Orli Belman

In this essay, Paul Irving, chairman of the Center for the Future of Aging at the Milken Institute and distinguished scholar in residence at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology says it’s time to abandon outdated stereotypes about older adults and embrace the potential of this massive, underutilized human resource.

Irving, one of Next Ave’s 50 Influencer’s in Aging, describes a newly published report by the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging, The Power of Purposeful Aging: Culture Change and the New Demography, which he says brings to light what science has demonstrated: Aging with purpose can provide a remarkable antidote to physical and mental decline.

“By modernizing policies and practices, by changing hearts and minds, we can fight negative age bias and tap the talents of older adults to serve young people and build a better future,” he says.

An article on the economic opportunities that come with longer life spans also stressed the importance of addressing longevity-related financial challenges. Written by Andy Seig, managing director and head of global wealth & retirement solutions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the story noted that Bank of America Merrill Lynch offers longevity training to all Merrill Lynch financial advisers and to the benefits and HR professionals of their corporate clients. Sieg was named one of Next Avenue’s 50 Influencers in Aging in 2016, which notes that this training program was developed with the USC Leonard Davis School to bring greater awareness of the changing needs of America’s aging population.

“With consumer power, longer working lives, longer retirements and more time and resources to give back to their communities, older consumers command serious influence. If we work together — individuals, companies and the government — the U.S. can act as a global leader in harnessing and demonstrating the true value of our aging population,” said Seig.