Baby boomers are the demographic cohort following the selected generation and preceding generation and are always associated with high birth rates. Baby boomers were born in the year between 1946 and 1954, and as they grow older, they were faced with a lot of challenges including financial problems, health problem, and economic challenges, saving for their retirement and taking care of elderly parents. The following are specific problems they faced: Baby boomers are expected to be living longer than other ancient generation and this act of making them live longer give then anxiety about their retirement although other people may see them as they will be happiest when they reach old years. But in the real sense, they are forced to work longer so that when the time which they are unable to work they will well utilize their savings as their lives will be well established.
As compared to other generation baby boomers have to take care of their aging parents as compared. Baby boomers have a hard time not only thinking about their retirement plan but also they think about taking care of their elderly parents, which may lead them having emotional cost in addition to financial value. Baby boomers, unlike other generation, are now critically thinking of paying their parents' medical bills, providing them with proper housing, nursing home and also they will have to leave with aged parents so that they can take care of them.
Baby care also has mandatory planning for their attention when they get older. They do this by having plans with their children on how they will take care of them, and also they save money for medical bills and nursing. By doing so, they may be straining in making a good life for the future sake, and this may lead to restrain about their present life to get success for their next life.
As baby boomer age, some of them are faced by health issues, according to current statistics, it is believed that baby boomers are approaching to their old age with a high rate of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and lower rates of excellent health status, putting significant strains in their health system. Research which was carried out in the year 2016 by united health foundation concerning the study of the health of aged Americans came into a conclusion that the baby boomers not only they are facing health issues but also they were confronted by increasing in the healthcare cost. A health cost has increased as compared to anything in the United States of America.
In addition to health issues according to Epidemiologists, it tells us that the group of baby boomers are generally worse as compared to proceeding generation even at the same age. Moreover, despite the reduction in audiovisual diseases, aging baby boomers are faced with some chronic conditions including obesity, poor diet and lack of excise and mental health problems.
A small percentage of baby boomers don’t value that their savings will be enough for them until retirement. This challenge comes about when insured retirement institution, make a survey and go into a conclusion that 23% of baby boomers save money for retirement thus they will have the great challenge when they retired. Moreover, high-interest rate and creditability crisis and forces of economic inequality have put a more significant number of into more substantial risks and vulnerability. Most of the baby boomers expect to work longer and postpone their retirement but weakness in the labor market, age discrimination has made them to retire so earlier, therefore, their savings for retirement will lower thus it will lead to them straining. Lastly is concerning social security in America baby boomers now are not receiving social security as it was in the case of the earlier generation. Baby boomers are now experiencing challenges due to entitlement programs shortfalls which were present in early age. This situation may cause rival among parents and grandparents if not corrected.
Baby Boomers encountered a challenge about progress in life. The expectation of progress by Baby Boomers was disrupted by war in Vietnam and urban riots that occurred. Their hope that the future would be better, each coming generation would have a better life than those before they were diminishing. Majority of baby boomers seem to believe that the world has become a dangerous place and it is becoming worse every day. They would argue that the world has affected by terrorism, crime, globalization, immigration, and many other emerging problems. Progress for live for baby boomers was something trying to happen. The war that occurred in Vietnam made baby boomers to lose hope for a better future for the coming generation. But later on, the coming of the internet and the World Wide Web brought more hope to the Baby Boomers for better life again (Kim and Yun-Jeong 81).
Challenge of disability is another challenge that faced Baby Boomers. Majority of baby boomers need long-term care-services either from the public hospital or private hospital, but they find hard to pay for the services due to their financial constraints. This kind of challenge is becoming more familiar to the baby boomers because long term private insurance care only covers the small proportion of this cohort, and a majority of insurance firms offering this services have retreated from the market over the past decade. There are also other elements of disability that commonly affect baby boomers such as a decline in auditory power and visual impairment, joint and born impairment(arthritis, osteoporosis), and reduction in cognitive capacity. This elements of disability are increasing with age, and this becomes a problem for all baby boomers (Kim and Yun-Jeong 81).
Baby boomers also faced a challenge of great recession which inaugurated the dominant mood of the period: fear and control. The great recession frightened baby boomers away from equity in investment as well as depression of home equity values. Due to this scenario, loss of confidence was increasing among baby boomers. And many were wondering if great recession would come again and who will prevent it from happening. These shocks lead to poor retirement saving and a decline in defined benefit benisons plans. The retirement savings which would have been a great deal for the old age was now becoming a problem (Fredriksen, Karen, and Charles 95).
Age discrimination affected baby boomers in economic equality. The forces of economic inequality have pushed many baby boomers into a great risk and other vulnerabilities. Weakness and health problems associated age which are experienced by baby boomers makes it impossible to solve the problem of economy. Weakness in the labor market has made a majority of the baby boomers not to prosper. This kind of discrimination has cost a lot of baby boomers, many have internalized age rejection, by not trusting the old people (Jones and Landon 17).
Increase in divorce rate also affects baby boomer. Divorces usually come at a time when social capital is diminishing. Baby boomers generally encounter this reduction of social capital due to their weakness and health problems that are associated with aging. Loneliness among baby boomers resulted in depression and high suicide rates. From the research done Epidemiologists, it is contended that the overall health of baby boomers is worse than the preceding generation at the same age. This problem is as results of depression, lack of exercises and mental health problems (Roof, Clark and Greer, 1993).
In conclusion, disillusion is paramount problems of our time. It reflects many elements associated with age, period, and cohort. The experience of disillusionment and despair is such a moment when baby boomers would have to confront the profound question of responsibilities. The challenges faced by baby boomers should be considered strong and try to avoid such problems from happening again in the future. The issues found in the past are not defined for the future, but it can be converted into hope for a better future generation.
Worked Cited
Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I., and Charles P. Hoy-Ellis. "LGbt oLder aduLts emerGinG From the shadows." Later-Life Social Support and Service Provision in Diverse and Vulnerable Populations: Understanding Networks of Care (2017): 95..
Jones, Landon Y. "Great Expectations: America and the baby boom generation." (2017)
Kim, Yun-Jeong. "The Effect of Generation Solidarity and Generation Differentiation on Subjective Generation Perception among Korean Baby-Boomers." International Information Institute (Tokyo). Information 20.1A (2017): 81.)
Roof, Wade Clark, and Bruce Greer. A generation of seekers: The spiritual journeys of the baby boom generation. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993.
