These young seniors may want rock and roll for their afternoon music rather than the "kitchen band" from the neighboring town, or another go-round of Lawrence Welk on video. They want designer coffee, not that old, perked dishwater. Women wear jeans, not house dresses. They want computers, Wii and quality exercise equipment. Quite simply, this new generation of "younger" elderly residents want to continue living their lives with as little change as possible, not meekly follow the worn path into old age.
Generations, of course, overlap and I don't mean to stereotype them. But nursing homes are finding that they have to offer more variety to their residents. As modern medicine keeps Great-Great Uncle John alive into his 90s, Great Uncle John has a stroke, and moves into the same nursing home as his dad, though he is just 70. Shortly after, his wife Janet, a bit younger but struggling with rheumatoid arthritis, enters the same home. She is just 62. Such a wide range of ages in one nursing home? A stretch, yes, if you consider one family. But if you look at the age groups comprising the population of nursing homes, you'll see these numbers.
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Are nursing homes up to this challenge? Can they deal with these multiple generations – especially with the more demanding "young elders?" They'd better be able to, because this situation is not going to change.
The good care homes and assisted living facilities are getting a handle on these changes. This leading edge of boomers, this "tsunami" of aging people that the news media beat to death, is a very real demographic. The good news is, these young elders are changing, and will continue to change, the way nursing homes operate. Their refusal to take aging lying down will force changes throughout the system, and all generations will benefit from this new flexibility.
So, will the really "hip" nursing homes have a Starbucks? It wouldn't surprise me if some do, though it may be set up in a room separate from the "country store" atmosphere preferred by the very old elders. No need for an uprising. It just takes a shift in attitude about aging, some planning and more resident-centered thinking. The young elders starting to enter care centers are the same people who challenged authority in the 60s and 70s. These seniors may have mellowed a bit and their bodies likely have lost some steam, but they are not that much changed. Their demands for more options will be good for all generations.
Elder care author, columnist and speaker Carol Bradley Bursack is an AgingCare.com contributing editor and moderator of the
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Read her full biography