Trends in senior living show we're keeping up with the times

What's next? That's the question the International Council on Active Aging posed to its members and their clients to find out what's the next best pastime catching older adults' interest. Is it the newest social networking Web site for the mature crowd, trading in your golf clubs for a hiking pole or that retirement makeover?

Those are just a few ideas the council found in its sleuthing. Ahead of the curve in determining what's grabbing seniors' attention and approval, The Council on Active Aging has led the way in putting the spotlight on older adults' potential in the marketplace.

It's about time the business world catches up with us.

Those of us over 50 are the largest piece of the demographic pie -- 78.2 million baby boomers in 2005, with the over-50s increasing by 8.1 million over the next five years. Not too long ago, marketers focused on the younger set -- those between 30 and 44 years old. But that demographic is shrinking, said JWT Boom, a marketing firm specializing in the over-45 crowd. So the advertising world is turning their attention to us to try to catch a trickle of the $2 trillion we boomers spend annually.

Here are a few trends that will define active seniors in the coming year, says the council, a trade organization for those in the older adult wellness market.

The Internet is becoming the community gathering place for computer-savvy seniors who want to connect to information and like-minded folks. That's 65 percent of people ages 50 to 64 and 32 percent over age 65, according to a Pew Internet and American Life Project. Besides familiar informational Web sites for seniors, social networking sites are popping up like acne on a teenager. MySpace and Facebook, make room for eons.com, with 600,000 registered senior citizens and about 1 million clicks a month, including some presidential candidates; rezoom.com, promising a "Britney-free zone for an ageless generation"; boomj.com, trying to catch two generations at once, as it targets folks ages 35 to 65.

Retirement communities are reinventing themselves, focusing less on golf and more on proximity to theaters, gyms, hiking clubs and wine tastings. More retirees are opting to remain in their communities, sacrificing warmer climes in order to remain closer to family and friends.

Maintaining intellectual skills and brain health tops the list of health concerns. Older adults are quick to gather information on depression and Alzheimer's disease and sign up for participation in studies on intellectual processing. Losing their mental abilities is one of their top fears, say 69 percent of older adults in a poll conducted by USA Today and ABC News in 2005.

Technology is getting people off the couch and into a more active lifestyle. The simple pedometer, measuring the number of steps a person takes, is one of the best tools to get sedentary folks moving, revealed a study in a November issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Other technology-based equipment, including dance-step mats and Nintendo's Wii, where people play imaginary sports such as tennis and bowling using a hand-held controller, are gaining popularity with seniors.

Don't call it retirement. Older people continue to work -- but on their own terms. Flexible hours, interesting work or being their own bosses are the new parameters for working adults. An AARP survey found that 70 percent of working people ages 40-plus plan to work full-time or part-time during retirement, some because they want to, others because they must.

Lifelong learning classes and opportunities are on the rise. Go back to college and get that master's degree at age 60? Why not? What better way to keep your mind sharp? Whether it's academic programs resulting in a certificate or degree, auditing college classes or a museum series on art history, seniors are signing up in record numbers.

Look for more age-friendly fitness facilities. An AARP survey showed that 87 percent of folks who had turned 60 years old want to take better care of their physical health. Exercise facilities are seeing a demographic shift toward older adults. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association reported that 25 percent of health club members are now over age 55.

Where does insurance come in?

Will health plans pay for prevention?

The fear of rising costs might encourage health insurance companies to consider the value of covering prevention measures like exercise programs. A study by HealthPartners Research Foundation reported that adults over age 50 who start exercising just 90 minutes a week save on average $2,200 per year in medical costs.

A recent survey of Medicare recipients who participated in the SilverSneakers health club exercise program for two years and exercised at least twice a week had $1,252 less in health care costs than those who visited less than once a week.

Data like this should convince insurance carriers to offer monetary incentives for anyone participating in fitness programs.