Baby Boomer Insights

The Volunteering In America report notes that boomers still give, even in tough times

The flood waters are starting to recede in Atlanta (thank goodness!) and now the real work begins. Volunteers are spilling forward, eagerly looking for ways to help neighbors. And leading the way are boomers, whose reputation for volunteering continues, despite the fact that many face their own issues brought on by this rising tide called a recession.

It's not just my observation that informs this opinion. According to the latest Volunteering In America report, boomers continue to give their time, energy and money to volunteerism.

The report even breaks down volunteers by age groups and includes some interesting statistics about boomers, such as:

>      In 2008, 29.4 percent of Baby Boomers volunteered, with 22.6 million volunteers giving 3 billion hours of service. 

> The volunteer rate for Baby Boomers remained relatively stable from 2007 to 2008 despite an increase in unemployment, a rise in home foreclosures and the largest decline in charitable giving in more than 40 years.

> Baby Boomers’ top volunteering activity was fundraising, with 29.4 percent of the volunteers contributing through that. 

> Of the states, Utah had the highest rate of Baby Boomers volunteering, with a volunteering rate of 48.4 percent for the group.  Of the large cities included in the report, Minneapolis-St. Paul had the highest rate, with 41.8 percent of Baby Boomer residents volunteering.

The report enables you to check the state of volunteerism in your own state and my review shows that in Georgia, a little more than 1 out of 4 adults volunteer. So, we have some work to do to push our ranking above #41 of the 50 states. Looks like the $250 million-plus damage left by rising waters may just give us a chance to show what we're made of!

The fact is boomers have always been quick to volunteer, but we also are particular about what we do. We want to apply the considerable skills we've acquired over the years to make a difference in our own communities. That's why organizations that want to tap us need to understand our thinking process about volunteering. One group that helps boomers find a good partnership is Volunteer Match, an online site that matches people with causes in a way that benefits both. (There are many similar groups - Google some in your area.)

The Serve America Act, which generated a lot of buzz when proposed by President Obama in the spring, will do doubt light a fire under many boomers. That's why I was glad to see 10% of AmeriCorps funds set aside for organizations that engage people over 55. Boomers are even being asked to consider new careers in the nonprofit world and some money is being set aside to fund the transitions.

Companies that want to attract or retain boomers would do well to consider how closely the company's civic involvement matches the desire of boomers to give back.

Boomer readers - how are your own expectations changing regardng volunteering? Do you feel welcomed and useful to your neighborhood organizations?

World Alzheimer's Day a good time for boomers to reflect, plan

Monday, September 21, is World Alzheimer's Day, named by a federation of 71 Alzheimer's associations around the world in conjunction with the World Health Organization. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the important work being done at Alzheimer's Disease International.

I always get a bit wistful this time of year anyway because I lost my maternal grandmother to Alzheimer's, also 15 years ago. She had a September birthday, though by the time she died, she could not have told you when her birthday was. It's really hard to accept seeing someone you love so much ravaged by a disease that robs the memory bank into which they've been making deposits for life.

Grandma Mary ("GrandMary" to the great-grandchildren) once had a remarkable memory. She and my grandfather owned a successful real estate company together and she always amazed me with her ability to recall the most minute details of transactions that happened many years ago. Since her death, I have lost friends to Alzheimer's and my friends have lost loved ones. I've learned the disease doesn't respect age, so it's not something only the "elderly" get. In fact, the early onset of Alzheimer's is found in people under 65 (that would hit us boomers right smack in the face).

My own parents are in their 80s and blessed with sharp minds and good memories, but like many seniors, their physical health is quickly declining. So the challenge has become trying to figure out the right thing to do to ensure they get the care and support they need beyond what our family can provide. I used to bemoan the fact they live in a small rural town, figuring it would be especially difficult to get good support outside a major metro area.

That's why I was so encouraged to learn about The Lakeview Ranch in Darwin, MN, hardly the kind of town you'd go looking for a model organization serving Alzheimer's patients. At this facility, the focus isn't on keeping patients drugged and comfortable; on the contrary, they strive to keep residents as active as possible and communicating as well as they can. One secret, say the owners, is doing extensive research into each individual to understand their backgrounds beyond their medical conditions, getting to know them as people with a future, rather than a patient with little memory of the past. I hope while our country is going through health care reform more attention will be given to how we "house" our elderly, especially when they aren't able to be independent.

We boomers owe it our parents' generation, as well as ourselves, to do what we can to influence the way the elderly are cared for in this country. We need to get off the "youthful forever" mantra and realize the reality is that a good percent of us will one day suffer from a form of dementia. One way to prepare is to learn as much as possible through things like this Life Transitions Toolkit, offered by Great Places.

As much as I hate the expression "aging boomers" (isn't every generation aging?) I confess that this time of year, even I start to reflect more on the fact that I, too, will some day probably be elderly and in need of help.

What solutions have you found to caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's? What resources would you like to share with the readers of this blog? I'd love to hear from you!

P.S. After writing this on Sunday, September 21, I saw a new report on CNN that said the number of people with Alzheimer's is likely to double every 20 years. Wow.

Practical holiday gifts for boomers

Some people know it's fall by looking at a calendar, others by the feel of the air. Me? I just look in my mailbox. I know it's fall when I start seeing Christmas catalogs. This year, though, I'm getting as many pitches to my blog and into my e-mail as I am in my snail mail box. Most of them I toss as irrelevant or uninteresting, but I have come across a few that I thought were worth looking into. Check these out:

> FastPencil lets you write that memoir or children's story or family history you've been meaning to get around to and then publish it. Would-be authors can collaborate with others, upload pictures and solicit feedback until they get it just right, then publish an e-book or a hard copy. Since everyone involved in a project uses the same editing tools on the site, the process goes more smoothly and quickly than the typical back-and-forth of book publishing. The basic service is free, but the site makes its money from offering premium services, such as enabling you to sell your book through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and over 2,000 additional channel partners. They also offer authoring services. What a great gift it would be for boomers and their parents to document their stories for a family legacy!

> Of course, if you're going to write that book, you may need a little help boosting your memory. I subscribe to Bill Cosby's philosophy that our memories are actually in our butts. Think about it. How many times do you go into a room to get something, then find yourself standing there wondering why you're in that room? Just go back to where you were, sit down, and it'll jog your memory! Or... another way would be to follow a 4-week program designed to boost your memory through a combination of food, moves and games. It's called the Brainpower Game Plan and it was created by Cynthia R. Green, PhD, founder of Mt. Sinai's Memory Enhancement Program. She has teamed up with Prevention Magazine to offer a book outlining ways to increase your everyday brain power and prevent  age-related brain disorders later in life. According to Prevention's web site,  readers who tried the plan boosted their everyday memory by up to 78 percent. I plan to check this out, especially after realizing I had to look up the name of the program and the author's name twice while writing this blog!

> Just in time for flu season comes a web site that solves that problem of wanting to provide a hot bowl of chicken soup to your parents, kids or friends who are too far away for you to just drop by. SpoonFulofComfort.com will deliver homemade chicken soup to anyone in a 64 oz jar (4-6 servings) that is reusable and recyclable. A portion of the profits are donated to the American Cancer Society. According to Dr. Steven Rennard, a specialist in pulmonary medicine, chicken soup does in fact provide actual health benefits. I can't tell you how often I've wanted to send chicken soup (one of my favorite comfort foods) to someone and yet, incredibly, it never dawned on me to see if I could actually do that on the Internet!

> If you're one of the 34 million people in the sandwich generation caring for your parents and your children, you can probably appreciate - and learn from - Gloria Barsamian's new book, "Sustenance and Hope for Caregivers of Elderly Parents." She offers tips and advice on how to deal with such a major life change in a way that preserves your sanity and relationships. Barsamian's insights are drawn from 28 years as a social worker helping families deal with catastrophic illness.

I'd love to hear some of your suggestions for gifts to give boomers this holiday season. I'll write another column soon with the collection of ideas.

What a weekend for Boomers! We cheer Watson's amazing performance and Cronkite's incredible legacy

What an emotional weekend! We lost one of the greatest journalists of all times, which, even though expected, was sad. Then we experienced the pure joy of watching Tom Watson show the world that winning isn't always reflected on a scoreboard.

Growing up, the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite was where this boomer turned to learn what was going on in the world. From the living room of our ranch home on the outskirts of a small Southern town, Cronkite made us feel protected somehow. We knew he'd tell us what we needed to know and why we needed to know it. His signature, "And that's the way it is" was oddly comforting and authoritative.

Cronkite was the epitome of integrity and class, and he inspired me to go to college and be a journalist in hopes of one day covering stories that mattered. From his emotional coverage of the assassination of President Kennedy to the first lunar landing, to his smart coverage of every political convention for over 20 years, he oozed authenticity and insight. My family of eight gathered around our Zenith black and white TV to see what he had to say, no matter the topic.  Since he left his post as the first person ever to anchor an evening news show, I've never been as devoted to a particular anchor (though I was quite fond of Peter Jennings for years and was actually a bit angry with him for cutting his life short through his cigarette addiction).

I like to think if Cronkite were covering today's news, he would take delight in reporting the amazing accomplishment of Tom Watson at the British Open this weekend. Another true original, Tom is a nice guy with a devoted fan base that appreciates the fact he gave his very best. And even though he didn't win, for a couple of days, we brought together people of all ages around the world who pulled for the 59-year-old boomer to become the oldest person to win a major golf tournament.

Watson made boomers everywhere feel a little prouder, a little younger and little more confident in our belief that we can't be counted out on anything just yet, including a game that is increasingly dominated by young people (including 16-year-olds like Matteo Manassero). But most of all, like Cronkite, Watson exudes pure class and that's something we just don't see enough of any more.

Truthfully, I feel a little sorry for Stewart Cink, another classy guy whose first major win is being overshadowed by Tom Watson's loss. And yet, it seems like a perfect demonstration of just how news coverage has changed over the years. Cronkite could never have imagined that one day it would be tweets, blogs and ireports that would inform the news. (In fact, Cink himself tweeted as he golfed.)

So in one weekend, we've celebrated the accomplishments of a Gen-Y prodigy (Manassero), a Gen X-er (Cink) and a Boomer (Watson), and a senior (Cronkite). And as a result, at least for today, I feel a little better about the world. And that's the way it is.

Designer boomer web site bites the dust: TeeBeeDee's ample funding, content not enough

I was disappointed - but not surprised - to learn that TeeBeeDee has closed down, due to lack of participation by the very people it targeted - Boomers. Despite being well-funded and having experienced leadership with a track record of success, the site just didn't draw the 45+ set as intended.

The content was great, the site was well designed, and the information was interesting. But, the fact is Boomers don't want to hang out on web sites that filter for them based on their age. In other words, we don't see ourselves as a group of people who are so different from other generations that we should have separate sites.

When Boomers go online, it's usually to learn something, do some research, get a question answered, or share information with friends and family. We aren't looking for sites to just "hang out" with people our own age. Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace will do just fine for when we want to socialize or enhance our network. Even the granddaddy of Boomer sites, Eons, has had to lower the age of entry just to survive.

Expect this trend to continue. That means marketers who want to reach Boomers need to go where they are, rather than try to find new ways to draw them. I can tell you from personal experience that I've seen an explosion in Boomers using the same social networking sites as their children and grandchildren. And why not? It makes staying in touch much easier. As a bonus, many all-purpose social networking sites make it easy to share photos, videos and whatever else we want.

Already, another trend is emerging - for better or worse. Boomers, like the generations below them, are starting to use the message functions of social networking sites as a replacement for e-mail. It makes sense in many ways - if you're already on Facebook to check on friends or see new pictures, why not just click on the message function and use it, instead of going to yet another site and logging in just to send a quick note? (Personally, I don't like this trend - I'd much prefer to get an e-mail in my personal account. I have a bit of a paranoid streak and never completely trust the confidentiality and integrity of sites not designed speficifically for e-mail. )

What's your experience, Boomers? Do you find yourself being increasingly satisfied to "use what the kids use"?