This does not mean stretching out full-time work so that we all continue doing 95 until we are 95.

We need an entirely different approach, something that

recognises that growing into old age is a long transition taking 20 or 30 years,
rather than a sudden cutting-off point. It should mean more flexibility in the
workplace. It should include staggered retirements and a greater use of
sabbaticals, so that an older person can go away for a year, recharge his or her
batteries, and come back with more energy and new skills. The idea that older
people clog up the workplace, depriving the young of their chance, is misguided:
research shows that for every three older people still in work, a vacancy opens
up for a young worker because of the wealth created. Moreover, the older
generation many of whom have high educational levels and, for sure, a lot
more experience than their younger peers has an important role to play.
We baby boomers are precisely the generation who are bringing about this
revolution. You talk about the sexual revolution, the emancipation of women in
the workforce, the 1960s student movements all this was in our day and age.
Now that we are going to old age we are going to invent a new position, a new
social construct. Never before have we seen a cohort hitting the age of who are
so well-informed, so wealthy and in such good health. In the same way that my
generation transformed adolescence into a protracted period of experimentation,
creativity and rebellion, so too are we redefining what it means to age. We are
witnessing the emergence of a gerontolescence, a new period of transition. We
will not allow our rights to be ignored and we will not be fobbed off with the idea
that all we are fit for is a spot of light volunteering. Of course, there needs to be
a proper safety net in place for the vulnerable, but more and more of us who are
fit and healthy are insisting that we participate actively in the workplace, in
society and in politics.
Baby boomers hold more sway than older people used to, but not because we
are demanding different rights from our predecessors. We want respect, to live at
home, to live in a world that is friendly and enables us to keep connected, to
have civic participation. This is not much different from what previous
generations wanted. The difference is that previous generations of older people
lacked the numbers that the current generation has today. This one has the
capacity to be more activist, to demand greater attention from policymakers.

We recognise ageing takes time, rather than being a sudden change.

Retirement should be spread out over time, with paid leaves, to allow old
workers to rest and learn new abilities. The notion that older people
prevents youths from obtaining employment is inaccurate, as they in fact
introduce more opportunities. Old workers also have more knowledge and
skills.
The baby boomer generation is educated, well-off and in good condition.
They stand up for their entitlements, and will not be easily deceived, They
are willing to engage in workplaces, society and politics. Baby boomers
have more influence, because there are more people than the current
generation. They have the ability to be more advocative and be more
noticed by policymakers.