Business of Home Interview

The ‘silver tsunami’ is coming. Are designers ready?

By Caroline Bourque | Featuring Ruju Jasani

For years, researchers and policymakers have spoken about the coming demographic shift in epic terms with phrases like “gray wave” or “silver tsunami.” The bottom line: Due to increased life expectancy and the postwar baby boom, the U.S. population is aging. Today, there are more than 46 million adults aged 65 and older, and by 2050, that number will practically double to nearly 90 million. The effects of that shift could be felt as soon as 2030, when one in five Americans is expected to be 65 and over.

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“What bubbled up to the top was how the pandemic impacted design—the way we live changed, and how seniors were living in their environments was dramatically altered,” says Ruju Jasani, a San Francisco Bay Area designer and co-chair of the Committee on Adaptive Living. “We were able to identify the gaps in the design approach to these environments that came at a cost to quality of life or increased social isolation.”