Nothing, but most folks haven't planned it well. The fact is the age of 65 was selected back in 1935 when life expectancy wasn't as long as it is now. Now people are easily outliving their resources. Social Security is going to be hit hard when the boomers all start collecting. If you retire in your mid-60s, you're easily looking at another 20 years — maybe longer. Do most people have enough money to support themselves for that length of time?

Then add to this all the problems with corporate pensions. You could religiously be putting away enough money but with companies going bankrupt or reneging on pension plans, many seniors who thought they were financially prepared are finding out otherwise. If you plan and the system falls apart, then what do you do?

Also, there are seniors who have planned well but then a long-term illness, such as Alzheimer's, can quickly eradicate a family's assets. Then what?

We may need to re-think retirement. Maybe we don't encourage retirement at 65, let alone at 62. The financial impact will be significant. In fact, the rules for Social Security have changed so that people born in 1944-50 must wait until age 66 to receive full Social Security benefits. In other words, if they retire before they turn 66, they'll get a percentage taken off for each year they are receiving benefits prior to their 66th birthday. For those born after 1950, time will continue to be added to their retirement date. And there will be incentives if you wait until 70 to retire.

If all those who are of retirement age pull out of the workforce at once, it not only will impact Social Security and individual finances, but it will also be a huge "brain drain" from many fields. Most folks in their senior years still have much to contribute.

Perhaps we look at other work options. Many seniors may not want to work full-time, but we could offer part-time or flex-time options. We will also need to look at other barriers that may prevent seniors from working. There really needs to be a paradigm shift in how we think about the work of senior citizens.

What tends to happen, upon retirement, is that seniors get marginalized and stuck in positions where their skills aren't being fully utilized.

Remember, these are people with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
On the other hand, seniors also have to learn to adapt to new technologies and new ways of working. It isn't just one-sided. They have to be open to new ways of working and learning.

A theme that was raised at the conference was taken from the "No Child Left Behind" campaign — only we called it "No Senior Overlooked." The federal government can't handle everything alone. It will also fall to the states, communities and families to provide assistance.

That's true, and we have to be careful not to fall into what some perceive as the "greedy geezer" syndrome.

But families, as well as seniors, are affected by a lack of programs and services for seniors. So just as we consider the welfare of children to be a priority, we should also extend this point of view to how we care for seniors. However, having said that, seniors also need to take some personal responsibility. Unlike children who are young, seniors have had time to develop a plan for the future.

All these issues are critical issues and we need to educate people about these realities. To the boomers, I'd say, "Don't expect someone to take care of you." They need to make plans to care for themselves. Family members will often provide assistance, but they burn out...and that's when elder abuse can begin.

The fact is we need to focus on the systemic problems of aging, not just building new facilities to meet the needs of seniors. We need to change our mindset. For instance, when polio was a threat, it was better to focus on a vaccine than on how to improve iron lungs. We need to develop a social infrastructure that can support those in time of need.