What lies ahead for the baby boomers

The Alpena County Human Services Coordinating Council will be holding an Impact Summit at Alpena Community College Thursday, Sept. 25. The summit, which begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m., is designed to address the changing needs of baby boomers as they age and how the community interacts with them.

Kara LaMarre, developmental projects coordinator for the Region 9 Area on Aging said the event will focus on "building a community for a lifetime." She said what's good for one generation is also good for others.

"It's an opportunity for business individuals to learn different ways to think of promoting their services, it's an opportunity for health care professionals to address the health issues that we deal with and it's an opportunity for people caring for older individuals or are older," LaMarre said.

She said as they age, the baby boomers are different from previous generations; they're more active and more demanding of the variety of services available to them.

"They want more options, technically they're supposed to be more financially secure," she said. "They just aren't settling for the status quo, they aren't doing what's always been done, they're going to do it different," she said.

The conference will begin with key note speaker Mayor Carol Shafto, and end with a brain storming session that will have audience involvement.

Those interested will be able to attend three break out sessions and each session will have lectures to choose from. The lectures cover a broad range of topics including living longer and stronger, community safety, marketing to boomers and beyond, active and involved retirees, transportation and more.

A $10 fee will be required to attend and registration is required. The fee includes lunch and conference materials. Contact the Alpena Senior Center for a registration form or call 356-3585 for more information. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 15.