71% of Americans say Baby Boomers should work past normal retirement age

As Baby Boomers begin to turn 65 on January 1, 71 percent of Americans believe they should be encouraged to work past normal retirement age, according to survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

At the same time, 69 percent of Americans – including 71 percent of Gen-Xers and 61 percent of Millennials – say they have a responsibility to provide for those who retire before them. The national survey, "The New Reality of 2011: Baby Boomers at 65," was commissioned by Home Instead Senior Care and provides a multi-generational perspective as those born into America's post-World War II population explosion reach retirement age.

Home Instead CEO Roger Baumgart said, "We are encouraged to see there is opportunity for intergenerational collaboration to ensure that seniors in America age successfully."

The greatest concerns of Baby Boomers – 77 million Americans born between January 1, 1946, and December 31, 1964 – about life after 65 are finances (48 percent) and health (34 percent).

While most Americans believe they should provide for retirees, many fear our society and economy will pay a stiff price for the post-war population explosion. Some 61 percent worry that Baby Boomers will bankrupt Social Security, while 59 percent believe the needs of aging Boomers may overload the healthcare system.

Younger generations diverge from their elders in some key areas. Thirty-one percent of Millennials feel that Boomers should be encouraged to retire, versus just 8 percent of the Silent-Greatest generation and 16 percent of Boomers themselves. Likewise, 37 percent of Millennials believe they should bear no responsibility to provide for retirees.

The report details the findings from a telephone survey taken between December 2 and December 8, 2010, of 1,029 adults in the continental U.S., and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

SOURCE Home Instead Senior Care