New challenges for local communities as 10,000 baby boomers turn 80 every day starting next year
By Aaron Gifford
In Onondaga County alone, the number of residents aged 80 and older is expected to increase by 57% over 15 years — from 23,991 now to 37,634 in 2040.
The expected spike of 80-plus folks for the four-county Central New York region, which also includes Cayuga, Madison and Oswego, isn’t as drastic, from 51,462 to 55,559, but it’s still notable at nearly 8%, according to Cornell University’s Program on Applied Demographics.
Cornell University forecasts that the total number of CNY baby boomers, which spans those who turned 60 last year to those who will turn 80 in 2025, will exceed 203,000 by 2040.
As seniors across the country are expected to live longer — and as the oldest members of the baby boomer generation turn 80 at a rate of about 10,000 a day — there’s a need locally and nationally for senior housing, medical, transportation, socialization and independent living services to accommodate this demographic.
“The group’s needs must be targeted for services which can enable them to remain independent in the community in safety and with dignity for as long as possible,” said a four-year service plan released by the Oswego County Office for the Aging on Oct. 11.
The report also noted that the average age of clients who received home aide services through the Oswego County OFA in 1995 was 75, while today, that average age is 85.
OFA representatives in Onondaga and Madison County are also reporting an older population compared to just 10 years ago.
“In fact,” said Julie Harnie, Madison County OFA executive director, “it’s not just retirees anymore. There’s a lot of 80-year-olds who are still working.”
JoAnne Spoto Decker, executive director of the Onondaga County OFA, said that during her 30-plus years of working with seniors, the number of 85-year-olds in recent months has been the most striking.
“We have clients who have been with us for decades now,” she said, noting that her office’s primary focus is to maintain or improve the quality of life for seniors and reduce their isolation. “People are living longer, thankfully.”
OFA services across New York state counties range from helping seniors find housing or medical care to providing home aides and meals, help with shopping, nutrition education, personal care and companionship in person or by telephone.
Volunteer-based transportation service is also a primary OFA function. In Madison County, the organization has enough volunteers to provide rides to anyone older than 60 “to anywhere they want to go,” Harnie said.
Annette Clark, director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, said the average age of her volunteers is about 70. In addition to driving, the volunteers also help with blood drives, digital literacy initiatives at local libraries, food pantries, animal shelters, a telephone companion program and exercise or bone-builder sessions. Between April 2023 and March 2024, the group of 92 active volunteers logged 6,992 hours across 20 locations.
Clark said many of the volunteers in their 60s or even some in their 70s are also caring for their own elderly parents or adult children who still live at home or grandchildren.
In New York state, multigenerational households with three or more generations were the fastest-growing living arrangement involving seniors between 2010 and 2019, from 54,808 households to 77,499 or 41%, according to Cornell University PAD. The report also said that, as age increases, the gap between the male and female population widens.
“There were nearly twice as many women than men aged 80 and older in 2019,” the report said.
Spoto Decker said there’s a waiting list of older adults looking to downsize to ground-floor apartments without stairs in Onondaga County.
With the shortage of those types of houses, OFA is keeping a closer eye on seniors who are most at risk of a fall in their current home, which includes fall prevention education outreach.
“We have a lot of services that are tailored to keep people in their living choice — their home of where they want to be,” she said.
The American Association of Retired Persons issues a “livability” score to cities and counties across the nation based on the availability of public transportation, average housing costs, the number and quality of hospitals and a variety of other factors, including air quality. Onondaga County ranked the highest in the CNY region, with a score of 54 out of 100, followed by Madison County at 50, Cayuga County at 48 and Oswego County at 46.
For Oswego County, the AARP cited a “shortage of health care providers, above average rates of smoking and preventable hospitalizations and below average access to exercise opportunities.”
Oneida County, where the cities of Utica and Rome are located, received 52 points. The report noted a severe shortage of health care professionals and low patient satisfaction.
The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, under its strategic plan for 2020-2025, applauded those regions for their collaborations between communities and health care systems. The organization, however, said developing age-friendly communities goes well beyond just opening senior centers and making buildings wheelchair accessible.
“Age-friendly communities are committed to engaging older adults and providing opportunities for them to be full, vital members of the community and recognizing that older adults have a lot to contribute if given the chance,” the plan said, adding that more seniors should be elected to local governing boards and that public schools should invite older adults to give presentations on health aging.
The Aging Studies Institute at Syracuse University reports that in both Oswego and Onondaga counties, 24% of the population is older than 60. That figure for most Upstate New York counties hovers between one-fourth and one-third of the population, with Cayuga County at 28% and Madison at 27%. Hamilton County, a rural area in the Adirondacks, is the highest at 43%. The July report, “How can America Support the Health of its Aging Population,” calls for extending clinic hours for seniors, establishing community health clinics in underserved areas, bolstering access to health care in immigrant communities and creating age-inclusive communities.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 80% of those older than 75 have at least one chronic health condition and 50% of that population has two chronic health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke or diabetes.
About 6.2 million Americans older than 65 are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia and the risks increase with age, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
In addition to concerns about the future of Medicare and Social Security, many seniors across the nation are also stressed about covering medical bills and living expenses. The Insured Retirement Institute reports that 45% of baby boomers have no retirement savings and more than 25% have less than $100,000.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services tallies the number of U.S. residents in long-term care at 14 million and that number is expected to double by 2050.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch,” said Harnie.
Her colleague, Annette Clark, the RSVP director, said even though the increasing number of older adults compared to the amount of services and money needed to accommodate the Baby Boomer generation in the years ahead presents a bleak situation, the resolve demonstrated by those folks during COVID-19 is encouraging — especially those who returned to volunteer work.
“People are coming back from COVID,” she said. “This is a very solid group of people. They know the key to longevity is staying mentally and physically healthy. They want to have something to go to and to be part of something.”
