Marilyn Fedorow is not your grandmother’s grandmother.
She’s 70, so, well, her chronological age is grandma’s. But everything else — a full-time job, a master’s degree in later life, energy, keen memories, and the excitement of seeing and doing new things — suggests that a woman is in her prime, not her old age.
For her own part, Fedoro could be inspiring, if not particularly novel. While American culture looks down on age, that doesn’t mean older Americans actually fit ageist stereotypes. For many, maybe even most, a sense of humor and productivity doesn’t diminish with the calendar. Fedorows has always had it.
The difference now is that soon there will be tens of millions of people.
The fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population is those 65 and older. The Census predicts that by the early 2030s, Americans will outnumber American children under 18 at retirement age. By mid-century, Americans at retirement age are projected to dominate the non-working segment of our population.
The impending rise of seniors will be demographically unprecedented, and not entirely without friction. It will add new pressures to vital matters such as Social Security, housing and health care.
It also means more stories like Fedoro.
She worked in customer service management for decades before going back to school with a degree in a field that was about to boom: Gerontology. She earned her master’s degree at 58, and it wasn’t long before she found a satisfying job helping seniors navigate the nation’s labyrinthine healthcare system.
Now, twelve years into her second career, she’s considering a slowdown, but not a full retirement, from the Southern California Commission on Aging.
“I think (retirement) is kind of on my mind right now. My husband is 80 years old, and we both want to see a lot and do a lot,” she said.
“But I don’t think I’m not working at all. I’m not ready for it.”
And, in her seasoned view, many people are not her age. She said a “new version of seniors” would be someone who went on to do a job, probably working most of the time previously set aside for retirement.
Part of it will have to do with desire. Everything from the reduction in smoking to the advancement of college degrees has created a world of people like Fedoro who will enter their later years with the physical and intellectual skills to make money in the labor market.
“Older people are still contributing,” Fedoro said. “Especially in the next few years. They’ll want it.”
But another driver will be required.
Private pensions have dried up in recent decades. Real wages have stagnated. The gap between rich and poor has widened. And, going forward, older adults will face pressure to remain in the workforce in some capacity, if only to support prepaid social programs like Medicare.
So while anyone working in their 70s and over will contribute, at least some will also fill in the gap, the gap between your monthly Social Security check and your rent.
Geriatrician Fedoro, who lives in Anaheim Hills, believes that getting older during the aging boom will be a mixed bag.
“Health care is going to be tough. And housing. There are also a lot of people who have never been married or divorced, kind of like old orphans, who will have the problem of who will take care of them,” she said.
“But there are also more people who recognize these needs. There are more people who would like to meet them,” she added.
“I’m excited to see what happens next.”