A recent New York Times opinion essay argued that older Americans are “hoarding America’s potential” by controlling too much wealth, too many homes, too many jobs and too much political influence. The author proposed measures ranging from mandatory retirement to limiting the influence of older adults in civic life.
The article generated strong reactions across the aging sector, and for good reason. At its core, it presents a familiar but dangerous narrative: that older adults are somehow standing in the way of progress.
Here in New Hampshire, we should reject that narrative — but not because our state is immune from demographic change.
New Hampshire is one of the oldest states in the nation. The proportion of residents over age 65 continues to grow, while birth rates remain low and workforce shortages challenge employers in nearly every industry.
But an aging population is not a crisis. It is a reality. And more importantly, it is an opportunity.
The first mistake in much of the public conversation about aging is treating older adults as a single group. We would never assume that all 15-year-olds are alike. We recognize differences in interests, abilities, health, aspirations and life experiences. Yet somehow, once people reach a certain age, society often lumps them together as “the elderly.”
The reality is that people are just as individual at 85 as they were at 15.
Some older adults are running businesses, serving on boards, volunteering in their communities, caring for grandchildren, launching second careers or pursuing higher education. Others are living with chronic illness, disability, financial insecurity or social isolation. Many are doing some combination of all of the above.
There is no homogeneous group called “older people.” There are simply people, each aging in their own way.
The second mistake is believing that aging happens only to other people.
We often speak about aging as though it begins at 55, 65, or 75. In reality, aging begins the moment we are born. Every one of us is aging every day. The policies we create, the communities we build, and the attitudes we hold toward older adults are ultimately reflections of how we view our own future selves.
Aging is the most universal human experience there is. That is why ageism deserves far more attention than it receives.
Yes, another “ism.”
Some people roll their eyes when they hear the term. Yet ageism remains one of the few socially acceptable forms of prejudice. We make jokes about memory loss. We assume older workers cannot learn new skills. We dismiss the contributions of older adults while simultaneously blaming them for societal problems.
Research has repeatedly shown that ageism affects health outcomes, employment opportunities, health care delivery and quality of life. It influences how policies are designed and how resources are allocated. It can even shape how people think about themselves as they grow older.
Unlike many forms of discrimination, however, ageism is unique because, if we are fortunate, every one of us will eventually become part of the group being targeted.
This is not somebody else’s issue. It belongs to all of us. In New Hampshire, our demographic changes touch every aspect of life.
They affect our economy as employers struggle to find workers while experienced professionals seek flexible ways to remain engaged. They affect housing as communities grapple with creating options that work for people across generations. They affect health care as demand grows for services, caregivers and innovative approaches to supporting healthy aging. They affect transportation, education, volunteerism, civic leadership and local government.
Yet these challenges are not caused by older adults. They are opportunities for communities to adapt and evolve.
Older adults contribute billions of dollars in economic activity, volunteer service, caregiving, mentorship and civic engagement. They serve on planning boards, nonprofit boards, school boards and town committees. They vote. They volunteer. They support local businesses. They provide care for spouses, grandchildren, neighbors and friends.
Far from “hoarding” opportunity, many are creating it.
The question before New Hampshire is not how to limit the participation of older adults. The question is how to create communities where people of all ages can thrive together.
The future of New Hampshire will not be built by one generation alone.
It will require intergenerational solutions to workforce shortages, housing challenges, health care needs and economic development. It will require us to recognize that demographic change is neither good nor bad, it simply is. What matters is how we respond.
We can choose a narrative of scarcity, division and blame. Or we can choose a narrative of possibility.
As a state, New Hampshire has always valued independence, civic engagement and community. Those values do not diminish with age. If anything, they become even more important.
The conversation we should be having is not whether older adults have too much influence. It is whether we are fully leveraging the talents, experience and contributions of people of every age.
Because aging is not someone else’s future. It is all of ours.
Rebecca Tolman is the graudate program director of the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Management of Aging Services. She lives in Moultonborough.