Why Should Baby Boomers Be Worried? Memory Loss is Number one Fear.
In 2009, the oldest of the baby boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964, turned 63 years old. So what’s ahead for boomers?
Confident and independent lifestyles.
Until the financial crisis this past year, there had never been a better time in history to be 60. Boomers as a generation are more wealthy, living more interesting lives and have more years ahead of them to forward to than ever before. Among the Americans who celebrated their 60th in that year were our two most recent presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well as other well-known celebrities like Cher, Donald Trump, Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton.
There were 78.2 million boomers in the US in 2005 and since then, 7918 people turn 60 each day – that’s 330 each hour! And lots of you will be called James or Mary, because they were the most popular names in 1946. As I said, we are the generation that has worked hard, studied hard and made wealth for our companies and famines.
So we should all be on top of the world, right?
Yes, so long as you can still remember all that way back! The sad thing is that more and more boomers are beginning to suffer memory loss and the devastating side effects that arise from that. On an average, boomer annual health care spending will be around $3899 at 60 and rising each year. It’s estimated that there will be 57.8 million boomers living in 2030, aged between 66 and 84. What will you be doing? Will you be living active, fulfilled and interesting lives? Or will you be living in one of the 5000+ continuing care retirement facilities. Ending up in care is currently one of the worst fears of baby boomers, who abhor the idea of losing their independence and not being able to manage their own lives.
Without an active and alert memory, though, this will be the reality for a growing percentage of boomers. So the time to do something for your memory is now, while you still have it!
The media is full of advertisements for anti-aging serums, anti-wrinkle potions, hair loss formulae and medications to keep you young. In reality, it is your active mind and body that determines the youthfulness of your future.
Your memory is your life – so take steps now to build memory resilience. Research shows that the brain, when stimulated, can grow in capacity and effectiveness. Without stimulation, is loses size, density and forgetfulness takes over.
Look up Seven Second Memory for an excellent introduction for steps you can be taking for your brain’s future, now.
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This article was reproduced with permission of its author Gillian Eadie, founder of the Brain and Memory Foundation. Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow. For more free help and personal advice on keeping that boomer brain growing and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation.
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