I am currently in a heated discussion with a dear friend of mine from Holland about the two candidates in the American 2016 election. We go back and forth on the pros and cons, with more pros on his side for the candidate of his choice, of course! Both candidates do have their pros and cons in regard to their personalities and their behaviors. But what if we ignored all that? Wipe the slate clean and focus solely on what they will do after they become president?
It got me to thinking…
In this election year, what really are the most important concerns of older adults and boomers like me?
A little online research indicates the following issues as extremely important to this demographic.
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Prescription Drugs
- Long Term Care
Mary Spann from Upside of Downsizing wrote a great article about this. Click here to read her article and find out what each candidate professes to do to address these issues.
Other issues of importance to seniors:
- Impact of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Family Caregivers
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Independency and Jobs
- Elder Abuse
Although millennials and x-generations now comprise 55% of the voting population versus 44% of boomers and prior generation voters, it is important to note that a whopping 70% of boomers and silent generation voters turned out to vote in the last election. And it is highly likely we will do the same this election. That’s right, we show up to vote!
I’m not totally convinced that either candidate realizes that we are experienced voters. We have probably voted in the last 5-10 elections and we know the difference between panderers and those candidates with real plans to address real issues that most affect us.
This Tuesday, November 8th will be a very important election for all of us. Climate Change, Health Care, Supreme Court, Gun Control, Immigration and other issues are all on the line for major changes, depending on the outcome of this election.
So to all my Boomer and Silent Generation friends, let’s “show up” on November 8th and get out there and VOTE!
Cheers!
Marcia Wye (Certified Aging in Place Specialist)