Dependency, Independence, Interdepence

A terminology used by the US Census in calculating percentages of the population aged 65 and over and their need for care giving -- dependency.

Ask anyone growing older and this is the biggest FEAR in their lives -- losing their independence and the costs, personal and financial, of this process.

Independence. Years are spent training and nurturing from birth onward to get humans to the point of taking care of themselves, those who have the physical and mental means and abilities.

We who are privileged with these capabilities and capacities, most often take them for granted. 

Many of us work to reduce, refine and redirect our capabilities and capacities, but we do not realize until we really start getting past our "growth" years that include self development, family and career, and head for those "golden years", this time is full of as many potholes, road blocks,detours, sudden stops and repairs along the way as those encountered at all the earlier life stages.

Interdependence.  The ability of a society to value all of its parts and to accept and work through the challenges of everyday life.

We work together to set aside "isms" and create an environment where value isn't measured by who you are or what you are but simply the fact that -- you are.

Overheard in a conversation where I work the other day:  
Older people don't take to the new technology. 
They don't "want" it. 
They're satisfied with what they know and have. 
They don't know how to use it.

By the way, this person was in their mid 40's. He should know he's considered "old" by tweens, teens and those in their twenties. 

He should know his "views" and his "ways" are considered "out of touch" and "old" and they probably characterize him in the same way he characterizes those older than he is.

Viewpoint depends on where you are in life, what your experiences have been, what you've been taught, what you choose to see. 

Life is far more challenging today than just last year and will continue to be. 

We're in the epicenter of a technological revolution where thought and practice are subject not to what you can access, but the tools you have and the way you can use them to gain and use information and its benefits.

Keeping up with technology is an investment in time and money. As we grow into the later years of life, those are usually limited resources. It's not about not wanting, it's about not being able or have the ways and means.

Aging is as significant an economic challenge as where a person lives, what level of education they have and what ability they have to move upward in their careers and the level of discretionary income they have and how they use it throughout life.

Today, technology makes systems obsolete and the costs of adding technology comes not just with a purchase price, but an increasing maintenance price. 

The US Census uses terminologies like "dependent" when referring to 65 and over who need care giving, however, every day we hear about men and women in their twenties and much younger with diseases and physical challenge.

The Baby Boomer generation is being portrayed as becoming a drain on our US economy. Isn't this easily said about any age with "special needs"?

Many people I know in the 65+ age group add to the economic recovery but no one talks about their contributions.

• They work -- some at more than one minimum wage type job
• They volunteer -- providing services and opportunities for less capable and less fortunate
• They donate -- time, money and skillsets to benefit individuals and communities.

Take a look at the birth year report by clicking here  

This data comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. These numbers refer to U.S. births only and is in millions/hundreds of thousands (rounded off).

1940	2,559	1955	4,097	1970	3,731	1985	3,761
1941	2,703	1956	4,218	1971	3,556	1986	3,757
1942	2,989	1957	4,300	1972	3,258	1987	3,809
1943	3,104	1958	4,255	1973	3,137	1988	3,910
1944	2,939	1959	4,245	1974	3,160	1989	4,041
1945	2,858	1960	4,258	1975	3,144	1990	4,158
1946	3,411	1961	4,268	1976	3,168	1991	4,111
1947	3,817	1962	4,167	1977	3,327	1992	4,065
1948	3,637	1963	4,098	1978	3,333	1993	4,000
1949	3,649	1964	4,027	1979	3,494	1994	3,979
1950	3,632	1965	3,760	1980	3,612
1951	3,823	1966	3,606	1981	3,629
1952	3,913	1967	3,521	1982	3,681
1953	3,965	1968	3,502	1983	3,639
1954	4,078	1969	3,606	1984	3,669

Take a close look. The "baby boomers" birth year starts in 1946 and goes through 1964. This was a time of rising births from 3,411 to 4,027.

Take a closer look.  1965's birth year was higher than 1946, but because there was a decrease from 1964, it's not seen as challenging. 

Moving forward, 1975 to 1990 were years of increasing population. And even though the population showed a decrease in the years from 1990 to 1995, the population level of above 400,000 (that's a figure of millions, by the way), is higher than the first eight years of the "baby boomer" era.

Two generations after the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. Each will encounter the same challenges if all choose not to face the present and provide for the future.

The question becomes whether the younger generations will care enough to cause change before it's their turn to experience the change and become --

DEPENDENT.

What's the general health of the younger generation?  We're led to believe this is the "safety net" generation; the one we rely on to offset the cost of healthcare insurance, for example.

That was the basis for the Affordable Care Act -- get enough of the "Gen Xers" and "Millenials" because they have fewer medical problems.

What we've seen is how this group faces their own medical challenges:  cancer, heart disease, Lupus, MS and more. We just never talked about these medical conditions as openly. 

It's time to realize Age Alone Doesn't Define Capability or Capacity. 

We live with diseases and medical challenges we're still trying to understand and control how they affect our lives.

Infants through the most Senior level of our population share challenges and can live with limitations and challenges from moderate to severe.

Let's pull together instead of pulling one another apart. 

Realize and recognize the potential and possibilities of all ages and stages of life. 

Be positive, think proactively and as always, work to protect those without the means to provide their own safety net.