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Politics & Government

They've Come a Long Way, Baby: The Geri-Boomers

As Greenwich's population ages, its need for services will increase.

Welcome to the senior class.

The first of the Baby Boomers generation, U.S. citizens born in 1946, will celebrate their 65th birthdays next month. Boomers will number 70 million by 2030, making them the oldest generation of seniors in history. In Greenwich, 15.9 percent of the population is 65 and older.

"Baby Boomers represent a large bulge in the population," said Sam Deibler, director of Greenwich's . "Over the next 10 years as the population ages farther and farther, the need for healthcare and home healthcare will rise."

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That means the coming years will see an increased need for services from at-home care to more doctors trained in geriatrics. As outpatient and one-day surgery expand, more at-home care will be needed, Deibler said.

"Getting into a hospital is almost as difficult as getting into an Ivy League college," he said. 

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Indeed these so-called "Geri-Boomers" will greatly impact healthcare, said Dr. Stephen G. Jones, a geriatrician and expert in gerontology and director of the Center for Healthy Aging at .

"It is wonderful news that we are living longer, but it also creates an entirely new set of challenges for families and the healthcare system," Jones said. "The face of medicine is going to start to change rapidly because of this transition. "

Cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease are now the leading causes of death in the United States, Jones said.

Looking ahead, there's a shortage of doctors trained in geriatrics, which focuses on specific health needs of the elderly, Jones said.

That's one reason Greenwich Hospital looks to keep people full of vim and vigor.

"We are working to reach out and keep people healthy. We are focused on wellness and health," said Sue Brown, senior vice president of patient services for Greenwich Hospital and chief nursing officer.

The children of Geri-Boomers will struggle to manage care for multiple generations in their families. Rather than the sandwich generation, which refers to adults caring for both their parents and their children, Jones said.

Seniors 85 and older are predominately female, raising new issues for women who will spend their later years widowed or single, according to Jones. Their numbers will increase from 4 million in 2000 to an estimated 31 million in 2030.

A huge concern is Alzheimer's disease. In 2000 it impacted about 4.5 million U.S. citizens. Those numbers will likely double by 2030 and could reach epidemic proportions by 2050, according to Jones.

This means more visits to doctors. And that means transportation needs will increase.

"Our niche is when someone needs a ride to a doctor's appointment, we will go to the doctors appointment and stay. We will sit in on a visit and take notes," said Lise Jameson, executive direcor of At Home, a nonprofit organization in Greenwich. 

According to its website, At Home allows for "aging in place" senior services to Connecticut residents 50 years and older.

"These folks who are turning 65 are not the folks of a generation ago," Jameson said. "They want a very sophisticated array of services. They are a very interesting population."

Members of At Home include those who work full-time to those who volunteer 25 hours a week to those need help getting to and from appointments and grocery stores.

"We have to make sure we are not leaving anyone behind," Jameson said.

Deibler agreed this sharp increase means more services are needed.

"In the old days we could count on relatives to care for us," Deibler said. "Now adult children often live miles away. We just don't have that network."

One way to create that network is to bridge the generational gap.

At Home often pairs high school students with seniors needing help, Jameson said.

"From yard work, shoveling snow to computer issues, who you can't get better than kids in high school," Jameson said.

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