Wisdom Of Ages
Put another candle on the birthday cake.
Boomers, shmoomers. So much attention is paid to the baby boom
generation (yes, we plead guilty) that it's all too easy to
overlook what is actually the fastest-growing population segment in
the country: centenarians.
OK, so Americans 100 years old and older are still relatively
few in number. Nonetheless, by 2005, it's projected that this
unique population will venture past the 100,000 mark. Even more
staggering, that number is projected to grow to 800,000-plus by
2050.
So who exactly are these most senior of citizens?
"Centenarians are a diverse group of individuals," says
Lynn Peters Adler, founder of the National Centenarian Awareness
Project, a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization devoted to
promoting centenarians. "They come from all walks of
life."
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In other words, says Adler, don't make the mistake of
assuming all centenarians are one and the same. Just as
significantly, don't automatically conclude that vitality is
extinguished by age. "There's a growing body of active,
interesting centenarians," Adler maintains. "It's a
great harbinger for the future."
For the present, however, keep in mind that today's
centenarians want respect--and inclusion. "People who are
very, very old don't want to be relegated to the
sidelines," says Adler, who is also author of Centenarians:
The Bonus Years (Health Press). "They want to be involved
in the activities of life." And yes, appropriately enough, the
omnipresent boomers will only swell the ranks of centenarians in
years to come.
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