Our Generation Florida

By Diana Orem

As both a graduate student and an instructor at the University of Central Florida, I have found myself in a unique position to observe firsthand the demographic trends in college students over the past several years. While sometimes I find myself among the students here, and other times I find myself teaching them, there is no doubt that the number of non-traditional students has increased since I began here in 2000. What’s more, this trend is not unique to Florida, a state known for having a larger number of older Americans in the general population, but is mirrored across the nation.

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By Diana Orem

Many stereotypes have plagued members of the baby boomer generation – for instance, they have been called selfish, materialistic, and shortsighted. Despite these harsh labels, for those born between 1946 and 1964, life has been pretty good. Currently, members of this generation can count themselves as the wealthiest group in the U.S., and for that matter, around the globe. However, a recent survey conducted as part of the Pew Social & Demographic Trends Project suggests that the boomer generation is actually the unhappiest generation in the U.S. today.

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By Diana Orem
Consider the following hypothetical scenario. If you were given a short list of health guidelines and were told that you would live longer if you followed those guidelines, would you follow them?  Assuming that you would want to live a few extra years, your answer is probably a resounding yes.  However, research on compliance with medical advice and lifestyle changes has repeatedly shown that by and large, people often do not follow important health-related advice. Read More »

By Diana Orem
If you count yourself as a member of the boomer generation, you have a lot to look forward to as you age. According to a 2008 report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging, several key indicators of well-being for aging Americans have been on the rise in recent years. In terms of socioeconomic status, there has been an increase in the proportion of older people in the high-income group and a decrease in the proportion of older people living in poverty. Educational attainment is higher among the aging boomer generation compared to their parents’ generation. Life expectancy is also on the rise, recently hitting a record high of 78.1, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Overall, these statistics indicate that older Americans are living longer and enjoying greater prosperity than any previous generation. But, can this generation expect to enjoy their projected prosperity with a partner, or are boomers increasingly likely to end up alone? Read More »

By Diana Orem
Picture this: You have finally retired and settled in the Central Florida area. You are casually dressed for a summer day at Disney World. As you watch children rush by with their parents trailing behind them, you reminisce about the first time you brought your own family to the Magic Kingdom. Oh, and did I mention that you are working here? That’s right, you are a full-time 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. employee and you are working for the same big mouse that your grandkids love almost as much as Santa Claus. If you think this sounds farfetched, keep reading. Read More »

By Diana Orem
Human kind has long associated the heart with matters of the human mind. According to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, the heart, rather than the brain, was the seat of human consciousness. While Aristotle’s thoughts on the function of the heart have been revised considerably over the past 2,000 years, recent studies on the relationship between heart surgery outcome and one’s mental state have caused some scientists to rethink the heart-mind connection. Read More »

By Diana Orem

From time to time, most of us have walked into a room only to forget why we ventured there in the first place. Most of us then have a chuckle about it and go on about our business. But for a subset of Americans, many of whom fall in the ‘baby boomer’ age bracket, that innocuous laugh may be replaced by a nagging fear: “Am I losing my memory?” Read More »

By Diana Orem

For many Americans, once the kids leave for college, it is assumed that one’s role as a caregiver is over (at least until the grandchildren arrive). However, becoming a caregiver of a different kind will be part of many American’s future. Any individual who cares for another adult, including a parent, spouse, or adult family member who is ill or disabled, is considered a caregiver. Currently, one in four families in the United States cares for somebody over the age of 50, and most of these caregivers are middle-aged. Read More »