As boomers age, Gen X considers care options 

By Leesha Faulkner, The New Star Daily Edition

 February 9, 2003

Baby boomers are aging.

They don't like to talk about it. Some are in denial about aging.

For instance, Cher, the singer. She's in her mid-50s. Has she quit performing? No, said Chris Johnson, professor of gerontology at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a baby boomer. Although currently in the midst of a "farewell tour," Cher seems far from settling down.

Cher's not an unusual famous example to use to demonstrate the aging of the baby boomers, he said. Questions rise about what will happen to boomers as they age. Will their Generation X children take care of them?

"That's a complex question," Johnson said. "From my perspective - yes and no."

There's a narcissism among Generation X'ers, born between 1969 and 1978, that might change the face of long-term care for boomers, he said.

"Do you see Cher's daughter taking care of Cher?" Johnson asked.

Some Gen X'ers will take care of their parents, but Johnson predicts a sizeable number will let their parents make their own decisions. "Sadly, some of these kids, you wonder whether they're going to follow the biblical dictate to honor your father and your mother," he said.

But Jay Bulot, a member of Generation X and an assistant professor of gerontology, said he isn't so sure about the narcissist label. "That may be a stereotype of Gen X'ers," he said.

There are challenges for aging boomers and their children. Jan Corder, director of the nursing school at ULM, said boomers will live longer, but likely be in worse health as they age. "Because they used drugs and alcohol when they were younger," she said.

Bulot said he expects boomers will be in better health than their World War II-era parents. He also predicts boomers will live longer. "The first thing that came to my mind is the baby boom generation looks much different than their parents when health is concerned. They're a lot healthier," he said.

Bulot explained that when boomers become sick and eventually die, the period of intense, end-of-life care likely will be shorter.

"It's the way to go really. Being healthy for a longer period of time and the amount of time they are sick is compressed into end-of-life care, if current predictions are accurate," Bulot said.

There are certain elements that will change. For example, Johnson pointed out the family structure has changed, raising the question of who will care for the parent. Blended families - those with stepchildren and stepparents are more common with boomers than their parents. Will boomers' stepchildren care for them? "It's a perplexing issue of whether there's going to be that sort of commitment," Johnson said.

Boomers are more independent. They want more options. They're more career-oriented. These factors also must be considered as the culture of youth declines into old age. That means more assisted living facilities, Johnson said.

"They're going to try to avoid long-term care facilities to the utmost," he said.

Generation X children are more mobile than their parents, Bulot said. That means long-distance care. Bulot used nanny cams in children's daycare centers as examples. Don't be surprised if Gen X children install digital video cameras in their parents' homes or insist on care homes having the service, so they can watch their parents from next door, another room, the job or even a half world away, he said.

"We left school with technology firmly imbedded in our society," Bulot said. "I expect it will play a large role in the type of care a person receives."

For instance, if dementia begins to set in, older people can care for themselves. But as aging dementia continues, children begin to worry about their parents falling, forgetting to turn off the stove or a host of issues.

"Now, if you're taking care of a parent and work full time, you have to take a day off or a half-day off. With Web-enabled homes, you can check in from work or across the country," Bulot said.

Technology is already available in many other countries that will virtually monitor older people. In Sweden, some floors in care centers can detect when a patient falls on the floor, sensors keep track of pulse, blood pressure and respiration rate until help can arrive, Bulot said.

"There's a lot of technology like this that not many people know about," he said.

These advances will likely find a huge market in U.S. homes as boomers grow older, because they'll want to stay in their homes as they age. Baby boomers don't want to go to nursing homes, Bulot said. Many have placed their parents in nursing homes and visited them.

"Boomers are a lot different from their parents," he said.  

U.S. Census 2000 data

-- Median age of U.S. population is 35.3 years

-- 4 percent decline in 18-34 year olds

-- 28 percent increase in 35-64 year olds

-- Most rapid increase, 49 percent, in 45-54 year olds, because baby boomers have entered that age group.