America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
By 2030 All Baby Boomers Will be Age 65 or Older
Baby boomers have changed the face of the U.S. population for more than 70 years and continue to do so as more enter their senior years, a demographic shift often referred to as a “gray tsunami.”
Knowing about the number of people age 65 and older is important for tribal, local, state and federal lawmakers. They will use 2020 Census statistics to help decide how to spend billions of dollars annually in federal funds on critical public services for the next 10 years.
Everyone uses roads, hospitals and emergency services but some state and federal programs target specifically older populations — such as money for senior citizen centers, job-training programs, and Medicare Part B health insurance.
“The census is really important to us in the aging community,” said John Haaga, of the National Institute on Aging in Washington, D.C. “It’s our only way to figure out how things are different across the country, what areas are aging faster, where elderly disabled people live, or where older people are concentrated, like Appalachia or West Virginia, because young people are leaving for the cities.” Older people are remaining behind there.
To learn more about
- Why knowing where Boomers are matters
- The rapid growth of the Baby Boomer generation and
- Federal programs help people over age 65 Continue Reading...
|
