Most baby boomers say they’re planning on an active and healthy retirement, according to a new poll conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. And, in a switch from earlier years, more than two-thirds recognize the threat of long-term care expenses to their financial futures.

But some experts worry that when it comes to their health, boomers are still woefully unprepared — or worse, in denial.

“The mismatch between how people think the next 10 to 15 years is going to go and what current retirees experience is something that’s very consistent,” says Jeff Goldsmith, a health care futurist and author of The Long Baby Boom: An Optimistic Vision for a Graying Generation, a book about aging baby boomers. “There is no question that one distinguishing feature of our generation is this extraordinary, almost genetic optimism. And the poll results look to me like a lot of that optimism was drawn from a deep well of self-delusion.”

Health And Exercise

For example, notes Goldsmith, only 13 percent of people over age 50 but not yet retired said they expect their health to be worse in retirement than it is currently. Yet 39 percent of retirees said their health is worse than it was in the five years before they retired.

Expectations vs. Reality: Life, Well-Being/Happiness And Stress In Retirement

Proportion of people saying each of the following will be worse (pre-retirees) or is worse in retirement than it was in the previous five years (retirees)

 Expectations Vs. Reality: Retirement Age

Pre-retirees: At what age do you expect to retire (or partly retire, for those who never expect to completely retire)? Retirees: At what age did you partly or completely retire?

 Expectations Vs. Reality: Financial Ability To Live Comfortably In Retirement

Proportion saying their ability to live comfortably in retirement will be better than/worse than/same as now (pre-retirees) or as it was in the five years before retirement (retirees)

 Expectations Vs. Reality: Health In Retirement

Proportion saying each of the following will be worse than now (pre-retirees) or is worse than it was in the five years before retirement (retirees)

Beliefs About How Long-Term Nursing Home Care Would Be Paid

Community Factors That Are ‘Very Important’ In Helping Retired People Stay Healthy

Retired people are healthier in some communities than others. How important do you think each of the following things is in helping retired people stay healthy?

“Hello,” says Goldsmith. “That’s what getting older is eventually about. We’re all going to have serious health problems in retirement, and eventually really serious health problems.”

Similarly, only 1 percent of those not yet retired said they expect the amount of exercise they get to decrease in retirement, while 34 percent of retirees said they actually are getting less exercise.

Boomers in the poll who haven’t yet retired did say they are taking steps now to ensure good health when they do stop working. Seventy-two percent said they have increased their amount of physical activity or exercise; 68 percent said they have changed their diet or the food they eat, and 83 percent said they are watching their weight.

That’s how Aimee and Randy Rolin, of Springfield, Va., both in their 50s, are preparing for their retired years.

“I’ve been working out for 20, 22 years now; and I plan on working out until I die,” Randy says. “I hope to die healthy. … Fast. Nice and healthy. Not laying in a bed somewhere.”

“And we eat right,” Aimee adds. “Most of the time.”

Of course, good genes don’t hurt. We caught up with the Rolins cheering on Randy’s mother, Marcy, age 87, participating in the Wii bowling competition for the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. Marcy, who won a bronze medal last year, this year won a silver.

But Goldsmith says the Rolins are more likely the exception than the rule when it comes to the physical state of the boomer generation.

“There’s already evidence that people are starting into this retirement era with burdens,” he says. “I mean a third of the generation is obese, and a third is overweight. And even though people talk a good game in terms of exercise, it’s not clear the numbers actually support it.”

That, he says, could mean a lot of additional health bills.

Long-Term Care

Another expensive need in older age is long-term care, including care in a nursing home, assisted-living facility, or home care.

The good news is that when it comes to long-term care, the boomers are considerably more aware of the possibility of the crushing cost than previous generations have been. More than two-thirds said they were very or somewhat likely to have trouble paying for long-term care if they or a spouse needed it. That’s slightly more than the three-fifths who feared they might have trouble paying overall medical bills.

Judy Feder, a public policy professor at Georgetown University and an expert on long-term care, says she’s not surprised that after decades of trying to educate the public on the need to prepare people for the cost of long-term care, the message is finally getting through.

“One of the reasons I think people have a better understanding of the likelihood of long-term care is that boomers are experiencing it with their parents, and that a lot of responsibility for helping people who need long-term care falls on children,” Feder says. “So the older we boomers get, the more likely we are to have family members who need our help.”

That’s true of Jason Mitchell, 53, of Rockville, Md., who’s in the process of purchasing private long-term care insurance for himself and his wife, Nina.

“A few years ago, my dad passed away at 89, and for the two years before passing away, we incurred some pretty high costs for private care,” Mitchell says. “Luckily he had the means to pay for it, but I recognize it’s probably a bigger risk as all of us are living longer.”

One thing people don’t recognize very well, however, is who pays for long-term care. In the poll, a majority of those both retired and not-yet-retired thought Medicare, private savings and private insurance would be the primary payers if they needed nursing home stays longer than 100 days. In fact, the primary payer for nursing home care across the nation is the joint federal-state Medicaid program. Yet that was identified as the most likely payer for their own long-term nursing care by only 7 percent of retirees and 10 percent of not-yet-retired boomers.

That’s a potentially dangerous problem, says Robert Blendon of the Harvard School of Public Health, who worked on the poll, particularly as elected officials grapple with budget shortfalls at both the federal and state levels, and Medicaid is a key target.

“There’s clearly going to be a very difficult moment,” he says. “Because there’s this very strong disconnect between, what would containing the Medicaid budget for long-term care mean to the reality of how many people are in long-term nursing home care [and] couldn’t afford to be there without Medicaid paying those bills.”

For more ways of learning how to age with a little dignity and grace go to Greg Ryan (author) face book!

Yes, Americans are getting older. But that creates opportunities for baby boomers looking for a second career. Careers in aging are not the next big thing. They are the new big thing.

By 2050, according to Pew Research Projections, about one-in-five Americans will be over age 65, up from some 39 million Americans, or 13% of the U.S. population now. And the number of those 85 and older is expected to more than double to about 5% of this country’s population.

This demographic shift is already creating a wave of new fields and opportunities for workers of all ages. It’s just a tease of what’s to come. To get in, though, you might need to bolster your résumé with new skills, preferably added while continuing to work full-time in your first career. True, some of the positions do require a full-degree program, say, and an Associates of Applied Sciences degree in gerontology. Professional certifications, however, are becoming increasingly accepted by employers and clients in many arenas, which is great for 50+ workers–faster and cheaper.

Where are these jobs? There’s clearly high demand for health care workers across a wide gamut. Despite the tight job market, health-related jobs in hospitals; clinics; nursing and residential care facilities; and home-centered services are growing. Projections from The Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook forecast 3.2 million new jobs within existing health care job classifications between 2008 and 2018. It lists a variety of home and personal care health care jobs as fast-growing occupations.

You don’t have to be a surgeon or ICU nurse: there are hundreds of areas of specialization, such as music therapists for Alzheimer’s patients, and occupational therapists for the elderly. Other positions include: registered nurses, mental health counselors, social workers, physical therapists, physician assistants, dental hygienists, and fitness trainers and nutritionists.

“As tens of millions of people live into their 80s and 90s, we’ll need millions of others in their 50s and 60s and 70s to help care for them–not just within families, but through second careers,” Marc Freedman, CEO of Civic Ventures and author of The Big Shift: Navigating the New Stage Beyond Midlife, says. “They’ll be able to fill millions of positions we will need to fill — as nurses, home health aides, health navigators, and roles we’ve yet to even define.”

Open your mind and consider the possibilities. There are many ways to get an angle into the needs of the growing geezer market beyond healthcare.

In the Pew Research survey of 2,969 adults

• More than nine in ten respondents age 65 and older live in their own home or apartment.
• About one in 6 have trouble paying bills.
• Two-thirds of adults age 65 and older say religion is very important to them. One-third says religion has grown more important to them over the course of their lives, and they are more likely to attend worship services once a week.
• Nearly a quarter say they got some type of vigorous exercise in the 24 hours before they were interviewed.

How does that translate into greater “age wave” jobs? There’s a need for people who

• modify homes to make them safer
• are motivated fitness coaches
• are certified financial planners, or offer monthly help with finances and bill-paying

Here are 12 jobs that benefit from an aging population:

1. Healthcare/Patient Advocate. Solve billing mistakes, contest insurance-coverage rejections, lend advice in making medical decisions, find a specialist or hospital, go with patients to doctor appointments, and even pick-up prescriptions. Pay range: $50 per hour to $200+ an hour

2. Fitness trainer. Design clients’ individual workout routines or teach group classes. It’s not all stationary bikes and exercise balls. You might, for example, specialize in swimming for seniors or yoga.

Certification is not required by law, but most fitness clubs insist. There are several national groups that offer some type of credential. For credentials, you must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and pass an exam that consists of both a written and practical demonstration. You’ll need to be up to speed on human physiology, understand correct exercise techniques, how to assess a client’s fitness level and know the ins-and-outs of proper exercise programs. Pay range: The typical pay is $17 an hour to $30 an hour. But in larger cities, rates can jump to $60 per hour to $100 or more.

3. Personal and Home Health Care Aide. Assist elderly, ill or disabled people with daily activities ranging from bathing and dressing to running errands. Other duties might include light housekeeping, companionship, grocery shopping, meal preparation and medication monitoring. Pay range: $7.68 per hour to $35-plus, depending on experience and certification.

4. Audiologist. Hearing loss and aging go hand in hand. Examine, diagnose and treat individuals for symptoms of hearing loss and other auditory, balance, and neural problems. About 64 percent worked in healthcare facilities. Pay range: $20.48 per hour to $50 and up

5. Senior Move Manager. Downsizing is your bailiwick. Coordinate a move and configure new set-up. Typical client is moving to smaller quarters in a retirement community and needs help choosing what moves and what’s sold, donated or given to friends and family. Pay range: Fees range from $30 per hour to $75+

6. Senior Real Estate Specialist. Smooth the emotions of selling the family home and locate a suitable step-down abode. Pay range: 2.5 – 3.0 percent of purchase price for overseeing the transaction.

7. Aging in Place/Home Modification Pro. Senior-proof digs. A variety of experts can get into the act from contractors to architects and interior designers to figure ways to creatively convert or adapt homes with hand rails, ramps, grab bars in the shower and more to stave off accidents. Pay range: $40 per hour and up

8. Retirement Coach. Counsel soon-to-be retirees on what to do with the rest of their lives. Retirement is one of the fastest-growing segments of the coaching industry. Career coaching is a self-regulated industry and emerging profession. Many coaches have been doing it for years without adding professional designations. Pay range: $50 per hour to $400

9. Dietician and Nutritionist. Mindful menus. Plan healthy food and nutrition regimes and monitor meal prep. Pay range: $16 per hour to $36 and up

10. Driver. Driving Miss Daisy. Transport elderly clients who can no longer safely drive to appointments, airports, activities, and longer road trips.

Pay range: From $7.67 per hour to more than $20, plus car expense if you use your own wheels.

11. Recreational Therapist. It’s Showtime. Provide activities ranging from music to arts and crafts to planting and pruning for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients at adult daycare, nursing homes and memory care centers. Pay range: $11.85 per hour to $30 and up

12. Financial Planner Mind money matters. Lend your dollar sense and handholding manner to seniors struggling with managing investments, drawing down retirement accounts, and estate planning moves. Pay range: $120 to $300 per hour; or a percentage of assets under management, generally 1 percent to 3 percent.

Lots of jobs have been moved overseas, but these are jobs that really can’t be outsourced. The population is growing old right here, and that’s good job news.

Whether it comes from a close friend, the nightly news, or from a letter in the mail, it’s hard to face the truth at times. Hearing it can really cut us to the core .

Today, fitness books are mostly filled with advertisements, pill pushers and unrealistic programs that give people false hope. My intention with this blog site is to give you real hope and with that, you’ll get straight talk.

It is not my intention to force anything on you or to come across in a harsh way. While the words may be tough to hear, understand I don’t know how else to say what I have observed for all these years. We Americans have been HAD because we have not received the truth about what it really takes to be fit and to stay healthy. Quick fixes abound, but the truth is tthat here are no quick fixes that really work…or that last.

It is my responsibility as a fitness professional to provide you with the facts. And it is my hope that you read this with an open mind and that you understand that if you don’t do anything about your health today, tomorrow you may say,

“If only I had known.”

Here’s an excerpt from “Truth or Consequences,” one of my books  available at at http://www.resolutions.bz.

IF ONLY YOU HAD KNOWN!

I didn’t have much time to pack my bags that day;  as a matter of fact, I‘m still wearing the same clothes I put on that morning. I met all three of them on the way up here. They said they would hitch a ride, but they weren’t sure they would be welcome where I was going.

I thought it was unusual to learn how much they knew about me. Did I meet them at some restaurant where my family and I ate? Did I see them at the doctor’s office? I know – maybe it was at a bunko party or the golf course… I just couldn’t put my finger on how I knew them until today.

It’s pretty nice here, though — peaceful, always something to do, good conversation. However, I sure miss my family. I wish I didn’t have to leave them soon, but how would I have known?

The three of them said they warned me time and time again. How? When? Where? I wondered. I thought I read all the right books and talked to the right people. I even participated in the activities, at times.

Laziness was probably the one I got along with the best during that short time we spent together. He was the only transparent one of the three. Others might have thought, if they saw us together, that we were twins. We were so much alike.

The other two were much more reserved - unfriendly, even. Don’t let those guys fool you. I learned quickly they were stubborn old boys with rough edges — two of the biggest know-it-alls I had ever met. They called themselves Denial and Pride. And if you ever met them, I think you would agree they were named correctly.

As I crossed the line, I will never forget what they said to me as we raised our hands to each other and waved goodbye, “If only you had known.”

________

The health of America is going to get worse before it gets better. Diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease — are all at epidemic levels. And for the first time in history, the kids of today are projected not to live as long as there parents have. The only way for the health of America to get better is for all of us to be personally responsible, change our attitudes toward exercise, and support one another in the process.

The silent threesome of denial, pride, and laziness has been muted by the fantasy fitness-land programs, promising immediate results. This silent threat is killing you from the INSIDE OUT.

Until a few years ago, it was thought that Americans were healthy. Of course, that’s not true. We’ve had a health problem for years.

We have had a head problem, too. Most of us think that by ignoring them, our bodies will miraculously get better. Doctors saw this coming, but what did they do about it? My doctor’s answer was, “Take two pills and call me in the morning.” (Sound familiar?)

THE BUCK STOPS WHERE?

In the “good years,” more money, more marketing and more-for-me attitudes enabled us to focus on making the big bucks. It allowed us to put off worrying about healthy bodies. The accent was on NOW and not later. But the fiscal wealth we accumulated years ago is NOW being drained by our physical healthcare costs. Eventually, our bad health will consume all the extra dollars we worked so hard to earn.

Some of the responsibility falls with the big corporations, insurance companies, and hospital groups. But at the end of the day, the buck stops with YOU. The reality of this situation bites; however, the solution is not to ignore it, but to encourage people to embrace it. Many of you have either given up on yourself or just flat out are living in denial. Either way, the choice is still yours. The fact of the matter is that there is still hope for America and there is still hope for you, too.

Want to learn more about slowing down the effects of aging? Click here now!