The country needs an honest national conversation about the future.
By Meeta Agrawal Special Projects Editor, Opinion |
After I had kids, my parents — retired, kind beyond words — started spending more time with us in New York City to help out. They coached us through our baby's first bath, kept me company on long stroller walks, pushed the swing at the park higher and higher and higher. |
But as my kids grew older, so did they. When those morning strolls turned into high-speed morning school runs, I saw my parents hesitate at intersections, anxious in the face of cars and motorcycles shooting out unpredictably into the crosswalk. They eventually stopped joining us. They started to notice with new eyes the hazards of uneven, poorly maintained sidewalks where bikes and scooters were constantly underfoot. Eventually, there was a fall. Surgery. Physical therapy. So many appointments. Even with the most flexible jobs, understanding colleagues and full-time child care, it was tricky to support them through it all. Take away one of those supports and the equation becomes unsolvable. |
We have all either muscled through the challenges of supporting loved ones as they age or watched someone close to us deal with them. And it is, in the United States, largely a predicament that falls on individual families. |
But the demographics of this country are heading for a tipping point. While the United States has historically been a young nation, by the year 2034 there will be more older Americans than children. Who will offer future generations a hand over uneven sidewalks and at doctor's appointments? |
It's time for us to have an honest national conversation about aging. And that's just what we're hoping to kick-start with a new project from Times Opinion, "Can America Age Gracefully?" We ask: What would it look like if we treated aging as a national issue instead of an individual one? What if we started trying to solve the pain points of aging on a societal level? What do we want old age in America to look like? |
So many of the solutions we outline would help not only older Americans but also everyone else. Because one important way Americans can age gracefully is to recognize that older people still have an abundance to contribute, and that our communities are immeasurably enhanced by having them remain integrated, not walled off. And an important part of an honest national conversation about aging is recognizing that, with any luck, all of us, one day, will join their ranks. |
Explore the project here: |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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