by Amy Hasselkus
The baby boomers are coming-into older age. By 2030, people older than age 65 will number approximately 70 million or 20% of the entire U.S. population (A Profile of Older Americans: 2002, Future Growth, retrieved from http://www.aoa.gov/prof/statistics/profile/2.asp, Feb. 4, 2004).
The White House Conference on Aging takes place once a decade. The first one this century is scheduled Dec. 11-14 and much of the policy that is expected to emerge will focus on the needs of the baby boomers as they retire and begin a new phase of life. The culture of the baby boomer generation, with its focus on wellness and healthy aging, opens up many opportunities for audiologists and SLPs to use professional knowledge and experience to enhance people's lives.
This issue of The ASHA Leader includes a variety of topics and perspectives related to the baby boomer generation. Travis Threats provides great insight into determining the best course of treatment for older individuals while Nancy Tye-Murray describes how aging affects audiovisual integration. And, if you've ever watched a commercial and had difficulty keeping up with what the announcer is saying, you'll enjoy Sandra McCoy's article about how aging affects an individual's ability to process and understand fast speech. Perhaps advertisers need to pay attention as they focus on a consumer market of baby boomers who plan to make the most of their retirement.
Don't miss the article by Marge Gibbons, who shares her perspective as a baby boomer on life and the profession of speech-language pathology. Of interest and relevance to all in this electronic age is an article about the use of cell phones and hearing aids.
Whatever your age, this issue will help prepare you for growing older in the 21st century.
Amy Hasselkus is ASHA's associate director, Health Care Services in Speech-Language Pathology. Contact her at ahasselkus@asha.org.