Baby Boomers

Baby Boomers The "Boomers" An Analysis of the Impact the "Boomers" will have on Society in the next Thirty Years The years between 1944 and 1964 is often referred to as the great "baby boom." It is often referred to as this because this period produced the largest generation of babies in the history of the United States.

This marks the period after the end of World War II when the country was going through a time of prosperity and the conditions were favorable for families to feel comfortable bringing life to the world as many did. With 77 million people in their ranks, boomers are expected to intensify many of the challenges already facing our country and will continue to do so for roughly another estimated 35 years (Randall, 2012). Baby Boomers are the considered one of the most powerful demographic group in history.

The boomers have the influence to rule the marketplace and have a significant impact on not only business and the economy but the entire society in general. This analysis will consider the ways in which the boomers will impact the United States over the course of the next thirty years. There will be many changes to the public in general including the health care system, the economy, and how these people are housed and deal with society in general.

The Boomers and Society The boomers were revolutionary in the early history of their existence. In the 1960s the impact of the boomers was already beginning to be felt. Boomers born between '46 and '51 were young teenagers and those individuals born during the peak boomer years, '52 to '57, were in their formative years during the Sixties (United States History, N.d.).

The sixties were a time of turbulence that included the civil rights struggle, the introduction of rock and roll, and a period that included high levels of civil unrest as many counter-cultures began to challenge the status quo. Many of the youth in the 1960s and 1970s were idealistic, euphoric, and somewhat disillusioned with society in general. Many of the aging boomers with alternative ideas still persist today and these cultures can still be found in many communities.

Figure 1 - The "Boom" (United States History, N.d.) Other changes in society also had significant impacts upon the boomers group. The seventies were a marked by the Cold War and Vietnam War which were definitely events that collectively shaped this generations psyche. Many of the more liberal youth in the '60s and '70s eventually matured and many of the individuals in these generations joined the conservative party and supported right wing ideals promoted by politicians such as Ronald Regan.

The 1980s also included one of the worst recessions in the century and the economic growth in the 1980s was actually lower than it was in the 1970s. Other new introductions to society that this group interacted with were the introduction of the personal computer, an extremely high divorce rate, and the introduction of the diseases HIV / AIDS (United States History, N.d.). The nineties marked the time when the boomers began trickling into the demographic mainstream and the period of 2001 and beyond they moved into middle age.

Psychological Outcomes within the Boomers In recent years many baby boomers have been popularly portrayed in the media as a as being whiners, complainers and narcissists; and care mostly about trying to stay young. However, this may not be an accurate perception of the aging boomer group. There is much variety within this large group as one might expect. One longitudinal study found that is a wide range of outcomes for individuals in this demographic throughout the years.

One of the most interesting aspects of this research is seeing what happened to baby boomers in mid-life; some became more fulfilled, others became despairing, and yet others remained relatively stable (Whitbourne, 2009). The results of the baby boomers study suggest that personality growth doesn't follow a ladder model where one stage succeeds another, but more closely resembles a matrix, in which issues associated with early stages of life are continuously revisited through life.

Caring for the Boomers There will undoubtedly be a shortage of options for Baby Boomers as they enter into old age. According to estimates by AARP, there are about 7 people aged 45-64 to care for each person who is 80 or older.

By 2030 there will be only 4 and by 2050 there will be fewer than 3 and the math is even more brutal; the population in the prime caregiving ages of 45-64 will grow by only 1% from 2010 to 2030 but the numbers of those 80 and over (who are most likely to need care) will grow by nearly 80% (Gleckman, 2013). There are many suggestions about how to improve this situation, but it is unquestionable that this will be a large stressor on the already stressed healthcare industry in the United States.

The United States is projected to have a nursing shortage that will intensify quickly as baby boomers enter old age and their need for care grows considerably. There are other factors that are also working to compound this problem. For example, the nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to expand enrollment levels to meet the predicted rising demand for nursing care (Rosseter, 2012).

"It's a double whammy -- we can't get enough nurses, or the faculty to train them," says Sarah Keating, a nursing professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, "It's so tough when you see these folks coming through and they do so well on the interviews and we have to turn away one in four," adds Keating (Fox, 2013).

Four main areas were identified as the major contributors to the nursing shortage in the U.S.A.: the ageing RN workforce; declining enrolment; the changing work climate; and the poor image of nursing. To provide adequate care for this generation, it will take.