As of Jan. 1, the first baby boomers turned 65. What can American society expect as boomers retire, age and continue to be active? How will this affect the stigma of growing old?

As the birthday celebrations commence, University at Buffalo faculty experts are available to comment on tips and trends related to aging in America. Topic areas include elder law, geriatric medicine, hearing loss, mental health, television viewing and designs for living.

The thoughts of the UB faculty members are summarized below. For more information or to search the UB Faculty Experts blog, go to the Newstips website.

Will hearing aids become a fashion statement? Rock music takes its toll.

Richard Salvi, PhD, UB professor of communicative disorder and sciences, otolaryngology and neurology and director of the UB Center for Hearing and Deafness, is an expert in deafness and hearing loss.

According to Salvi, “baby boomers now have reached an age where hearing loss and tinnitus become major health problems. Many have already lost much of their hearing and developed tinnitus (ringing in the ear) due to many years of listening to loud rock music.

“Hearing aids, not yet considered a fashion statement, will by necessity become a necessary part of the boomers dress code as the prevalence of age-related hearing loss begins to accelerate beyond age 65. While hearing aid technology and miniaturization have steadily advanced, restoring the hearing of our youth remains a formidable challenge,” he says.

“Hearing health care costs are skyrocketing due to noise exposure and aging. The Veterans Administration ranks hearing loss as one of its Top 5 major disabilities. In 2010, the Veterans Administration paid out more than $1 billion for tinnitus disability claims alone. The trends in the VA are a reflection of those in the general population.”

Severe to profound hearing loss and tinnitus associated with aging and noise exposure are not just hearing problems; they can lead to social isolation, anxiety and depression contributing to an overall decline in one’s general health, Salvi says.

Near-death continues to be a reality on TV

Today’s television lineup includes many reality shows about ESP, “true-ghost” stories and the wonder of near-death experiences. Are they aimed at the elderly? Pop culture expert Elayne Rapping, PhD, professor emerita of American studies, says that whether they are aimed at the elderly or not, her hunch is that’s who is watching them. “After all,” she says, “TV supports wishful thinking and shows that entertain the connection between the here and the hereafter may be more enticing to an aging population than to those who don’t plan on leaving the earthly plane anytime soon.”

Seniors / Aging From Medical News Today

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

Baby Boomers also known for their dedicated work ethics and high standards are very interested in health and fitness and are showing up in gyms around the world to get started on a strength training program because they have heard it will help them stay younger. This age group can expect to live into their 80′s, 90s and beyond so staying strong and healthy is of great importance to be able to remain independent and healthy to enjoy these extra years.

Baby Boomers will not thank you if you call them “elderly” and they have no intention of “slowing down” or “growing old gracefully”. They intend to remain active and youthful throughout their entire lives so their health span equals their life span. If a strength training program will assist them in accomplishing this, then so be it, they will take it. As you would expect they are setting their sights high – instead of sitting around idly watching the world go by, Boomers intend to start new careers, hobbies, and travel. This can only be made possible by remaining strong and healthy. Strength training is the means to achieve this.

In addition to enhancing their own health, fitness and quality of life, Boomers also have the chance to influence the next generation by setting an example of a new, active model of an aging adult. They will teach them that weakness and frailty is not an inevitable part of getting old and that it within our control to stay strong and vibrant. Staying independent and taking care of ones self is a great incentive to maintain strength as you age. Creating more energy and endurance by being fitter and stronger enables an active lifestyle to easily be maintained. Building strength also builds strong bones, which helps prevent the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. And toned muscles look better than flabby fat. Muscle is youth.

You can start building and regaining strength at any age, even people who begin strength training in their 70′s or 80′s can regain loss strength in as little as eight weeks. You don’t have to accept that you will lose your strength or muscle tone just because you’re getting older. Your muscles will continue to work for you as long as you make an effort to work your muscles. Strength training is the key to staying young, no other form of exercise can achieve the same results and the outcome is an improved quality of life that you could scarcely imagine.