Demographic Trends Affect Future Social Relations and Caregiving (II)
Migration
- Children move away from home for school and work
- Retirees move away for better climate, quality of life
- Retirees move to be near their children
Notes:
Boomers, their parents, and their children have all been more mobile than previous generations. Children moving away (especially from some of our rural areas) has consequences for the whole community (population loss, loss of tax base, higher proportion of older adults), as well as for families. Long distance caregiving is one of the personal consequences.
What happens when it is the retirees who move? If they retire to a new place (like NC), they bring resources, but they have to form new social connections which may not be as deep or lasting as the ones they leave behind. If they move to be near children, they have that connection, but they lose the connections with friends, church, and other social support, which may take time to rebuild.
While people who live longest actually spend fewer years with serious impairments, they are still prone to the effects of normal aging such as reduced hearing and vision and lower energy levels. They will face multiple bereavements, but they may also get to know their great-great-grandchildren.