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GERIATRIC
CARE

The Unique Health Care Needs
of the Baby Boom Generation

By Robert M. Kruger, MD, FACP

Imagine a conversation between a doctor and two different patients regarding medical treatment.

“I don’t know doc — that’s too many choices. You decide which is the best one for me and I’ll go with it.”
“Thanks, doc, for your thoughts. Let me research this on the internet and I’ll get back with you with my decision.”

These conversations about the same choice come from patients sacrifice. They were taught to use everything, share, and don’t waste
who bring distinct values and experiences to the medical decision- anything. They looked to the government for protection and to
making process. The second patient was from the Baby Boom gen- restart the depressed economy. The country drew together and as a
eration and the first one was from the generation before. Each looks nation, won the wars and restored the economy. This population
differently to their physician for help. Through greater understand- worked as a team, respected authority and trusted the government.
ing of our patients’ backgrounds, doctors can better serve the needs
of these two very diverse generations. The Baby Boomers were born into the post-World War II era
where societal values we redefined and technology advanced at a fast
I am both a Baby Boomer and a geriatric internal medicine physi- pace. This generation was influenced by the Vietnam war, the civil
cian. I have taken care of our parent’s demographic and my own. I rights movement, Kent State, space travel, modern music, and the
experienced first-hand the social and technological changes which age of computers. Television brought world and national events into
influenced my generation. We are unique from those who came be- our living rooms, and helped reshape society. This population
fore us or who arrived after us. learned to question authority, pursue the right of individuals and
apply technology to their advantage.
The Baby Boom generation includes the huge 76 million popu-
lation block, born in the United States in the post-World War II The Baby Boomers also started taking responsibility for their own
era, from 1946 to 1964. As the Baby Boomers grew, traditional so- health. In the 1970’s, jogging and exercise became popular. They
cial norms were redefined and tremendous advances in technology watched their cholesterol, never started smoking, joined health
occurred. In 2016, they turn 52 to 70 years old. Boomers are better clubs, and made healthy lifestyle choices.
educated and more affluent than generations before. But they are
ageing and are redefining geriatric care. How can doctors today apply Boomer characteristics to optimize
their health? If doctors who take care of the Boomers understand
To appreciate the changes brought about by the their unique motivations and experiences, they might be able to
Baby Boom generation, it’s important to look communicate more efficiently, improve their overall health, and
more closely at the generation before. guide them back into making healthy living choices.

The parents of the Baby Boomers were the Greatest Generation, PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
born between 1901-1924, and the Silent Generation, born between Early on, Baby Boomers learned to distrust authority, whether
1925-1945. Both of these were influenced by World Wars I and II
and the Great Depression. They grew up in an age of austerity and that was the government, an institution, or the person in charge.
Doctors who can deal with their patients in a collaborative manner

20 San Antonio Medicine • July 2016