by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman

Census data from 2004 reveal that there are 54.2 million people in the US between the ages of 55 and 79. Ours is an aging society with changed expectations. The average retirement age is 63 and life expectancy is 78 and rising.

With advances in health care and science, older people are enjoying life in their 80s and even 90s and a recent Merrill Lynch survey revealed that those 26 to 70 hope to continue working past their expected retirement age.  Many look forward to starting new careers.

This rapidly graying society will present new challenges for the workforce and for learning at colleges and universities. Such issues are the subject of a new study funded by the MetLife Foundation, “Framing New Terrain: Older Adults and Higher Education.”

With more emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and chronic illness lessened by prevention measures, by 2030 the number of older Americans will have doubled to more than 70 million, one in every five Americans.

Don’t short sell older adults—the senior Olympics competition includes an age range for participants 90-94 and the winter games include alpine skiing.