Twitter chat: How will the ‘elder boom’ impact America?

One hundred years ago, Americans age 65 and older made up just three percent of the population. Today, they account for 13 percent. In 15 years, they will make up 20 percent of the country’s population.

These numbers are the basis for a new book, “The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America,” written by Ai-jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and co-director of the Caring Across Generations campaign. The book explores how the “elder boom” — the result of a combination of advances in medical technology and the aging baby boom generation — will impact America socially and economically. In particular, it looks at how the growing need for in-home caregivers will impact the country’s workforce.

How do you think the “elder boom” will impact the American economy? Will attitudes towards aging change as the U.S. population skews increasingly older? Will aging for baby boomers be different than it was for previous generations?

We invited you to share your thoughts on Twitter. Author Ai-jen Poo (@aijenpoo) also joined the conversation. Read a transcript of the discussion below.