| Abstract: | While much concern has been expressed recently about the aging of the United States population and the socioeconomic implications of this aging, comparatively little attention has been paid to the changes within the older population that likely will evolve during the next few decades. This paper examines changes in the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the U.S. elderly until the year 2020. Additionally, the paper argues that analysis of the implications of aging based solely on trends in the total size of this population and on characteristics of the present generation of older Americans will not likely yield results fruitful for policymaking and planning. |
