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Boomers: Now Hear This
June 15, 2004, Wisconsin State Journal

By DEBRA CARR-ELSING

It's time to look at the positives when it comes to aging baby boomers.

Already, concerns have surfaced about how this large group of 77 million people born in the United States in the boom years of 1946 through 1964 will put a strain on health care and social service systems.

Keep in mind that in seven years, the oldest of the baby boomers will turn 65. On average, they can expect to live to 83.

So a national campaign is being launched to redefine aging and encourage millions to see their extra "golden years" as an unprecedented opportunity to give back to their communities.

That's the gist of a report released earlier today by the Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation.

This is the organization that made "designated driver" a household word with its national media campaign to promote the idea that alcohol and driving don't mix.

"Baby boomers should be seen as a valuable community resource because they're living longer than their parents and entering retirement years more physically active and more educated," says Susan Moses, deputy director of the Center for Health Communication of the Harvard School of Public Health.

What's needed is a national effort and a "call to action" that will rekindle the passion and idealism of the JFK era and mobilize boomers to do community service, Moses says.

It is hoped that this can happen even though boomers haven't had a stellar track record when it comes to civic involvement.

"Compared to their parents' generation - which Tom Brokaw calls 'the Greatest Generation' - boomers have done less at every juncture in their lives," Moses says. "They vote less. They read newspapers less, and they volunteer less."

The Harvard report, titled "Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement," stems from an initiative that also encourages nonprofits to rise to the occasion and examine how they can make their volunteer programs more attractive to boomers who have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

For example, a retired CPA could use accounting skills to help with an agency's strategic planning rather than fill a traditional volunteer position.

"We need to get the message out to organizations that the boomers are coming and some of them have different expectations of volunteer opportunities," Moses says.

Besides that, management of volunteer groups needs to be done well, she adds.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone," Moses says.

Research shows that there are health benefits to volunteering. Simply put, people who remain connected to their communities have physical and psychological advantages over those who are socially isolated.

"We're hoping that in coming years, baby boomers will seize the opportunity to leave behind a social legacy and become role models for how to lead a productive and successful aging life," Moses says.

"It's the whole idea of giving back and passing on your wisdom to future generations."

The Harvard-led initiative also plans to change the way society views growing older in the United States, recognizing the value and worth of people at each stage of life.

For more information about the Center for Health Communication of the Harvard School of Public Health, check out www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc. Online information about the MetLife Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.

E-mail: dcarrelsing@madison.com