Summer 2001 - IP; Helping People Age Well: A New Niche Market

Marketing

	Psychologists Can Help Deal With School Violence: A Model Letter and Talking Points/Division 42 Public Relations and Public Education Committee
	Helping People Age Well: A New Niche Market/Michael Brickey
	Consider this Niche: Working with Foster Parents and Foster Children/Daniel L. McIvor and George “Mac” McClelland
	Psychologists as Doctors in Primary Care Settings/Jack G. Wiggins

Helping People Age Well: A New Niche Market

Michael Brickey, Ph.D.

Huge paradigm shifts in how long and how healthy people can live create the opportunity to live a vital healthy life for 150 years. I would estimate that 50,000 Baby Boomers will do this–maybe more. These paradigm shifts create new markets for psychologists–helping people respond to longer lifespans with a continually renewing sense of purpose. This in turn calls for helping people develop attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills that foster longevity, health, and happiness. I call these Attitudes, Beliefs, and Coping Skills the mental ABCs of healthy aging.

What is causing increased lifespans?

Since my prediction about 50,000 Baby Boomers is a bold one, let me share some of the bases for the prediction:

The U.S. Census Bureau (2001) predicts that the U.S. will have 1.1 million centenarians in 2050 (and that’s just the first four years of Baby Boomers turning 100). Statistically it is unlikely that they will all die within a few years of turning 100.
Genetic engineering, destined to be the premier technology of the first half of this century, has increased the life spans of fruit flies by 30% and nematodes (worms) by 500%. Genetic engineers have enabled mice to eat high fat diets and remain trim and healthy. Physicians successfully inserted a missing gene into two girls whose immune systems did not function (severe combined immunodeficiency or SCID) and previously were confined to an antiseptic “bubble.” The intervention enabled them to live a normal life. Genetic engineering has also been used to treat several types of cancer.
Tissue engineering is using stem cells to grow blood, skin, and other human tissues, develop transplant organs from animals, and develop artificial organs.
Scientists have immunized mice against Alzheimer’s disease and anticipate a cure for humans (possibly a vaccine) within ten to twenty years (AARP, 2000).
Hormone therapies for men and women will soon help adults look, feel, and function twenty to thirty years younger. The current centerpiece, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), has been used for decades for children with short stature. Now it is being used with tens of thousands of adults. I wouldn’t be first in line, but it will be perfected over the next few decades. Testosterone is being used extensively for men and in small doses for women. Meanwhile Viagra even has straight-laced former Senator Bob Dole smiling. Fifty isn’t what it used to be and neither is 100.
Chronic disability rates for citizens over 65 have been dropping 1-2% a year since the government started collecting statistics in 1982 (Kolata, 1996, Angier, 1995, and Vita, et al., 1998).
A century ago, most Americans had less than an eighth grade education. Today one-third of Americans over 25 have a college degree. Personal computers and the Internet give us access to incredible amounts of information in seconds.
The U.S. per capita income adjusted for inflation has more than doubled in the last forty years, giving Americans greater access to resources (U.S. Census Bureau, 1789-present).
Studies of centenarians are showing many are sharp physically and mentally. In the New England Centenarian study (Perls and Silver, 1999), for example, the centenarians averaged only one prescription medication and most didn’t have a single disability until at least age 95.

Implications for psychologists

When Social Security started, most Americans did not live long enough to collect it. The dream was to have few good years for travel and recreational pursuits. It was no surprise that in a recent survey (Heldrich Center, 2000) that most Americans indicated they would like to retire at age 65–or younger. What was surprising, however, was that only 10% of the 1,000 workers surveyed said they just wanted to pursue leisure and recreation. The other 90% said they wanted to start a new career, start their own business, go to school, work full-time, work part-time, or do volunteer work. Thus they wanted to continue contributing after “retirement age.” An AARP nationwide survey (Lewis, 1999) found that 61% of retirees and 70% of non retirees said retirement is “a time to begin a new chapter by being active and involved, starting new activities and setting new goals.” Only 32% of retirees and 23% on non retirees said retirement is “a time to take it easy . . . [and] enjoy leisure activities.” Note that younger respondents were more likely to see retirement as an active, goal-oriented time. A 1998 AARP survey found that 80% of Baby Boomers planned to work after retirement. Congress’ repeal of the Social Security earnings penalty in March, 2000 will also encourage workers over 65 to continue working. (The earnings test penalized employment by reducing Social Security benefits by 33% for retirees 65-69 after an earned income floor of $15,500 a year. After age 70 there was no disincentive.) Americans will need psychologists’ help in dealing with Americans’ need to frequently reinvent careers and deal with working decades longer.

Baby Boomers in particular hate getting older. They are flocking to gyms, spas, cosmetics, plastic surgeons, health food stores, and of course the latest diet. While Peter Pan said “I won’t grow up,” Boomers say they won’t grow old. Peruse a magazine rack or bookstore and it is apparent that most are still looking for answers in the wrong places–fad diets, magic pills, and exercises focused on appearances (e.g., killer abs and buns of steel). There are signs, however, that they are starting to look inward, pursing coaching, spiritual paths, and more fulfilling lifestyles. Oprah is a role model and inspiration for many Boomers. Her television program often includes her coach, “Dr. Phil.”

People are eligible for AARP membership at age 50 and at ten dollars a year, the cost is insignificant for most Americans. AARP, is having a difficult time attracting Boomers, however, because Boomers don’t think of themselves as old or as retired. So AARP is trying to reinvent itself. They created a separate magazine, My Generation, for their Boomer membership. In their publications and literature you cannot find AARP’s original name (American Association of Retired Persons).

When I started offering coaching services I would give speeches and encourage listeners to take their life to a higher level. While that would appeal to me, it didn’t generate many clients. I also spoke on how to defy aging and live to 150. While people were impressed with what I had to say and I sold some books, it did not generate many coaching clients. I asked my coach what she thought and she pointed out (as Ben Dean had taught us in the MentorCoach® training) that people seek services (therapy or coaching) because they want to relieve their pain.

So what is the pain Boomers experience? For a significant number it is having a successful career but not finding it fulfilling and wanting something more. I would call it needing a sense of vision, mission, and purpose. Pain can also come from dealing with a marriage not working or family problems. Pain comes from losing a job, recovering from the bruised ego, and figuring out what to do next. Pain also comes from being at “retirement age” but not wanting to just play golf for the next fifty years. Rarely is health insurance going to cover such issues. When it does, it typically involves little choice of therapist, sacrificing confidentiality, begging for sessions, and still having a co-pay.

Many Boomers are used to paying out-of-pocket for a personal trainer, a masseuse, an golf pro, yoga classes, etc. So the idea of paying for personal services is familiar. We only have to sell the idea that our services are at least as valuable–indeed, even more valuable. Marketing isn’t that different from marketing most businesses. You develop an “elevator speech,” give talks to groups, get to know people, and possibly offer some short-term groups at an introductory cost.

Many Boomer issues involve developing that sense of vision, mission, and purpose. Once they are clear about these, many will want to stay for growth issues. That’s when we can teach them the mental ABCs (attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills) that foster good health, longevity, and happiness.

There are some audiences and potential clients who would respond to the appeal to take your life to a higher level. Motivational speakers appeal to such audiences and often sell a lot of books and tapes from the back of the room. These people presumably include sales people, people who attend self-improvement seminars or read self-improvement books, Oprah fans, and some executives who feel enormous competitive pressures at work. The general population, however, probably is more likely to seek your services because of pain. Speakers know that essential to marketing their services is carefully identifying the clients’ needs and then developing a proposal targeted to those needs. While some organizations identify their needs as achieving their vision or taking their company to a higher level, most focus on their pain.

The mental ABCs

In studying longevity and centenarians, I came up with 4 attitudes, 36 beliefs, and 4 coping skills that foster longevity, health, and happiness.

Attitudes include optimism, gratitude, dealing with problems, and embracing lifelong learning and change.

The research is clear that optimists live longer, healthier, happier, and more successful lives (Seligman, 1990). What’s more it’s free and books like Seligman’s Learned Optimism and The Optimistic Child make it very learnable.

So many Americans these days see themselves as victims. We even have road rage just because someone cut them out in traffic. An attitude of gratitude begins with appreciating the little things in life, like saying a blessing before eating. It soon generalizes to big things as well.

Dealing with problems is the antithesis of obsessing, procrastinating, and holding onto grievances.

Regarding embracing lifelong learning and change, thirty years ago Alan Toffler (1970) warned us “The illiterate of the future are not those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” We have such rich informational resources today that the difference between lifelong learners and those who coast or close their minds is far more a difference of attitude than opportunity.

Examples of the 36 attitudes I identified include: cultivating fond memories and letting bad memories wither (or seeing the humor in them), believing every age has its benefits, and the importance of making new friends all your life.

Coaching on coping skills is very familiar territory for psychologists. Critical coping skills for longevity include:

Continually renewing your sense of purpose
Having a serenity about the deaths of friends and family
Effectively dealing with change
Developing and sustaining a rewarding marriage or dealing effectively with intimate relations beginning and ending

With the exception of an annual physical, most people only see their physician when they are ill or being treated for a chronic illness. I predict that within a few decades anti-aging medicine will become the dominant medical speciality just as family practice is currently the dominant speciality. People will go to their anti-aging physician primarily for preventive health to identify and counter risk factors. Psychologists will need to be familiar with anti-aging medicine.

Conclusion

Cultural changes tend to be cyclical. The 1960s were a time of turning inward and reexamining our cultures’ values. The 1990s exulted capitalism with America’s role as the world’s predominant capitalistic nation, the downward spiral of the USSR’s communistic system, the computer and .com revolution, and a heady stock market. We appear poised for another cultural turning inward. Such a shift creates even greater opportunities for psychologists as Boomers deal with life changes and with aging. We can help them deal with current problems and that can be enormously helpful. If we help them develop the mental ABCs for living healthier, longer, and happier, we will have done an even greater service.

References

AARP. (2000, September). Pushing the envelope on Alzheimer’s research, AARP Bulletin, p. 2.

Angier, Natalie. (1995, June 11). If you’re really ancient, you may be better off, New York Times, Sec 4 Week in Review, p. 1.

Heldrich, John J. Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers (State University) and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut. (2000). Work trends: Americans’ attitudes about work, employers and government: Second wind: Workers, retirement and Social Security. New Brunswick, NJ: John J. Heldrich Center, 33 Livingston Ave. 3rd Floor, 08901 and at www.heldrich.rutgers.edu.

Kolata, Gina. (1996, February 27). New era of robust elderly belies the fears of scientists, New York Times, v. 145, pp. A1, C3.

Lewis, Robert. (1999, October). Older workers vow to stay on the job, AARP Bulletin, 40, p. 4.

Myers, David G. (2000). The American paradox. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Perls, Thomas T., and Silver, Margery H. (1999). Living to 100. New York: Basic Books.

Seligman, Martin. (1990). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. New York: Pocket Books.

Toffler, Alan. (1970). Future shock. New York: Random House.

Vita, Anthony. J., Terry, Richard B., Hubert, Helen B., & Fries, James. F. (1998). Aging, health risks and cumulative disability, New England Journal of Medicine, 338, 1035-1041.

U.S. Census Bureau. (1789-present). Historical Statistics of the United States. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. [the time period 1957 to 1998 is also nicely displayed in Meyers, David. (2000). The American paradox. p. 137. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.]

U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). NP-T3-G Projections of the total resident population by 5-year age groups and sex with special age categories: Middle series, 2050 to 2070, Population Projections Program, Population Division. Washington: U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/population/www/projections/natsum-censusprojectionsnp-t3-g.pdf

Michael Brickey, Ph.D., ABPP, is a life coach, speaker, and newspaper and Internet columnist. He is author of Defy Aging: Develop the Mental and Emotional Vitality to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier Than You Ever Imagined, which has been featured on Oprah and is a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Awards. His free bi-weekly E-mail Defy Aging Newsletter is available by sending an E-mail to DrBrickey@DrBrickey.com with subscribe in the subject line. He can be reached at 865 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209, 614-237-4556, DrBrickey@DrBrickey.com and web site www.DrBrickey.com.

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	Michael Brickey, Ph.D.			Huge paradigm shifts in how long and how healthy people can live create the opportunity to live a vital healthy life for 150 years. I would estimate that 50,000 Baby Boomers will do this–maybe more. These paradigm shifts create new markets for psychologists–helping people respond to longer lifespans with a continually renewing sense of purpose. This in turn calls for helping people develop attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills that foster longevity, health, and happiness. I call these Attitudes, Beliefs, and Coping Skills the mental ABCs of healthy aging. What is causing increased lifespans? Since my prediction about 50,000 Baby Boomers is a bold one, let me share some of the bases for the prediction: The U.S. Census Bureau (2001) predicts that the U.S. will have 1.1 million centenarians in 2050 (and that’s just the first four years of Baby Boomers turning 100). Statistically it is unlikely that they will all die within a few years of turning 100. Genetic engineering, destined to be the premier technology of the first half of this century, has increased the life spans of fruit flies by 30% and nematodes (worms) by 500%. Genetic engineers have enabled mice to eat high fat diets and remain trim and healthy. Physicians successfully inserted a missing gene into two girls whose immune systems did not function (severe combined immunodeficiency or SCID) and previously were confined to an antiseptic “bubble.” The intervention enabled them to live a normal life. Genetic engineering has also been used to treat several types of cancer. Tissue engineering is using stem cells to grow blood, skin, and other human tissues, develop transplant organs from animals, and develop artificial organs. Scientists have immunized mice against Alzheimer’s disease and anticipate a cure for humans (possibly a vaccine) within ten to twenty years (AARP, 2000). Hormone therapies for men and women will soon help adults look, feel, and function twenty to thirty years younger. The current centerpiece, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), has been used for decades for children with short stature. Now it is being used with tens of thousands of adults. I wouldn’t be first in line, but it will be perfected over the next few decades. Testosterone is being used extensively for men and in small doses for women. Meanwhile Viagra even has straight-laced former Senator Bob Dole smiling. Fifty isn’t what it used to be and neither is 100. Chronic disability rates for citizens over 65 have been dropping 1-2% a year since the government started collecting statistics in 1982 (Kolata, 1996, Angier, 1995, and Vita, et al., 1998). A century ago, most Americans had less than an eighth grade education. Today one-third of Americans over 25 have a college degree. Personal computers and the Internet give us access to incredible amounts of information in seconds. The U.S. per capita income adjusted for inflation has more than doubled in the last forty years, giving Americans greater access to resources (U.S. Census Bureau, 1789-present). Studies of centenarians are showing many are sharp physically and mentally. In the New England Centenarian study (Perls and Silver, 1999), for example, the centenarians averaged only one prescription medication and most didn’t have a single disability until at least age 95. Implications for psychologists When Social Security started, most Americans did not live long enough to collect it. The dream was to have few good years for travel and recreational pursuits. It was no surprise that in a recent survey (Heldrich Center, 2000) that most Americans indicated they would like to retire at age 65–or younger. What was surprising, however, was that only 10% of the 1,000 workers surveyed said they just wanted to pursue leisure and recreation. The other 90% said they wanted to start a new career, start their own business, go to school, work full-time, work part-time, or do volunteer work. Thus they wanted to continue contributing after “retirement age.” An AARP nationwide survey (Lewis, 1999) found that 61% of retirees and 70% of non retirees said retirement is “a time to begin a new chapter by being active and involved, starting new activities and setting new goals.” Only 32% of retirees and 23% on non retirees said retirement is “a time to take it easy . . . [and] enjoy leisure activities.” Note that younger respondents were more likely to see retirement as an active, goal-oriented time. A 1998 AARP survey found that 80% of Baby Boomers planned to work after retirement. Congress’ repeal of the Social Security earnings penalty in March, 2000 will also encourage workers over 65 to continue working. (The earnings test penalized employment by reducing Social Security benefits by 33% for retirees 65-69 after an earned income floor of $15,500 a year. After age 70 there was no disincentive.) Americans will need psychologists’ help in dealing with Americans’ need to frequently reinvent careers and deal with working decades longer. Baby Boomers in particular hate getting older. They are flocking to gyms, spas, cosmetics, plastic surgeons, health food stores, and of course the latest diet. While Peter Pan said “I won’t grow up,” Boomers say they won’t grow old. Peruse a magazine rack or bookstore and it is apparent that most are still looking for answers in the wrong places–fad diets, magic pills, and exercises focused on appearances (e.g., killer abs and buns of steel). There are signs, however, that they are starting to look inward, pursing coaching, spiritual paths, and more fulfilling lifestyles. Oprah is a role model and inspiration for many Boomers. Her television program often includes her coach, “Dr. Phil.” People are eligible for AARP membership at age 50 and at ten dollars a year, the cost is insignificant for most Americans. AARP, is having a difficult time attracting Boomers, however, because Boomers don’t think of themselves as old or as retired. So AARP is trying to reinvent itself. They created a separate magazine, My Generation, for their Boomer membership. In their publications and literature you cannot find AARP’s original name (American Association of Retired Persons). When I started offering coaching services I would give speeches and encourage listeners to take their life to a higher level. While that would appeal to me, it didn’t generate many clients. I also spoke on how to defy aging and live to 150. While people were impressed with what I had to say and I sold some books, it did not generate many coaching clients. I asked my coach what she thought and she pointed out (as Ben Dean had taught us in the MentorCoach® training) that people seek services (therapy or coaching) because they want to relieve their pain. So what is the pain Boomers experience? For a significant number it is having a successful career but not finding it fulfilling and wanting something more. I would call it needing a sense of vision, mission, and purpose. Pain can also come from dealing with a marriage not working or family problems. Pain comes from losing a job, recovering from the bruised ego, and figuring out what to do next. Pain also comes from being at “retirement age” but not wanting to just play golf for the next fifty years. Rarely is health insurance going to cover such issues. When it does, it typically involves little choice of therapist, sacrificing confidentiality, begging for sessions, and still having a co-pay. Many Boomers are used to paying out-of-pocket for a personal trainer, a masseuse, an golf pro, yoga classes, etc. So the idea of paying for personal services is familiar. We only have to sell the idea that our services are at least as valuable–indeed, even more valuable. Marketing isn’t that different from marketing most businesses. You develop an “elevator speech,” give talks to groups, get to know people, and possibly offer some short-term groups at an introductory cost. Many Boomer issues involve developing that sense of vision, mission, and purpose. Once they are clear about these, many will want to stay for growth issues. That’s when we can teach them the mental ABCs (attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills) that foster good health, longevity, and happiness. There are some audiences and potential clients who would respond to the appeal to take your life to a higher level. Motivational speakers appeal to such audiences and often sell a lot of books and tapes from the back of the room. These people presumably include sales people, people who attend self-improvement seminars or read self-improvement books, Oprah fans, and some executives who feel enormous competitive pressures at work. The general population, however, probably is more likely to seek your services because of pain. Speakers know that essential to marketing their services is carefully identifying the clients’ needs and then developing a proposal targeted to those needs. While some organizations identify their needs as achieving their vision or taking their company to a higher level, most focus on their pain. The mental ABCs In studying longevity and centenarians, I came up with 4 attitudes, 36 beliefs, and 4 coping skills that foster longevity, health, and happiness. Attitudes include optimism, gratitude, dealing with problems, and embracing lifelong learning and change. The research is clear that optimists live longer, healthier, happier, and more successful lives (Seligman, 1990). What’s more it’s free and books like Seligman’s Learned Optimism and The Optimistic Child make it very learnable. So many Americans these days see themselves as victims. We even have road rage just because someone cut them out in traffic. An attitude of gratitude begins with appreciating the little things in life, like saying a blessing before eating. It soon generalizes to big things as well. Dealing with problems is the antithesis of obsessing, procrastinating, and holding onto grievances. Regarding embracing lifelong learning and change, thirty years ago Alan Toffler (1970) warned us “The illiterate of the future are not those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” We have such rich informational resources today that the difference between lifelong learners and those who coast or close their minds is far more a difference of attitude than opportunity. Examples of the 36 attitudes I identified include: cultivating fond memories and letting bad memories wither (or seeing the humor in them), believing every age has its benefits, and the importance of making new friends all your life. Coaching on coping skills is very familiar territory for psychologists. Critical coping skills for longevity include: Continually renewing your sense of purpose Having a serenity about the deaths of friends and family Effectively dealing with change Developing and sustaining a rewarding marriage or dealing effectively with intimate relations beginning and ending With the exception of an annual physical, most people only see their physician when they are ill or being treated for a chronic illness. I predict that within a few decades anti-aging medicine will become the dominant medical speciality just as family practice is currently the dominant speciality. People will go to their anti-aging physician primarily for preventive health to identify and counter risk factors. Psychologists will need to be familiar with anti-aging medicine. Conclusion Cultural changes tend to be cyclical. The 1960s were a time of turning inward and reexamining our cultures’ values. The 1990s exulted capitalism with America’s role as the world’s predominant capitalistic nation, the downward spiral of the USSR’s communistic system, the computer and .com revolution, and a heady stock market. We appear poised for another cultural turning inward. Such a shift creates even greater opportunities for psychologists as Boomers deal with life changes and with aging. We can help them deal with current problems and that can be enormously helpful. If we help them develop the mental ABCs for living healthier, longer, and happier, we will have done an even greater service. References AARP. (2000, September). Pushing the envelope on Alzheimer’s research, AARP Bulletin, p. 2. Angier, Natalie. (1995, June 11). If you’re really ancient, you may be better off, New York Times, Sec 4 Week in Review, p. 1. Heldrich, John J. Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers (State University) and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut. (2000). Work trends: Americans’ attitudes about work, employers and government: Second wind: Workers, retirement and Social Security. New Brunswick, NJ: John J. Heldrich Center, 33 Livingston Ave. 3rd Floor, 08901 and at www.heldrich.rutgers.edu. Kolata, Gina. (1996, February 27). New era of robust elderly belies the fears of scientists, New York Times, v. 145, pp. A1, C3. Lewis, Robert. (1999, October). Older workers vow to stay on the job, AARP Bulletin, 40, p. 4. Myers, David G. (2000). The American paradox. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Perls, Thomas T., and Silver, Margery H. (1999). Living to 100. New York: Basic Books. Seligman, Martin. (1990). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. New York: Pocket Books. Toffler, Alan. (1970). Future shock. New York: Random House. Vita, Anthony. J., Terry, Richard B., Hubert, Helen B., & Fries, James. F. (1998). Aging, health risks and cumulative disability, New England Journal of Medicine, 338, 1035-1041. U.S. Census Bureau. (1789-present). Historical Statistics of the United States. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. [the time period 1957 to 1998 is also nicely displayed in Meyers, David. (2000). The American paradox. p. 137. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.] U.S. Census Bureau. (2001). NP-T3-G Projections of the total resident population by 5-year age groups and sex with special age categories: Middle series, 2050 to 2070, Population Projections Program, Population Division. Washington: U.S. Census Bureau. www.census.gov/population/www/projections/natsum-censusprojectionsnp-t3-g.pdf Michael Brickey, Ph.D., ABPP, is a life coach, speaker, and newspaper and Internet columnist. He is author of Defy Aging: Develop the Mental and Emotional Vitality to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier Than You Ever Imagined, which has been featured on Oprah and is a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Awards. His free bi-weekly E-mail Defy Aging Newsletter is available by sending an E-mail to DrBrickey@DrBrickey.com with subscribe in the subject line. He can be reached at 865 College Ave., Columbus, OH 43209, 614-237-4556, DrBrickey@DrBrickey.com and web site www.DrBrickey.com.

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