Health care is at a crossroads. As it relates to aging and senior health, it’s no surprise really. Behind the current shift is a generation notorious for shaking up significant change in this country. Since birth, Baby Boomers have been at the forefront of societal movements, cultural revolutions, historical milestones, tech advances, and economic growth.

In a podcast on The COMPLETE Shift with Lifespark, Steve Gillon, historian and author of Boomer Nation, explained “This whole concept of retirement and aging as it was defined by past generations is going to go out the window. Throw out conventional wisdom for how we approach the aging market, what was done in the past isn’t going to work.”

That’s in line with a recent groundbreaking survey released by Age Wave and The John A. Hartford Foundation revealing widespread dissatisfaction among older adults with the U.S. health care system. The study found, health care is complex, fragmented, and difficult to navigate especially if you have chronic illness.

What was most interesting though was what older adults really want – they want their providers to spend more time discussing health and well-being rather than preventing disease, medications, and maintaining physical fitness. In other words, older adults want to focus on what matters to them.

The problem though is that it’s hard to find a provider able to spend time sitting down with you to talk about all those things that matter. Add to that, 30% of seniors see more than five doctors, all of whom seldom talk to each other. That leaves seniors, and their adult children, in the middle trying to understand and connect the dots. It’s no wonder so many feel frustrated and disconnected. “The idea that you could get more out of your health care seems a bit far-fetched in the current system,” explained Dr. Nick Schneeman, Lifespark Chief Medical Officer and geriatrician, who has dedicated his career to recentering health around seniors on their terms.

Roller coaster of sick care impedes what most want as they age

When seniors get overwhelmed or confused, that’s when they end up on what Dr. Nick calls the roller coaster of sick care crises. That fragmented experience resonated with Ron, a Lifespark COMPLETE member, who suddenly found himself undergoing heart bypass surgery. With an active life and four thriving businesses, he had no desire to deal with complicated health care.

The day after Ron was discharged from the hospital, his Lifespark Life Manager stopped by his house on her way home. “She checked my vitals and my overall health, and then we ended up talking for another hour—about the health care system, how to expand access to good medical care, about entrepreneurship, my daughter, her kids, and the U.S. Senator I was campaigning for,” he said. She took the time to get to know what mattered most to Ron. Over the next eight months, she stopped by frequently to check his vitals, stay connected, and communicate directly with his primary care doctor at North Memorial Health and cardiologist to touch base on where he was. “I fell in love with Lifespark because of the excellent care I got,” he said.

Ron’s Life Manager coordinated his health around him bringing in additional options like home health or in-home caregiving and nursing as he needed it without Ron having to coordinate it himself.

Integrated health may be the answer

Ron’s experience is right in line with what older adults really want – an integrated health experience centered around them. In fact, 97% of the seniors polled in the Age Wave study said health is about doing what they love, not all the medical stuff.

The study revealed, “more than previous generations, Boomers seek to ‘own’ their health and actively manage their relationships with health care providers.” As Ron shared about his experience, he didn’t want to just recover, he wanted to know what he needed to do to function at the highest level possible so he could get back out on the campaign trail.

What he wanted echoed what older adults really want – autonomy to live life doing what matters most.

Getting what you want as you age

2034 will be the first year we’re going to have more people over 65 than 18 making studies like the Age Wave so important and relevant. Health care may be at a crossroads, but older adults have a voice that can shape how they want to age right now.

What can you do to get what you want out of your health experience as you age? Talk to your primary care provider about your goals, align with a health care team that understands you and is willing to listen to what you want. Don’t be afraid to take risks whether that’s getting back on the campaign trail, competing in a race, getting to the golf course, or having lunch with friends.

Getting what you want from aging really comes down to blending a mix of purpose, connection, spirituality, independence, and your own goals, with an integrated health experience that focuses on you and the things that matter to you. The good news, that health care experience is not as far-fetched as you might think.

Ultimately, the only question that matters is what do you really want? No matter how you answer that, be bold enough to go for it. Because by owning your health and well-being, you’ll be showing the next generations how we can all age magnificently.