The Rise of the Silver Economy银发经济蓬勃兴起

We’re not getting any younger. In fact， we are all getting older—living longer， working longer， and transforming the consumer landscape.

我们无法逆转年龄增长。事实上，我们都在变老——活得更长、工作得更长，同时还在改变消费市场格局。

“The aging population is one of the most important trends in the world， and it’s a powerful force not just socially but economically，” says Bill Novelli， distinguished professor of the practice and founder of Georgetown Business for Impact at the McDonough School of Business.

“人口老龄化是全球一大显著趋势，无论在社会层面还是经济层面上都是一股强大的力量。”乔治敦大学麦克多诺商学院商业影响中心创始人兼实践教授比尔·诺韦利表示。

Novelli is the co-chair of the national Coalition to Transform Advanced Care， a national alliance focused on reforming advanced illness/end of life care in the U.S.， and former CEO of AARP1， a membership organization of 40 million people 50 and older. He is one of a growing number of business leaders heading up2 the charge to better understand and serve the distinct needs of adults as they age. Older adults represent a massive opportunity for nearly every industry： consumers with new challenges that businesses can help solve. By addressing those challenges， companies can build a new market for their products and services while creating social value. They can boost their own bottom lines3 while improving quality of life for people as they age.

诺韦利是全美高级护理转型联盟（美国一个专注于改进晚期疾病护理和临终关怀的全美联盟）的共同主席，曾任美国退休人员协会（4000万会员的年龄都不小于50岁）的首席执行官。越来越多像他一样的商业领袖带头致力于深入了解并满足老年人的特定需求。老年群体为几乎各行各业带来了巨大的商机，企业可帮助解决这一类消费者面临的新挑战。通过应对这些挑战，企业不仅能为自己的产品与服务开辟新的市场，同时也能创造社会价值，在改善老年人的生活质量之余提高自身盈利。

So far， three major areas have emerged in which businesses have enormous potential to innovate： accommodating an older workforce， enabling people to stay in their own homes as they age， and serving the needs of family caregivers.

目前，有三个主要领域显现出企业巨大的创新潜力：容纳老年劳动力，助力老人居家养老，以及满足家庭照护者的需求。

Engaging the aging employee

让老龄员工更有参与感

“Older employees can be incredibly valuable to companies，” says Melissa Gong Mitchell， executive director of the Global Coalition on Aging （GCOA）， a research and advocacy organization that advises businesses on how to maximize the opportunities of an aging population.

“老年员工可能对企业极具价值。”全球老龄化联盟的执行董事梅利莎·龚·米切尔说道。全球老龄化联盟是一家研究和倡议机构，为企业提供充分利用老龄人口机遇的建议。

Mitchell says older employees often are more loyal to their employers， they offer seasoned experience and institutional knowledge4， and they can mentor younger employees.

米切尔指出，老年员工往往对雇主更加忠诚，他们不仅具备丰富的经验和内部运作知识，还能对年轻员工进行“传帮带”。

Novelli says a big challenge for employers is building a collegial5 environment between younger and older employees.

诺韦利认为，雇主面临的一大挑战是营造一个让年轻和年长员工能够友好相处的环境。

“Imagine you’re a 70-year-old woman and you’re sitting across the table from your 32-year-old supervisor who looks like your daughter，” he says. “You’re saying， ‘How can I report to this kid？’ Meanwhile， the supervisor is looking at you wondering， ‘Is she trainable？ Will she be able to modernize her work habits？’ The two of them have difficulty relating to each other because， unfortunately， ageism is still a prejudice in our society.”

“设想你是一位70岁的女士，坐在你32岁的上司对面，她看起来跟你女儿差不多大。”他说，“你心里在想，‘我怎么可能向这个小孩汇报工作呢？’而这位上司面对着你，也在思考，‘她能接受我的训导吗？工作习惯能与时俱进吗？’不幸的是，由于我们的社会仍然存在年龄歧视，他们之间很难相互理解。”

Mitchell says combating that ageism is one way businesses can help not only older workers but also workers who will one day be older. She says businesses have an important role to play in nudging6 younger employees to plan and save for the lives they want for their older selves.

米切尔表示，杜绝年龄歧视使企业不仅能帮助现有的老年员工，还能帮助迟早会步入老年的其他员工。企业在逐步引导年轻员工为自己的晚年生活进行规划和储蓄方面发挥着关键作用。

Upgrading the comforts of home

提高居家舒适度

In a study conducted by Georgetown’s GSEI7 and Philips， a company with a focus on developing technology for the aging population， 91 percent of respondents （age 50–80） said they wanted to live in their own home rather than alternatives such as assisted living communities8. The trend is known as aging in place.

在乔治敦大学的全球社会企业倡议和菲利浦公司（一家专注于为老年人开发技术的公司）联合开展的一项调查中，91%的受访者（年龄在50至80岁之间）表示他们更愿意留在自己家中，而不是搬到辅助生活社区等替代场所。这一趋势被称为“居家养老”。

“People want to live where they are as they age—where they’re most comfortable and feel independent，” says Novelli. “But most homes just aren’t designed that way.”

“人们希望晚年能生活在自己熟悉的环境中，这既让他们感到舒适又能觉得自立。”诺韦利说，“然而，大多数住宅并没有按这种需求设计。”

Even active， healthy older adults experience changes in mobility， dexterity9， memory， and health care needs that the housing industry is starting to address with retrofitting10 design and smart technology. For example， lever-style door handles that work without the firm grasp a doorknob requires or smart stoves that automatically turn off if left on for too long.

就算是健康活跃的老年人也会面临行动力、灵活度、记忆力以及健康护理需求的变化。为此，住房行业开始通过改造设计和智慧技术来解决这些问题。比如，设计不需要像球形门拉手那样握紧才能拧开的杠杆式门把手，或者能在长时间未关的情况下自动关闭的智能炉灶。

For adults with deteriorating health or chronic disease， the desire to stay at home and maintain independence gets more complicated. Beyond technology to make their homes safer and easier to live in， they need regular health monitoring and rapid communication with health care providers and family members. New innovations in sensors， the internet of things， and communications technology can help， but actually putting them to use can present its own challenge.