Peace Dr. Butler...you will be missed but live on in those of us committed to picking up the guidon and continuing the battle against ageism.

Who's on First? Part Two

Everyone curious about brain fitness is eager to know what works, in the real world, for real people. What's needed in the industry is a more detailed, data-driven, long term analysis of the full range of products, activities, lifestyle factors, etc. etc. Much more focus needs to be given to studies on wellness rather than disease, which is the focus of the scientific/medical mainstream. New information needs to be interpreted for easy consumption by lay people. Ideally, we can move more quickly toward a system where this data can be used to define/predict benefits for individuals, since this specificity would be much more likely to motivate participation/commitment.

There is an overwhelming body of evidence, both quantitative and anecdotal, documenting that activities such as learning a new language, physical exercise, socializing with friends, working on challenging crossword puzzles, reducing stress and watching what you eat can improve both physical health and improve cognition. Multiple studies by thought leaders such as Rebecca Levy and Ellen Langer detail how a positive mental attitude, meaningful activities and respect impact memory. More recently some “brain fitness games” also claim to have a positive an impact on improving the brains processing speed and cognition.

Similarly studies found that a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with higher education or occupational levels, speculating that these individuals had a greater “cognitive reserve.” Additional findings have led to the theory that lifelong learning is more important for developing cognitive reserve than advanced education level alone.

Technology is also playing an increasing role. Millions of public and private funds have been devoted to efficacy studies on the documented benefits of brain fitness oriented computer games and exercises. This research has advanced the recognition that memory and other cognitive functions are “use it or lose it” skills.

Historically, non-profit providers of aging services to include long term care have focused on treatment rather than prevention. With the growing aging population, providers have a responsibility to share information on the positive benefits of brain fitness with the clients they serve and their employees. In addition to caring for the afflicted or raising funds to find a cure, nonprofits providers should be offering programs that can be built in to the everyday office life of employees, especially those in the mature work force. This could include anything for computerized exercises to new and more challenging assignments.  Employment of such measures could benefit both employee health and retention.

The proliferation of brain fitness offerings has been beneficial, but can cause confusion and frustration among consumers who do not know where to begin. While worried about future memory loss, consumers do not know which products might help or if they are needed. While annual physical check examinations are common place, there is also a growing need for an annual brain check-up or examination, which NeoCORTA is now filling. An annual cognitive exam provides consumers with a current baseline for brain fitness and helps them create a plan to maintain and/or improve cognitive function. We are pleased to play the role of pathfinder in a growing industry.

Who's on First? Part One

Since President George Bush declared the 1990s the Decade of the Brain, we have learned a lot about the workings of the brain. In the last two decades, numerous research studies have validated the neuroplasticity of the brain and others detail how it may be possible to delay or even prevent cognitive loss. Since most active adults over age 50 fear cognitive loss more than they fear heart disease or cancer, a plethora of new products and services in the brain fitness category have flooded the market in response to the fear and growing numbers of older adults.

Many scientists once believed that as we aged the brain's networks cemented in place. But now an enormous amount of evidence uncovered in the past two decades finds that the brain never stops changing and adjusting. One line of research is showing that this flexibility can help maintain language processing even in the face of severe obstacles. Furthermore, some research suggests that special brain exercises can tap into the brain's adaptive capacities and help people overcome certain language and reading problems.

There is currently a lack of clarity/awareness around what "brain fitness" means (it's more than memory; it's even more than just cognition). More consensus building among thought leaders and more education for the general public is needed around its scope and goals. Brain fitness is less about avoidance of disease, and more about maintaining and improving the brain’s capability and potential.

The brain fitness industry is in its infancy. To date, there have been difficulties in reframing the use of brain science for both practitioners and consumers. With the projected rise in Alzheimer’s patients, there is more need than ever for medical treatment and expertise. However, there is also a need for appropriate nonmedical applications of brain science just as there have been in the physical fitness movement. For example, it's time to de-stigmatize and remove the fear factor from discussions about brain fitness. With more education and understanding, the consumer will be able to take control and make their own decisions based on their personal goals and preferences.  As the industry matures, new players and operating models will begin to deliver services rather than depending on doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, and academic researchers. The American Senior Fitness Association is a great example of this trend. They now offer a course on the integration of brain fitness into physical fitness programs.

Alvaro Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of SharpBrains, a research and consulting company that recently published The State of the Brain Fitness Software Market 2008 report, predicts that within the next few years, the same thing that happened for physical fitness—increasing numbers of health clubs, trainers, coaches, and equipment variety—will also happen for the field of brain fitness. Cognitive training will be conducted much like physical fitness training.” In the near future, brain fitness products will be a must-have for facilities serving older adults. Based on their market research, SharpBrains estimatedthat approximately 400 to 500 facilities for older adults in the United States are now offering some kind of computerized brain fitness program to complement their other recreational and therapeutic activities. And, direct purchases by consumers for at-home use are increasing rapidly as well.  

For widespread adoption to occur, we need a whole ecosystem of new solutions and service providers that can help consumers and organizations pursue brain fitness. For the movement to become mainstream, we need to make brain fitness programs affordable, easy, accessible, scalable, and of course effective. An important part of this is making sure that individuals/organizations can easily embrace the movement and get results without having to become brain scientists themselves, drastically modify their existing infrastructure, or devote massive amounts of time and energy.  

This is Not Your Father's Market

Over 300 years ago, Renee Descartes changed our way of thinking about the world of cause and effect and opened a New World to science. When applied to the world of younger minds (life expectancy was in the 40s 300 years ago) this made sense and worked. Reason was the only path to knowledge. Sir Isaac Newton carried the torch of reason forward opening the gateway to scientific revolution.

Descartes mistake, if you will, was to totally discount feelings and emotions. Until the 1990s, the predictability of human behavior worked as the median age of adults stayed under 40.  However, the world of business and marketing is now struggling to adjust to a new market using an old paradigm.  Just as it would not work for a 60 year-old wear a 40 year-old pair of glasses to read today's paper, your view of today’s marketplace will be distorted if you are viewing it through a youth market lens. The facts are all there – you just can't see them.

To understand the maturing marketplace requires a look through the lens of new science.  A view of the consumer that incorporates their feelings and emotions opens a doorway to their needs and the keys to motivating them to action…integration of reason and intuition with old science.  New science, and new marketing, requires an understanding of what this means and an acceptance that sometimes things just happen.

In spite of a growing body of evidence, marketers, market researchers and ad agencies continue to use traditional logic and methods tested in the youth markets of yesterday to reach and attract the maturing market.  Trusting the devil they know and fearing the one they do not understand.  Still, insanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

In this New World of marketing, there are varying levels of informed opinions and few, if any, experts.  The next two decades will surely be a place full of opportunity.  It will also be a place where constants become variables; standards become guidelines; cause becomes effect and long-term customer relationships are as important as quarterly projects and sales quotas.  Objectivity will become illusion and subjectivity will become reality in the design of marketing communications.

Much of what I first learned about marketing was jettisoned out of a need to get outside the box.  Population growth no longer fuels market growth and pushes living standards up.  The once easy world of marketing has become complex with exploding technology and ecommerce complicating the formulas for change.  Relationship, database and social network marketing are replacing mass marketing.  The one-stop, hard sell, in your face sales techniques are going the way of the electric typewriters and rotary telephones.  Subjective sales and marketing methods are gaining followers.

While few in depth studies on mature consumers exist, studies of adult development are abundant enough to reveal major mid-life changes in values, attitudes and behavior.  Central among these changes is the increased value placed on relationships, personal autonomy and customer service as an expectation, not a motivator.

You can't expect to simply use older models while projecting the values of a youth culture.  You can't use emotional visuals and objective copy that focus on features and benefits and expect to gain the attention of older consumers.  You can't use the same techniques, methods and design concepts and expect different results…it is insane. Instead, it is time to seek new knowledge on the values and developmental behavior of the new, mature consumer majority.

The Maturing Mind

Mature market behavioral specialist, David B. Wolfe, has been advising business and marketers to change the way they communicate to older consumers for over three decades. His first two books, Serving the Ageless Market and Ageless Marketing, should be on the reference shelves of every marketing professional interested in surviving in an aging marketplace.

Wolfe theorized that as the brain ages, the way it initially processes incoming information moves from the left hemisphere (learning, figuring, analyzing) to the right hemisphere, where creativity and intuition is centered. Both hemispheres are engaged in the decision, but the right hemisphere plays a bigger role in message screening beginning at or about age 45. When you consider the older brain has access to decades of experience and wisdom, this simply makes sense.

A metaphor for this might be a sieve. The brain is taking in way more information than it can consciously process and screens out irrelevant information at the pre-conscious level. If there is no context according to one’s life experience there is a big chance it will never make it through the sieve. If you also use stereotypical terms as well, there is almost no chance your message will stand or pass the screening process.

A study reported in the Jun 2010 issue of Psychology and Aging further validates a growing body of both anecdotal and scientific evidence that information processing changes with age and impacts decision making. The reported research explored the assumption that people become more averse to taking risks as they age by comparing the results of older adults, ages 66-76 years, and younger adults, ages 18-35 years, who played games involving financial decisions. After allowing for differences in processing speed and memory, age alone did not significantly predict “decision quality.” The authors suggested it is the way older people process information, not their age that influences their decision making.

When communicating with younger minds, absolute positioning messages with specific, directive language may be necessary to gain the consumer’s attention. However, older minds have generally heard and viewed every possible combination of hyperbole, urgency and “special” offer. If you want to get your message through the sieve, you need to use less directive and more conditional language. To use a Wolfe example: the lite beer message, “everything you want in a beer and less” uses absolute language. “The night belongs to Michelob” uses conditional language to position the message.

The mind has an irresistible need to complete and incomplete picture. Rather than directing the mature consumer with a complete picture, leverage their creativity and experience to translate the context according to their world view not yours. Wolfe called it a form of psychological judo…using another’s strength to your advantage. Perhaps, you may want to give it a try in your next consumer message.

Working on Purpose

What all too many people lose at retirement is purpose, especially those who were passionate about their work. Numerous studies have now documented the importance purpose plays in achieving and maintaining quality of life. For me, purpose has been both a pursuit and goal.

On September 8, 1970, I was wounded in action in Viet Nam. A young man by the name of Frank Vavrin Jr. saved my life was killed a few minutes later in the processes of saving other wounded team members. That is a big debt to owe and caused me to question why I was spared. Recovering in the hospital in Japan, I thanked God for my life and committed to making it count. Since that time, I believe circumstances have kept me on a path I was somehow meant to follow.

After leaving the Army, I spent a few months in Law School (we were not meant for one another) before receiving a Master’s Degree in Political Science with a criminal justice emphasis. I went to work first as a Court Service Officer and then as a corporate criminal investigator. After some unique experience that will go in a book someday, I concluded a career in criminal justice was not the path I was meant to follow.

A friend suggested that I apply for the position of Area Agency on Aging Director available at a small community college in Northwest Iowa. I had no background in aging, social services or nonprofit management; but was ultimately hired. My belief in being on a predestined pathway was reaffirmed, and I fell in love with serving older adults – a career with purpose.

After six years managing the nonprofit, I felt there was incredible opportunity in calling attention to the future aging tsunami. I formed a marketing consulting firm specializing in serving companies that recognized the future belongs to those that can attract and hold older consumers while also serving younger segments. As luck would have it, I was about two decades ahead of my time…and there is little money in being ahead of your time. While the company survived and served clients in all 50 states, it never truly prospered and closed 17 years later.

Since the aging field filled my life with purpose, I served the senior living industry for 10 years in Florida and Arizona. I made a wealth of older friends and led the creation of an empowered community model that still has incredible potential for any business wise enough to implement it. In January of this year, fate again played a role in dictating my pathway. My employer, like many in the CCRC industry, was negatively impacted and my position was eliminated.

At age 64, I began to wonder if maybe I had already accomplished what I was supposed to do. I convinced myself that it was time to accept any position whether or not in the aging field. I began networking, and received an email from someone I had done business with a few years before. I had become a big fan of the brain fitness movement and was very curious about this inquiry from a new brain fitness oriented company. Their mission convinced me the pathway to purpose was taking a turn – “NeoCORTA's mission is to empower adults of all ages with the tools they need to optimize their brain fitness.”

I am excited to continue the journey to purpose I began 40 years ago in Viet Nam. While looking for a company committed to helping older adults pursue purpose, a company with purpose found me. Rather than asking me to fit a predetermined mold, CEO Pat Brannelly, the entrepreneur leading NeoCORTA, created a dream job that met the needs of the business while allowing me to pursue my passion for positive aging, battling aging stereotypes and improving the quality of life for middle age and older adults.

As I begin my 65^th year as a leading edge baby boomer, I am still working on purpose.

 

First Do No Harm

A recently published BBC study recently cast doubt on the efficacy of brain fitness computer games. Some in the field have cast doubt on the quality of the study. While I doubt the results, assessing the research parameters and protocols is way beyond my pay grade. What I do know is that I have witnessed positive results in those using the Posit Science programs. My question to the critics is: “Does keeping your brain active do any harm?” I think the answer is obvious.

For a couple of decades now, the body of evidence has been growing that negative aging stereotypes can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you accept the myth that memory loss is a natural part of the aging process, you increase the probability that memory loss will become a part of your future reality. Likewise, if you believe in the now documented neuroplasticity of the brain, you are likely to do everything you can to exercise your brain in a variety of ways. We may not be able to prevent brain aging, but we can certainly delay its devastation just as we can delay much of physical decline with exercise, better nutrition and staying socially active.

In the last three decades, we categorized “retirees” by calling them “seniors, golden agers, senior citizens or elderly” and viewed them as a group to be offered discounts, catered to, and cared for. This categorization has resulted in a culture of ageism, and the devaluation of people because of their age. Now the focus has shifted to baby boomers as some new subculture that defies aging in a veiled attempt to perpetuate the youth market mentality.

Every year more and more adults are getting old; but not nearly enough are growing older. We somehow came to focus on the “problems” rather than the “potential” of an aging population. So great is this untapped potential that by changing the current perception, I believe, we can truly begin changing the world. The brain fitness movement is a definite step in the right direction.

As a nation, we developed federal and state programs to feed, house, transport, and entertain “seniors;” but we developed few programs to reintroduce meaning and significance into those services and institutions. We replaced purpose with pills.  Rather than expect people to accept their roles as passive participants and spectators, we need to reintroduce opportunities for them to find meaning and purpose. What good is living longer if the quality of life declines? We have yet to address the challenge issues by Attorney General Robert Kennedy to delegates at the first White House Conference on Aging in 1961, “We have added years to life; it is time to think about how we add life to those years.”      

Marketing Myopia in the New Millennium

In 1960, Theodore Levitt’s brilliant assessment of marketing, Marketing Myopia, was first printed in the Harvard Business Review. In the article he argued that "the history of every dead and dying 'growth' industry shows a self-deceiving cycle of bountiful expansion and undetected decay." The most memorable example was the railroads that began failing because they held a very limited view of the market.

Levitt observed that the railroads were in trouble not because the need for passenger transportation has declined or even because cars, airplanes, and other modes of transport had filled that need. Rather, the industry was failing because those behind it assumed they were in the railroad business rather than the transportation business. This same fate awaits businesses today because once again they have a very limited view of the market. They still think the answer lies in a youth oriented market rather than an ageless market.

Once the youngest baby boomer passed age 45, articles began to recognize the maturing of the market and the need to look beyond 18 to 38 year olds for success. However, paradigm keepers are slow to move beyond what had worked for over two decades.

Unfortunately, many businesses, ad agencies and marketing consultants continue to view the market through the lens of youth markets and simply repackage boomers as the market that will defy aging…good luck with that. The new message was “60 is the new 40” and communicated using old hippies and outdated hyperbole to sell features and benefits. The vast majority of the 76 to 78 million baby boomers, now age 46 to 64, were not hippies, did not protest the Viet Nam war attend Woodstock or live in communes and drive psychedelic VW buses.

Like generations before them, what most baby boomers have in common is that they probably have very little in common. Any business interested in surviving the next two decades needs to wake up to the reality that older consumers will dominate the market in every developed nation…not baby boomers but all older consumers. Whatever your definition of old – 65, 70, 75, 80 or older - the older population will not be made up of 100% boomers for 25 or 35 years. To focus solely on baby boomers is truly the new Millennium’s version of Marketing Myopia.

The first baby boomers, those of us born in 1946, will turn 65 in 2011. Thereafter, 10,000 Americans will turn 65 every day for the next 18 years adding to the ranks of the Silent and Greatest Generations. This growing consumer majority is not all Boomers, but they are all older Americans and to ignore their combined economic power is to court disaster in the short term. In 2000, there were 35 million Americans age 65 or above, approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population. That number will rise to around 50 million next year and reach 70 million in 2030, or 20% of the U.S. population.

The sheer size and growth of the number of older consumers is changing the marketplace. Some industry segments, such as financial services, travel and hospitality, fitness, health care, and retirement housing, already understand the potential of the aging marketplace; but marketing myopia limits the success of most because they hang on to outdated management, marketing, branding and advertising paradigms.  As Einstein observed, “You cannot solve a problem using the same consciousness that created it.”

Boomer's Major Contribution

Today, I was reading a March 22 posting on AolHealth.com and had a revelation about what Baby Boomers have contributed most to Society. The article hammered aging stereotypes, myths and misconceptions about aging and well being and presented a very upbeat overview about the aging process. As it did in previous decades, the size of this generation/cohort/segment’ elevated issues in each life stage: adolescence, college, couple, child rearing, middle age, and saving for retirement. Finally, the importance of aging issues and positive aging are coming to the forefront of media attention as the first  Boomer reaches the traditional age of “retirement” next January 1.

A decade ago, there were few stories about brain fitness, positive aging, staying active, eating right, life planning, and spirituality as we age. Oh, there was a cover story when the first Baby Boomers turned 50 then 60 and will not doubt be covered big time in 2011 and the first of us turns age 65, but not the daily stories about Boomers that now dominate both the professional and general circulation media.

Although much of the Boomer commentary and coverage, in my opinion, is myopic and ignores what we already know about aging, I am thankful that the overriding impact on the media so far is very positive. Life after age 65 was a reality for decades, but the media was following the Boom as it grew up, which is to be expected I guess. After all, as bank robber Willie Sutton said, “That’s where the money is.”

Boomer Studies Are Driving Me Crazy!

I can’t help it. The statements and “insights” that are printed about “Boomers” are making me crazy! It is as if this “segment” of 76 million people was discovering the aging process for the first time. The printed results and expert comments on the recently released Del Webb Boomer Study are a case in point.

For example, one Boomer expert said that “for Boomers aging is a state of mind. The goal for Boomers is to pursue the Fountain of Vitality.” Well, the first person to make that observation about older folk was Mark Twain. Twain opined that “Age is simply mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” If I remember my literature correctly, Samuel Clemens was not a Boomer.

For over 30 years, I have been working with older adults and found vital involved 80 and 90 year olds way back in the 70s…amazing. My first secretary was 80 when I hired her…and she was fantastic. Sure, there are more healthy and active 64 year old Boomers than there were in the generations before them due to medical advances, education, and awareness; but it is their numbers that make them unique. Their life experience has shaped their worldview, but their values are not different from their parents and grandparents.

The Del Webb study did reveal some startling results…current 50 year olds do not see themselves as seniors. Guess what? Neither do current 65 year olds and a good percentage of 70 and 80 year olds. In the 1970s, I was defining old as 10 years older than you are regardless of your age. Studies done then as now documented that an older person’s psychological age was generally 10 to 15 years younger than their chronological age.

Is the business community that uninformed about consumer behavior that they need to pay “Boomer Specialists” to tell them something they could read in David Wolfe’s Serving the Ageless Market written 20 years ago? Clearly all the hype around the recent studies says they are. Still, we have about 200 years of evidence from developmental psychologists that suggest most of the revelations (increasing altruism, connectedness, personal growth, autonomy, etc.) were totally predictable.

It is true that Boomer experiences and economic realities have changed the game. More people are now more educated and educated people tend to live longer. Boomers were generally wealthier than their parents; and could therefore afford better health care. Many older adults have always worked well beyond 60. Today, more are working longer because they have to do so – and that reality is not unique to Boomers.

Just once, I would like to see an article with a headline like, “New Studies Document Baby Boomers Aren’t Unique After All – There Are Just a Hell of a Lot of Them.”

Creating Sensitivity or Perpetuating Stereotypes

I recently had the opportunity to spend four days with my four grandchildren ranging in age from two months to 7 years old. What a joy! I am both excited for them and worry about their future in light of rising deficits, polarized politicians, and the continuing rise in child predators. Still, my goal is to provide them with a positive role model for later life. Since research indicates that the image of old age we develop as children is a determinate of the older person we become, I want them to view older people as fun, positive, involved and trustworthy.

My concern is that a few days every now and then is easily compromised by many more hours viewing media stereotypes and even the educational system it would seem. I recently read an article about entitled, “Fifth Graders Learn About Aging at Eldercare Summit.” They “learned about the effects of aging” by participating in sensitivity sessions. During these sessions, they view the world through glasses covered in Vaseline to stimulate blurred vision and plastic gloves with taped fingers to demonstrate the effects of arthritis. I can’t think of a quicker way to have children view old age as terrible.

I have long railed against these sessions as doing as much to perpetuate aging stereotypes as they do “sensitize” children. Wearing gloves with taped fingers doesn’t have anything to do with age but with arthritis, which my 2 year old granddaughter also has. Vaseline covered glasses sensitizes you to what it is like to have glaucoma. While likely to occur in later life, it is not a predetermined outcome of aging. Isn’t it time we stopped teaching about the problems of aging and focus on the beauty and wisdom?

While Grandma Moses’ hands were crippled with arthritis, she continue create beauty and share that beauty with the world. It is time we refocus the messages we are putting in the minds of our children. By instilling a positive view of later life and what to do to insure it with our children, we will be giving them a precious gift. It will also go a long way to reducing future healthcare expenses and improving the quality of later life for future generations.

The Power of Purpose

Is purpose on your list of new activities or programs for the next year? To what degree do your current offerings allow older adults to experience feelings of purpose?

Purpose in life is achieved by deriving meaning from life experiences. It involves possessing a sense of intentionality and goal directedness as a means of guiding behavior. It also could be the key to lowering health care costs and improving the quality of life for older adults.

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago assessed the importance of purpose among 900 community-dwelling older adults as a part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project. After four to seven annual follow-up clinical evaluations greater purpose in life was associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It also reduced the risk of mild cognitive impairment and a slower rate of cognitive decline.

“In particular, these finding may provide a new treatment target for interventions aimed at enhancing health and well-being in older adults. Purpose in life is a potentially modifiable factor that may be increased via specific behavioral strategies that help older persons identify personally meaningful activities and engage in goal-directed behaviors,” the researcher stated.

This does not mean you have to turn all your P&L decisions over to those your serve. The research results indicate that even small behavioral modifications ultimately may translate into an increased sense of intentionality, usefulness and relevance. By empowering consumers, you will not only benefit from their years of wisdom and experience, you will launch an incredibly cost effective wellness program.

As thousands to leading edge baby boomers decide to seek employment, companies need to be cognizant of this new reality. All too often, older applicants are not considered because they are “over qualified” for the position. The statement has always presented a paradox. If you are willing to accept a position for the stated salary, wouldn’t an excess of experience be beneficial to the hiring company? When presented with this conundrum, remember to the older worker purpose is probably equally as important as salary and title.

Brokaw on Boomers

Like many of you, I was looking forward to the Brokaw special on Baby Boomers. While slim, I held out a hope that someone would finally put this stereotype ridden group in perspective. Those hopes were quickly dashed as Boomer stereotypes were both reinforced and validated. The special would have more appropriately been called, Brokaw Revisits the 60’s.

For those that have been living in a cave and do not know what the Baby Boom is, let me share. The Baby Boom is the label given to 76 million people born between 1946 and 1964. The term was coined by author Landon Jones in 1980. When the oldest Boomer was 20 years old the youngest was 2. Think back…when you were 20 did you share common values and experiences with 2 year olds.

The special positioned Woodstock as the one event the “defined the Baby Boom.” Huh? When Woodstock took place, the youngest boomer was 5 years old and no doubt owned few 8 track tapes. Wikipedia quotes research saying 400,000 attended Woodstock, and Brokaw added an extra 100,000. Either number makes it the largest music event of its time; however not everyone that attended were Boomers. If they had been, attendees were still only .5% of all Boomers. In other words, 99.5% of Boomers were not at Woodstock.

When “sharing” with cheerleader at the University of Michigan, Brokaw said, “Did you know girls were not allowed to be cheerleader in the 60s.” I did not go to the University of Michigan, and neither did Brokaw. We both attended the University of SD; and YES we had female cheerleaders. I knew then that the conclusions of this special would have as much credibility as most of the other attempts to lump 76 million adults into one common “generation.”

The special spent most of the time talking about Woodstock, the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights movement. All were important, bell weather events that had a major impact on the values and world views of everyone impacted by these events. Of course, not all were Boomers and most of the leaders of these events were not Boomers either, with the exception of Woodstock.

Likewise, when Saigon fell in April of 1975, the youngest Boomer was 11 years old; and the oldest was 29. Virtually none of the trailing edge Boomers was protesting; nor was a majority of the leading edge Boomers. Like other emotion charged issues, there were multiple views. As Dr. Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, stated, “No one sees the world as it is; they can only see the world as they are.” We now know Tom’s view of Boomers; but no additional insights were gained during this two hour ‘classic.’

A Marketing Paradox

As I was cleaning out my articles file, I came across the results of the 1995 and 2005 National Survey of Midlife Development. In essence, the study documented that, “People who felt young for their age were more likely to have grater confidence about their cognitive abilities a decade later.” The researchers went on to conclude that, “If you feel old beyond your own chronological years you are probably going to experience a lot of the downside that we associate with aging.”

This is nothing new. We have known for years that the healthy older adult’s psychological age is from 10 to 15 years younger than their chronological age. Further, one of the factoids that continue to be repeated by advertisers is that you should use models that are 15 years younger than the person you are targeting. There is a huge difference between “feeling” younger,” which promotes a positive aging self-image; and believing you “look” 15 years younger, which could be considered unhealthy aging. This paradox can create a cognitive disconnect in the minds of older consumers.

Why? First of all, who decides what is a 65 or 85 year old suppose to feel like? What does the typical 65, 70 or 80 year old look like? All too many ads use the young models and copy that is full of aging stereotypes and misconceptions. In many ways, I still “feel” like a 30 year old, but I also shave every morning. The person looking back does not look 30, and that is just fine with me. If he did, that would create a personal cognitive disconnect. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we do not become narcissistic as we grow older…not even the celebrated baby boomer.

To be successful in older markets, businesses need to develop empathy when communicating in person or in either electronic or print media. Speak to the consumer and their life stage; not their chronological age. If those empowered with developing strategy, creative concepts or sales materials do not have a positive image of their own aging, their lack of empathy and possible ageism will come across in the communication.

Mind Over Matter

Author Don Joseph Goewey’s recent article, “Neuroplastic Fantastic: The Power of the Mind to Change the Brain,” examined this monumental change in paradigms. “Breakthroughs in research have now proved that the brain responds to the mind. Mental practice can take a small village of high level neurons and build it into a humming metropolis, providing you with the power to produce optimal results in whatever you pursue.” Science now supports what many of us have long known intuitively – how we feel about our own aging can have an impact, positively or negatively, on how we physically age.

In her book, Mindfulness, Dr. Ellen Langer pointed out that we first use words to create categories (seniors, retirees, elderly) and then distinguish between them (frail, unproductive, hard-of-hearing), which ultimately shapes our world view. As aging stereotypes were ingrained by the media, our population mindlessly accepted them as fact. Until the mind challenges what the brain has been programmed to believe, millions will continue to suffer from pre-mature aging. We need our paradigms to make sense of the world around us; but if we do not continually question our views we can become trapped or constrained by them.

With the best of intentions, we replaced purpose with pills; productive lives with early retirement packages; personal significance with shallow volunteer opportunities; and meaningful involvement with mindless activities.  Has our mindless acceptance of “retirement” as a disengaged life stage one of the root causes of rising healthcare costs, the growing incidence of diabetes, depression, and the fear that Alzheimer’s disease will be a part of everyone’s future? To mindlessly accept aging as a time of decline and loss can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The study of gerontology began with a positive goal – to understand the aging process and the problems of aging people. Fortunately, that is beginning to change with a focus on successful or positive aging. We all need to put our own minds to work on rethinking our own aging and view life’s second half as a time of renewal and meaning rather than a time to retreat from purposeful living. To continue the focus on decline perpetuates the myth that aging naturally leads to all kinds of health problems.

To view aging negatively not only impacts our self image but can literally affect our health – “Becoming mindless about our abilities to age successfully too often results in wasted potential, frailty and premature institutionalization and even death.” (Langer, 1989)

The Pervasiveness of Ageism

I am a big fan of the National Center for Creative Aging. Their news briefs focus on the growing trend toward countering ageism. While I have used anecdotal evidence on the power positive aging self-esteem has on health, memory and general well-being as we age. Today, those anecdotes are being reinforced by scientific studies and shared by a growing number of spokespersons.

The lead story in today’s News Briefs was a story from the New York Times about David Brooks. The opening sentence read, “David Brooks describes the increasing benefits of aging by debunking commonly believed myths.” What bothered me was the title, “The Geezers’ Crusade.” Why would someone tag such a positive story with such a stereotypical term? The answer is of course mindless ageism. Even when it is not intentional, the perpetuation of aging stereotypes is still harmful.

Successful aging advocates take two steps forward and the media retards the momentum with an ageist headline. The Books story shared that results of research documenting that, “that participants had not surrendered in their older age, but instead became more outgoing and self-confident.” A headline might have been, “Are Your Perceptions of Aging Outdated?”

Other stories presented like stories of the positive impact of music, the arts and lifelong learning were having. Still, ageism remains the last bastion of discrimination in America. I commend the Center for Creative Aging for its continued work and am confident that, with the aging of the population, we will have the storm troops to overcome ageism in the next decade.

When people become as offended by ageist jokes as they do by racist jokes, we will have achieved a noble goal. It will not be easy. As stated by Ellen Langer, “One of the insidious aspects of ageism is that it can operate without conscious awareness, control or intention to harm.” If we accept aging as a period of decline and loss without challenging our own perceptions, we will become a victim of the self-fulfilling prophecy aging. We all need to become more mindful our own aging self-image.

Is Boomer Fascination Just New Ageism?

When I first started looking at aging demographics, I knew that as the Baby Boomers aged the pendulum would swing and businesses would finally pay attention to older adults as a major consumer segment. How could any logical person think otherwise?

Well, it appears that I was wrong. No one is talking about an explosive aging population; just about baby boomers, who evidently will never be anything else whether forty or ninety. The fastest growing cohort in America are those over age 80…and they still buy groceries, cars, cosmetics, travel, go to movies, eat at restaurants, invest, buy clothes and toys for the grandkids…not just medication.

Today I reviewed an article entitled “Omnibus Survey Allows Marketers to Ask Consumers Questions.” Of course, the company was only surveying adults age 45 to 65, at which point everyone becomes a nonperson. Why would marketers care what anyone over age 65 think? Of course, the media used to ignore anyone over age 40 so maybe this is progress.

 In spite of the overwhelming data, nothing much has changed in the last 30 years. Even if the under age 40 crowd don’t have more money, assets or potential, marketers will search out some form of youth market…or Boomers. Consultants whose minds never left the 60’s have convinced media pundits that Boomers will be never grow older…they will redefine aging. Well, much like they led the boomers in the 60’s the Silent Generation has already extended the boundaries of aging…the American Association of Retired Person has become AARP, Elderhostel is now Exploritas, and Civic Ventures is shining the light on later life empowerment and purpose.

With the current economic crisis, people are working longer and retiring later. Age 65, as the age one becomes “old,” is a misnomer. For business to ignore the age 65 plus population is total insanity – unless they plan to shut down for the next 20 years or so. In 20ll, 76 million of those called baby boomers begin turning 65 at a rate of about 8,500 a day. Why would we not want to know what they are planning to buy, invest in, travel to or do?

Word Power - Are you creating lightning and lightning bugs?

Mark Twain once said that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. For decades, companies have limited their market potential by calling all older adults senior citizens or picturing them as either dependent or inactive.

In our virtual world, every current customer is just one click away finding a new company to do business with tomorrow. So…why use any stereotypical term or image that could turn off even one customer?

Ad agencies spend hours creating an advertisement or direct mail piece to gain the attention of potential customers. Unfortunately, the typical customer will spend from .2 to .8 of one second evaluating the offer as they sort the mail or review a newspaper or magazine according to author and ageless marketing expert David B. Wolfe.  This narrow cognitive window of opportunity does not give you much time to make a first impression, which is why every word and image is so important.

To keep our conscious minds from being overloaded with unimportant information, our brains use a process that could be compared to a spam filter. The the brain sorts through billions of bits of information each moment to select information for the conscious mind to think about.

The brain does not process words. The brain processes pictures and sensory data in context with a person’s circumstances and world view. If there is a perception that "senior" means old, frail, dependent, confused, or other traditional stereotypes, the mind may consider whatever is associated with that word as bad and block conscious consideration. The current stereotype of “retirement communities” as places people move to when their health is failing is the industry’s primary competitor. Yet, much of the marketing reinforces that stereotype and becomes spam in the consumer’s brain.

To be successful in an aging marketplace, companies need to begin sensitizing staff to the power, both positive and negative, of the words they use. Using more inclusionary or ageless terms and avoiding the use of exclusionary term (words shrouded in stereotypes that could be perceived negatively such as senior, retirement, elderly, etc.) is the first step to improving communications. Inclusionary terms are more likely to be positively perceived than the terms traditionally used in communicating with older adults.

Time to Get Real

Amazing!  In two years, a few thousand leading edge baby boomers will begin turning 65. To many in corporate America and the mainstream media this will apparently come as a surprise. While they were focused on Baby Boomers and youth markets, the median age of adults in the US increased by about a decade while they weren't looking. Today, articles and conference topics myopically focus on boomers to the exclusion of millions of consumers age 65 and older.

If you are searching for four easy steps or six simple typologies that will insure success in the aging marketplace, you will not find them. Why? Because, the typical boomer, like the typical senior, is as much like other boomers as a snowflake is typical of other snowflakes. Consumers become more dissimilar as they age not more alike, although they share common ‘gut level’ values their world view is colored by the lens of life experience.

To increase the probability of success when marketing to older adults, one must first abandon the approaches that worked so well in yesterday’s youth market; and adopt an ageless approach.  This approach involves projecting a positive, mindful image of aging. This positive image should underlie all communications, collateral material, and PowerPoint presentations.

All consumers tend to select products/services that reflect images of what they want to be not what they are, and this applies to older adults as well. Advertising and communications should focus on health and well being; being productive, the importance of autonomy and involvement, the importance of relationships and being responsive to the wants, needs and aspirations of targeted consumers and stakeholders.

However, communications also need to project realism. While physiological declines are a part of life, older consumers “feel” anywhere from 15 to 25 years younger than their biological age, which doesn’t mean they think they “look” 15 to 25 years younger. Therefore, when models are too young or visuals focus on extreme sports, the consumer may simply dismisses the message as hyperbole. The key is realistic people in real world activities.

Leading at the Speed of Trust

In December of last year, I was delivering a workshop at the annual meeting of the International Council on Active Aging with my associate, Dr. Chris Mulrooney. The topic was creating empowered cultures in active adult communities. We both believe that one answer to creating more cost effective, dynamic and purposeful senior living environment is empowering community members to take on more responsibility as well as authority.

The old paradigm is to create culture wherein members are catered to and cared for in manicured surroundings with little or no responsibilities. While nice for a vacation, such culture can drain life’s meaning. During the 90 minute session, we told stories of how community members had both accepted and embraced to total responsibility for lifelong learning programs in three communities, performing arts program and functioned as a formal component of the sales and marketing teams.

During the Q&A, one of the first questions was, “That sounds great, but the communities you described are more upscale. Can this work for middle and lower income communities?” The short answer is absolutely. The key is to create opportunities wherein members are offered both the responsibility of a program or task, but also the authority to make it happen…to include controlling the allocation of resources. This is not something those in control are generally willing to give up. However, it is perhaps the fastest route to organizational success. There is nothing faster than the Speed of Trust, as described by Dr. Stephen Covey in his book by the same name.

Almost 30 years ago, I was working as the Executive Director of an Area Agency on Aging in community of 11,000 people in NW Iowa. Our offices were located in senior center, owned and operated by a member-controlled County Council on Aging, another story. One member was circulating a petition to have our agency kick out of the center because we did not keep the center open on weekends. I first explained that the current budgets did not allow for staffing 7 days a week. This was not a satisfactory response, but merely exacerbated the issue.

Since I believe every problem has a solution, I decided to offer the ring leader of the discontent a set of keys to the center and told him weekends were now up to him. He immediately accepted and within a couple of months the Center was opened every weekend and even began serving lunches on Saturday. This environment then spawned a weekly bingo game as a revenue source, allowable under Iowa law and the dollars flowed. Within 10 years, the center paid off the mortgage and purchased a small local mall complex for their operations.

If this idea were mentioned today, the first thing you would hear about is liability, control and costs. Still, there is a wealth of wisdom, experience and talent going to waste; because it is too risky. I have been claiming for years, that nonprofit service agencies are sitting on gold mines talent just waiting to be tapped with the right incentive and leadership. The incentive is purpose and the leadership skill required is trust.

What Could Old People Know?

It seems like every where you turn these days there is a new expert explaining how to advertise or sell most effectively to Baby Boomers...all 76 million of them. To me, Boomer relates to a mass people born over an 18 year time frame. In spite of conventional wisdom, they are not one cohort nor do they share values unique to boomers.

 

We move through life's stages as individuals not as a cohort. We were all adolescents and teenagers. We then became middle aged adults with family responsibilities as individuals not cohorts. And yes we will all get old...we hope. 

 

My primary frustration however is the focus on boomers to the exclusion of older adults. In fact, this exclusion is becoming a subtle form of ageism. As Boomers, we have a lot to offer, but not if we consider ourselves to be aging differently than older adults have been aging during the past 200 years that we have been studying human behavior.

 

This is at the core of David B. Wolfe's life work. He has been my mentor for over 20 years; and while his expertise is not fully appreciated, his predictions have come true and his hypothesis validated as our nation ages. Sure  Boomers had unique life experiences, but so did their fathers and their father's fathers.

 

Studying Boomers is of critical importance, but it should be done through the lens of developmental psychology and life stages. As we near the tipping point of an aging society, we will not find answers in the rear view mirror because there is no experience with a population that is more senior than junior.  As a society, we must recognize what an early mentor in his 80's bluntly pointed out to me, "Old people know more about being young than young people know about being old."

 

The plethora of boomer experts that have surfaced in the past decade is due to a growing recognition that we are no longer a youth market. The sudden interest in Boomers is of course basic economics as explained by bank robber Willie Sutton. When asked why he robbed banks, he responded, "Because that is where the money is!" Boomer theories, typologies, and marketing theories is currently where the money is. I simply question whether Boomer 'experts' have a unique grasp of their future any more than the generations that proceeded them. No one has paid attention to older consumers; and like it or not Boomers will become older people.

 

Today, a friend who is highly respected as an expert in the field of aging shared a story of the group of aging professionals that did not want to include older adults in a forth coming conference because it was for 'professionals.' This is an attitude I been battling  for over 30 years...and have heard the same retort from "professionals" since the mid 70's. After all, what could the opinions of elders possibly have to do with "professional" discussions about aging? Is this not ageism in its purest form?

 

 

Are We Nearing the Tipping Point

Almost 30 years ago, I authored an article on what to call older adults instead of "seniors." My proposal was that the best label for older adults was no label at all. Recently, a think tank group I am involved with carried on a virtual debate on this same topic. In other words, after 3 decades the debate continues in spite of all that has changed.

While some companies are shying away from terms that tend to label and put people in boxes, ageism is still alive and well in America. Some believe it is just not a big deal if others want to refer to them as seniors, elderly or even fogies. These people have a very positive aging self image and take their ques internally rather than from media stereotypes. However, a large portion of the population continues to fall victim to the self-fulfilling prophecies of aging, which involve more than just the terms we use to communicate with older consumers.

Studies abound that detail how accepting aging stereotypes without questions could be at the root of memory loss, declining health and resistance to adopting  healthy lifestyles...the "why bother" crowd if you will. While people may gain some additional freedom upon retirement, all too many leave "purpose" behind when leaving the workplace. While a new vocabulary has been slow in arriving, there is growing recognition of the importance purpose plays in living life to the fullest. Whether in the public, private, public or nonprofit sectors, creating empowering cultures has much to offer both the organizations and those they serve.

As one of the over 50 crowd reduced to an unemployment statistic due or downsizing, I at first focused a good deal on the "loss" of a dependable paycheck. Howver, with each passing day, my purpose is clear and I will pursue it with a passion for as long possible. Since 1976, I have worked with, learned from and served older adults in a variety of capacities...all enjoyable. My experience is that, whenever groups of older consumers are allowed to become involved in their own destiny, success can be achieved in record time. On the other hand, the more they are catered to and cared for, the more disenchanted they become. With the aging of the population, oure organizations sitting on gold mines of wisdom and experience waiting to be mined. The future offers potential unlike anything we have experienced before as a nation.

We are nearing what Malcolm Gladwell called a tipping point. Organizaitons are beginning to understand that our nation is rapidly becoming more senior than junior for the first time in history. It is time to realize that older people know more about being young than young people know about being old...and they are willing to share that knowledge if given the opportunity.

Context Is Everything

For a couple decades, I have railed against terms like, elderly, senior citizen, and especially geezer when referring to older adults. Well, tonight I received an email from the father of the man who saved my life in Viet Nam. The email was entitled, Proud to be a Geezer! In this context, I have no problem with the term and think it is a pretty good descriptor of later life values - expecially when the world view is shared by a member of what Tom Brokaw called the Greatest Generation. In tribute to my dear friend, Frank Vavrin, I share his message:

"Geezers" (slang for an old man) are easy to spot:
At sporting events, during the playing of the National Anthem, Old Geezers remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them

Old Geezers remember the Depression, World War II, Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal,Normandy and Hitler. They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War 1950-53-55, The Cold War, the jet age, and the moon landing, the 50 plus Peacekeeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing, not to mention Vietnam.

If you bump into an Old Geezer on the sidewalk, he will apologize.

If you pass an Old Geezer on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady.
Old Geezers trust strangers and are courtly to women.

Old Geezers hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.

Old Geezers get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth on TV or in movies.
Old Geezers have moral courage. They seldom brag unless it's about their grandchildren.

It's the Old Geezers who know our great country is protected, not by politicians or police, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.

This country needs Old Geezers with their decent values.

We need them now more than ever!
Thank God for Old Geezers!

NOPE - Boomers Didn't Invent Spirituality Either

While reviewing the September 16, 2006 issue of Newsweek, I came across and article by Jerry Adler and Judy Scelfo called "Seeking and Finding". Yet, another attempt to credit that Baby Boom with a trait that has been common to those experiencing the fall and summer of life long before George Harrison of the Beatles picked up a zither.

One of the article's concluding paragraphs reads: "Of course, most boomers belonged to none of these movements, but the shared values of that generation have shaped the world we all live in today. Churches now accommodate boomer's demand for autonomy and freedom of choice, says Roof (Wade Clark Roof author of the 1983 book A Generation of Seekers), a phenomenon otherwise known as "niche Marketing - you know, motorcyclists for Jesus." He believes that is one of the forces behind the emergence of mega-churches - the mall-like institutions that offer a cafeteria of worship options, with services elaborately scored for guitars and keyboard, plus lifestyle services, from gyms to food courts and childbirth classes. 'Megachurches define this as the way they want to be religious," says Roof, adding: "boomers love options."

When I started doing workshops on marketing to older adults 20 years ago, the values we encouraged companies marketing to age 50 plus adults were: choice, autonomy, and empowerment. We also stated that organizations needed to be aware that spirituality and the importance of one's legacy take on added meeting in life's second half...and, since there are way more people over age 45 than at any time in history, might that not be part of the reason we need bigger churches? And since the majority demographic tends to set the tone for others, there are even more young people now interested in all things spiritual than in previous decades.

Once again, it is not the uniqueness but the sheer number of Baby Boomers that is driving change. The soooner the media, consultants and corporations give up this infatuation with a distorted 60's view of aging boomers and focus on the uniqueness of later life values; the sooner we can end ageism and get on with building a better country.

Boomer Version of Freakonomics

The more dribble I read about what Baby Boomers will and won't do; ;the more I understand why those of us working hard to counter ageism can't make more progress. In spite of the fact that our nation and all of the developed world is more senior than junior for the first time in history, the media and a veritable plethora of consultants want us to believe narcissism continues to rule.

I just finished reading about the latest special on how Baby Boomers changed everything - what a worthless focus. In the web posting, Larry W. Jones, President of TV Land and Nick at Nite stated, "Viewing the impact of Baby Boomers through the years is truly remarkable. Generation Boom shows just what a force this generation is to be reckoned with. Right away, Boomer demanded more - beginning with the amount of diapers they needed." What an amazing conclusion from such a trifling of fact. Could it be that the Boom used more diapers because there were 9 million more than the generations that preceded or followed the Boom.

To paraphrase the authors of  Freakonomics, what we read about The Boom is based on "a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit." However, if you simply examine the numbers and the facts, the Boom "is not penetrable, is not unknowable, and - if the right questions are asked - is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking" Perhaps it is time for Levitt and Dubner to do a sequel called Baby Boom Freakonomics.

While we know that we tend to share common values in each stage of our life, this reality is ignored when it comes to the Baby Boom as it joins the Eisenhower Generation in the fall and winter of life. Instead of constantly revisiting the 60's, as if were the panacea for modern marketing, we need to focus on the reality beyond the numbers. From marketing to labor issues, the solutions are not that illusive if you know what questions to ask and understand the impact of aging in a post modern world.