The Longevity Epidemic

Today 10,000Americans will turn

65 years old.

Pew Research Center

The Longevity Epidemic

The Longevity Epidemic has become a global phenomenon. Never in history has there been this many senior citizens on Earth. In the U.S., life expectancy is continuing to climb, medicines are improving and longevity is increasing. We have never known a world of where seniors account for such a large part of our population and we are not prepared to face this epidemic.

The Longevity EpidemicPopulation GrowthIn 1990, 4% of the U.S. population was over 65

Today, 13% of the U.S. population are over 65

By 2030, 20% of the U.S. population will be over 65

Stanford Center on Longevity, USA Today and World Bank

Life ExpectancyIn 1971: 71.1 years In 1991: 75.4 years In 2011: 78.6 years

The Longevity Epidemic

Administration on Aging

The Longevity Epidemic

Transgenerational.org

“The United States contains more people age65 and older than the total population of Canada.”

Projected Acceleration of Global Aging Population

Living Longer, Not Better

Chronic IllnessSensoryCognitive

PepsiCo’s Center for Human Understanding and USA Today

Old age can be broken down into three main principles that show the effects of increasing longevity, but the quality of life for seniors may not necessarily be better.

Living Longer, Not Better

70% of older Americans have heart disease 60% of older Americans have arthritis 25% of older Americans are obese 20% of older Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes

USA Today

Senior Age Group with at least one chronic illness

80% Chronic Illness—

Living Longer, Not Better

Sensory—declines “over time [and] can have profound effects on Boomers’ ability to see, hear or respond” Vision—designs that have sufficient contrast, use a larger font size and use

simplistic graphics will better register with older adults Hearing—hearing-impaired adults “may have trouble distinguishing sounds,

especially high-pitched sounds against background noise.” Dexterity—changes in flexibility and strength effect the way older adults are

able use products or maneuver in spaces

PepsiCo’s Center for Human Understanding

Living Longer, Not Better

Cognitive—“the capacity to process information remains intact with age but becomes slower” Aging-related cognitive changes—seniors need

more time to “absorb information at their own pace” Environmental learning influences—seniors are

more distracted by “background noise or irrelevant stimuli” Short-term memory decreases—seniors lose the

ability to remember simple things and forgetfulness increases

PepsiCo’s Center for Human Understanding

Sizing the Economics

“The median age of the American workforce is about 41 year old, compared to twenty years earlier when it was nearly 36.”

“The average age at which U.S. retirees say they actually retired is at 61 [in 2013], up from 57 in the early 1990s.”

April 4-14 2013 and May 23, 2013 Gallup Poll and Bureau of Labor Statistics

Workforce

By Choice

Americans Working Past Retirement Age: 75%75%

By Necessity40%40% 35%35%

Sizing the Economics

Deloitte.com and Forbes.com

Buying Power

Total U.S. Consumer Demand

Total U.S. Population Total Net Worth of American Households

Sizing the EconomicsAverage Spending

Americans Average Household Spending(Indexing Senior Households over Average Household)

Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey

Item Index (%)Food 93Furniture 87Major Appliances 98Small Appliances 109Household Textiles 105Apparel 88Transportation 93New Vehicles 100Old Vehicles 85Health Care 137Drugs 176Entertainment 96Insurance 90Other Expenses 103Total 96

“Older people are the only natural resource in the world that is actually growing.”

—Laura Carstensen, PhD, Founding Director, Stanford Center on Longevity