By Steve Moran

Recently, my friend Ken Dychtwald gave a talk at Mary Furlong’s Boomer Summit in the San Francisco Bay Area to a group of people passionate about technology for older adults.

His focus was on how aging and retirement have undergone a massive transformation over the past 30 or 40 years. That change provides significant challenges and profound opportunities for individuals and organizations in the field of aging services.

Old Geezers Still Dream Big

Ken referred to John Glenn and how older people still have dreams. I went digging for the quote, and this is what I found.

The flight he was talking about was when Glenn went back to space on the Space Shuttle Discovery at 77, making him the oldest person to ever fly in space — a record that still stands.

“Maybe prior to this flight, we were looked at as old geezers who ought to get out of the way,” he said afterward. “Just because you’re up in years some doesn’t mean you don’t have hopes and dreams and aspirations just as much as younger people do.”

When Older People Still Have Dreams

It’s not just dreams; it’s hope (often more than younger people) and aspirations. I am an older person, and I still have dreams — a bunch of them. Here are a few:

  • I want to make an even bigger difference in the lives of people who work and live in senior living.
  • I want to continue making a difference in the lives of kids.
  • I have a few sermons I want to preach in my church or some church.
  • I have keynote speeches to deliver that will transform lives.
  • I want to hike the entire John Muir Trail on a single trip (it’s about 250 miles and includes Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States).
  • I want to hang out with my grandkids more.
  • I want to live in Europe for a few months.

I could list many more.

I think nearly every older person alive has dreams. Some are huge — much bigger than mine. Others are very modest: gardening, reading, golfing, pickleball, and time with kids, grandkids, and family. Books to write, stories to tell. 

The Silent Dream Killer in Senior Living

We love to hear about the dreams of young people and thrill when they come true. This is not so much true when it comes to older people.

We may very well be in awe when an older person’s dreams come true. But while there are lots of people telling young people to dream big, I don’t actually know of anyone telling older people to dream big (except maybe Ken and Maddy Dychtwald).

Dream Killers vs. Dream Enablers: Which Are You?

Society mostly sees senior living as a place to go when all the dreaming is done. If we’re honest, too many people who work in senior living see it the same way.

This means we have “stimulating” activities like pool noodle balloon volleyball and poker bingo, and of course, movie nights. And mostly people just accept this is the way it is.

There are a few communities that have enabled big dreams — cruises and other kinds of travel — and that’s fantastic. But how many can really do that, and how often?

It’s Actually About the Ordinary Dreams

Mostly when people move into senior living, particularly assisted living and memory care, the likelihood of one more big dream seems past. And yet they still have dreams — dreams that seem ordinary in the scope of Tony Robbins, but real dreams.

One more visit with family members or a best friend. Weekly Zoom calls with that old roommate. One more chance to pass some wisdom on to a younger person. One more opportunity to help a staff member in need (this is a topic that needs its own article). One more opportunity to hold a baby.

My Dream for Senior Living’s Future

This is a theme you will see in a series of articles …

My dream is that senior living becomes the purpose factory for older people in this country and around the world. It starts with helping older people — our residents — know that their time of dreaming is not over. To help them discover and then make their dreams happen.

And it’s more about their ordinary dreams than their big ones.