Pushing back old age will have effect on retirement, housing, and healthcare

By Linda McNulty

Increased longevity creates very real problems for those who achieve it. Two problems come to mind immediately – money and quality of life. If we are living longer, why do we feel the need to retire at the same age our grandparents did? Their life span was significantly less than current projections. Social security is working to correct that by raising the age for receiving benefits, but is it enough? If 70-75 is the old 60, why not plan to retire at 70 or 75? If we are living healthier and better, why should we drop out of the work force while trying to fund a 20 to 30 year retirement? It doesn’t make sense.

Another reality for those not ready to acquiesce to old age is the housing situation. A very intelligent city council person with whom I am acquainted suggested recently that there is a glut of senior housing being built. A glut?

I believe the council member is referring to the senior housing constructed in Chaska, Chanhassen and Waconia, because there is no senior housing in Victoria. There will not be a glut when this councilmember is of the age to require housing assistance in her frail years. This is a real difficulty facing today’s head-in-the-sand boomers. How much data do they need to understand that one day they will be elders, and then they will be frail? There won’t be room in today’s nursing facilities for 78 million of them. So, housing must be built to contain them in ways they can maintain quality of life.

The current trend says that boomers will stay in their own homes and receive services there. All well and good. I love the idea! However, where will the servers come from? Is anyone on track for educating all these people who will be going from house to house delivering nursing or para-nursing services? Staffing in-home services in the current market is more than difficult. There is a bona fide shortage of nurses today. The shortage will only increase in the future. The numbers are not working here. These issues are being looked at by the planners of tomorrow, but not being understood by a significant  number of those who will benefit by their foresight.

Truly, between the housing and nursing situation, the only glut is the number of baby boomers who will need a long-term retirement, housing, and requisite services for old age. Let us consider working longer, which will benefit the economy as well as our retirements, and making plans for that time when life will not be so rosy. It will come. You can believe it.

P.S. Do you want to hear something scary? I read that today’s babies may be living to 125. OMG!

 Linda McNulty is a Victoria resident and a member of the Victoria Senior Commission. Her column appears monthly in the Victoria Town Square pages.