- [Joleene] Tonight on "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories", the senior population is often marked as not contributing financially to the economy.

Statistics from the Office for the Aging in Albany tell a different story.

And it's the same story in Canada.

Seniors in their golden years contribute more to the economy than the working class.

Also, Sammy Award winner Cam Caruso brings his talents to the WPBS studios.

Your stories, your region coming up right now on "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories".

(bright upbeat music) - [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, Carthage Savings, the JM McDonald Foundation, and the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Additional funding from the New York State Education Department.

- Good Tuesday evening everyone, and welcome to this edition of "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories", I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

For several weeks now, we've been covering stories on our aging population and tonight is no different.

As part of WPBS TV's Aging Together in New York project we visit the New York State office for the Aging in Albany to share statistics on how seniors spend their money.

While it's generally believed that seniors don't contribute much to our economy, nothing could be further from the truth.

(light music) We are in Albany at the Office of the Aging and we are with Greg Olson, he's the Director of the New York State Office for the Aging.

And we are here to talk about the value that seniors bring to our community, but often it's a demographic that is a target of ageism and considered to be a very little value in our culture.

First of all, hi and thank you so much for being here.

We appreciate it.

- Oh, it's my pleasure, thanks.

- Well, it's your office so you have to be here.

We came to you.

Let's start with the basics with our seniors.

Why, in your opinion, are they often undervalued in our culture?

- Yeah, and I think you have to go back hundreds of years.

We're a society that values work, right?

And back in the agricultural community folks that are not able to work, were seen as devalued.

I think we still place a tremendous amount of pride and effort in work.

And what I see in reality doesn't match.

I think what we have grown up with cartoons, television shows, print media, et cetera.

And it usually happens to older adults when they retire.

We really value work.

But I think the story that we tell is this is an extraordinarily important segment of the population economically, socially and intellectually.

- [Joleene] And we're gonna dig into that a little bit.

In the western cultures, they're traditionally labeled ageist and eastern cultures are recognized for their more accepting view of older adults and embrace their wisdom and respect.

In your professional opinion, why the divide and how do we change that?

- I think it's because of our culture.

You know, there are other cultures, Native Americans here in the United States that really value the older population.

I think you just gotta put facts behind what people think to try to combat it.

I'm seeing some things change in language, like we don't use terms like elderly and senior citizen, not 'cause I think that they're bad, but it elicits in negative response.

So we talk about older adults, older individuals older New Yorkers, and we put the value behind it.

What are they doing to help their families, their communities?

Are they supporting local businesses?

What's their contributions?

That's not to say that every older adult is wealthy, there are lots of individuals that need assistance, but it's the one population we paint with a broad brush to stereotypes in ageism.

- [Joleene] I wanna dive into something.

According to AARP, people over 50 control 70% of the country's wealth and make up 51% of consumer spending, that's huge, more than 7 trillion.

In New York, more than 935,000 individuals, age 60 plus contribute, here it comes, 495 million hours of community service annually for an economic value of 13.9 billion.

If they're out there doing this, if they're contributing in this way, why aren't we seeing this value?

And how do we change that narrative?

- Well, I think this is how you begin to change the narrative is to talk about it.

You're absolutely right.

It's actually 83% of all the US household wealth is held by people over the age of 50.

The volunteer rates that you just mentioned, that's just New York alone.

So you're talking about hospitals and poll workers and YMCAs and all these community not-for-profits, that are really being stood up by this incredible a million people who are contributing their time.

Money spent at the local level, you've got 62% across New York state.

So if you take New York City out of it, it jumps to 72% of older adults own their own homes and have no mortgage.

They're sitting on $8 trillion of home equity.

What are they doing?

They're supporting Medicaid, they're supporting local property taxes, they're supporting local businesses, they're supporting the schools.

If you look at the contributions of social security, $47 billion a year in New York is spent here.

The New York State retirement system, 80%, 10.6 billion goes back into New York communities.

We know that they are a huge portion of the state local and national tax base, 36% and 42% respectively.

That's gonna quadruple in the next 30 years.

And that's just, that's just some of the data.

So we need to talk about that.

You have a lot of older people that are still working.

You have people going back to work, they're volunteering, they're mentoring, they're in schools, they're everywhere.

And if you go around anywhere, you're at the malls, you're go camping, you're in tourism, whatever it might be, you're gonna find older adults everywhere.

We just have never talked about it that way.

- Would our economy function differently without them?

It sounds like it certainly would.

And how?

- Yeah, we'd be poor.

So in New York alone, right?

36% of the population's 50 and over, they're supporting 43% 719 billion of the GDP, that's gonna quadruple.

Supporting 6 million jobs, generated 482 billion in wage income and are 39% of the tax base.

So if you remove that, I think it's crystal clear your economy would come to a halt.

These are individuals with assets, years of family experience, years of work experience, years of life experience, and many give back.

And we just gotta continue to tell the story.

You know, this is an extraordinarily valuable population and I think why we talk about it differently is we want to keep folks healthy and well in New York state to be a part of life.

Whether that be social connections or their economic contributions.

- And one of the best ways to do this is to use social media to use outlets like we're doing right now.

A large majority of ads tend to target the younger age demographic.

I'm seeing the tide turn.

But how do we remind marketers that seniors are also consumers, and according to you, great consumers?

- Well, you're absolutely right and I'm starting to see the tide change as well, but, it takes a lot of time.

I was recently gave a presentation at the National Press Club in Washington, DC in front of 120 venture capitalists, people that want to invest in the older adult marketplace for exactly that reason.

When you go through the data, that you can't neglect the population, it's not pitting older adults against younger people, it's to your point, everything is marketed towards anti-aging, young, but the market, more than 50% of the market is the populations that we serve.

And to not recognize that as a business leader in whatever business you have is a huge mistake.

- Are you seeing on social media, even on television ads more of our aged members of society participating in that?

- Oh definitely.

And participating in a positive way.

So I think they've always participated, but it's like, what's the messaging, right?

Anti-aging or frailty or Alzheimer's and nursing homes.

And again, those things exist and it's our jobs to help support that.

But you are definitely seeing a change in how people are portrayed much more positively.

- [Joleene] Let's wrap this up with the social aspect.

Can you talk to us about the social value that older citizens add to their families?

For example, growing up with a grandparent versus not having the influence of a grandparent or sharing wisdom and experience with grandkids.

It's the key in other cultures, it should be the key in our culture as well.

- And I think for a lot of families it is.

And that's what I mean by things don't match your own reality.

My grandmother lived with us, she was very active.

I mean, I learned how to make pies and pastries and learned how to bring sugar to strawberry picking so we could eat them while we were in the fields and everything else, big volunteer.

Organizations that I've worked with that have been run by older adults as volunteers like that's how I grew up is really seeing the value, not only the life value, but what folks can do in their later years.

So, I think your point is well taken.

You know we try to do much more to bring generations together because I think one of the ways to combat ageism is you start younger, ageism is learned, so is homophobia, so is sexism, so is racism.

All of those things are learned.

So that means it can be unlearned and I think you gotta start earlier, but you're right, there are many, I mean in New York alone there's over 350,000 grandparents who are primary caregivers of their grandkids because of incarceration opioid abuse, fentanyl, death, things like that.

But more importantly, having somebody that has the experience that you talked about, life experience, work experience, I think is extraordinarily valuable.

- Is there anything you want to add?

A point you want to make?

Something I should have asked you and I didn't?

- I just think people should need to look at their own lives and their own circles.

There's one thing that's portrayed and what comes upon us and those are the things that you learned through a variety of medias.

And then there's your own experiences, and many people have a similar experience that I did with my grandmother and I didn't have, I didn't meet either of my grandfathers, they were dead before I was born.

But I think a lot of people have those and to really not look at wrinkles and skin and aging as a negative, but what people learn over the course of their lives, it can be given back.

- Great value there.

Thank you so much for your time.

We genuinely appreciate it.

- Thank you.

- This interview is part of WPBS TV's Aging Together in New York project and is produced an association with the New York State Office for the Aging and the New York State Education Department.

For more interviews and stories on senior isolation please visit WPBSTV.org.

Meantime, in neighboring Canada, it's the same story.

Seniors are undervalued, despite their contributions to the economy.

Kingston producer Gail Paquette has more.

(light music) (ambient talking) - [Gail] The elderly population is the fastest growing segment in North America.

In the next 10 years, one quarter of the population will be aged 65 years and older.

As the numbers grow, it is more important to pay close attention to how society views and feels about them.

- We really do need to see them for the beauty that they are for the gift that they give back to us.

There's so much wisdom in them, there's so many stories.

There's many reasons why we should value our seniors.

One, they're still contributing citizens, they're still going to the grocery store, they're still going to the movies, they're still paying for activities.

They're out and about being important members of our community and we don't give them the credit that they deserve.

- [Gail] Stereotypes of aging include assumptions and generalities about how people over a certain age should act and what they're likely to experience without respect for differences or circumstances.

- They are still running a business, they are still creating waves in our community, like 70 is not old at all.

Give them the respect and dignity that they deserve and have earned.

- [Gail] Dismissing myths about aging and seniors will go a long way to altering attitudes.

Seniors are not unproductive members of society, they're more likely to volunteer and one in five, age 65 or over are still working.

- My friends that I have say Gabby is still working, that to me sort of gets me a little bit and going that word still to me is like a negative connotation that I'm still alive, you know, I can still do what I wanna do.

And I think sometimes when you get older, we're all labeled and put in a box and I think that's wrong.

I think that's wrong of society.

I think as we mature and as we grow older, our generation has a lot to share and inspire and be ambassadors to the generation that are behind us.

- [Gail] In Canada, research shows that older adults are consumers.

They dominate 119 of 123 consumer categories for items such as food and beverages.

They often have more disposable income than young people with families and they spend it where they live.

- They have a lot more dollars accessible to them.

And locally, they're the ones who are boosting our economy.

So they're going to the local grocery stores, they're buying fresh produce, they're going to the coffee shops and they're meeting with their friends on a regular basis.

They're joining seniors clubs and there's membership dues that they're paying so that our buildings can stay fluid with that cash flow.

And then those senior groups are planning trips.

So maybe you live in a small town and you're planning a bus trip to go to a bigger city to the art gallery or a play.

So those dollars that we have locally are now going more regionally.

And really when you look at the big picture, the majority of our children move away.

So our dollars are stretching Canada-wide as they go visit family.

- [Gail] Ageism plays out in day-to-day interactions and messaging.

However, despite this, seniors are positive about their lives, reaffirming they can be active and happy as they age.

They're more comfortable being themselves and have a strong sense of purpose.

- When I turned 70 is when I, I really looked at that and it was not so much about feeling old is how I was going to embrace my life as I get older because I think there's, there was a lot more behind me but I thought, "My goodness, in 10 years I'm gonna be 80."

And I said, "How do I choose to live my life in that?

What's important to me and how do I want to live my life in those 10 years?"

What is your sense of purpose as you get older?

It's not just sitting around and not doing nothing that, I think that can really hinder as you mature in many ways mentally, physically, and spiritually.

So, I enjoy the fact that I'm very blessed over the years to be as active as I am.

- [Gail] Living in a world where youth is valued over old age, seniors are often negatively stereotyped.

Major social institutions are largely behind these negative attitudes, particularly mass media advertising.

- [Sheri] I believe that marketers are smart, they're marketing for dollars, they're not marketing for the value of the human being behind those dollars.

And I think if, if they truly were marketing for the value of the human being, they wouldn't be depicting as older people.

So if I go on to my social media and I Google things about seniors all the time, I could not tell you how many ads I have coming across for end of life or funeral planning or senior life insurance.

It's an important aspect to a senior's life.

But where are the all, where are the cruises that are designed for 50 plus, 55 plus or 70 plus?

Where are those vacations?

There's so much more to our seniors, that it's not all about funeral or life insurance.

Really?

Let them live.

- [Gail] It is not just the money value seniors contribute, it is the non-money value.

They have a wealth of knowledge to share and relationships between people of different generations means that information is shared both ways.

- I think we have a lot to contribute to the younger generation because of our life experience.

And I really believe the intergenerational aspect because we can learn from the younger generation as well.

It's a two-way road.

- [Gail] For "WPBS Weekly", I'm Gail Paquette.

- Natural herbal medicines are appreciated in many cultures.

Tonight we share what is known as fire cider.

Sateiokwen Bucktooth of Snipe Clan Botanicals shares her traditional knowledge of medicines with the Ahkwesáhsne community.

(light music) - If you are able to make your own medicine at home in something as simple as fire cider which is food, it's empowering, you know that you're able to take care of yourself and your health and your family.

My name is Sateiokwen, I'm the owner of Snipe Clan Botanicals.

I've been in business for about six years now and I made medicinal herbal products like tea, salves, fire cider, syrups, tinctures, you know, plant-based medicines.

And I make and grow most of my own ingredients as well.

So Iohahi:io had reached out at the beginning of the summer to see if I would be available to do a few workshops.

So, I've done a medicine walk with them at my garden and we are hoping for a tea tasting.

And then in the meantime we decided to do a fire cider workshop because all of the ingredients are in season right now.

You know, the onions and garlic and horse radish.

So I was able to get a lot of those locally.

And so, that's how we ended up here at Iohahi:io.

It's basically all our food medicines, our fiery food medicines like onions, garlic, horse radish, jalapeno, ginger and then we added some fresh lemon, thyme, rosemary all spice, all kinds of stuff went in there.

This recipe is especially great because it's all our food medicines.

So if you're already eating it, then it's safe to say that it's okay for you to take every day as a medicine.

And there are more powerful food medicines too.

So incorporating it into our daily diets, it'll help with digestion, high blood pressure, diabetes, circulation.

And then especially with the fire cider, if you have sinus congestion, it really helps open you right up.

I'd say it's very important to have different workshops and cultural programming in Ahkwesáhsne like this because it's getting back to who we are and our ancestral and indigenous knowledge, making sure that that gets passed on.

I try to incorporate as much as the Mohawk language that I can.

And like I said, empowering the people to be able to take care of themselves and their health.

It's also, you know, great for them, their physical health but also their mental health, like knowing they can take care of themselves.

We're at a day and age where people are looking for something else to better themselves and their health.

- Speaking of fire, we've got another hot local artist to share with you.

His name is Cam Caruso and he hails from Oswego.

Cam walked away with a SAMMY in Syracuse earlier this year with a People's Choice Award.

Keeping the fire theme going, here he is with his original tune, "My Little Comet".

(drum music) - My name is Cam Caruso and I'm a singer-songwriter.

So I learned guitar when I was 14, after playing all of the "Guitar Hero" games growing up.

And my mom, she inspired me to go into choir as well just to kind of get the guitar and the voice going.

When I was 18, I started going to open mic at Old City Hall in Oswego.

After that I mustered the courage to start performing out.

It started as a part-time job when I was in college and I've been in love with it ever since.

The song I'm going to be performing is "My Little Comet" and it is loosely inspired by the film and novel "Cloud Atlas".

It started off as an experiment, a songwriting technique with a looper.

I didn't quite know at the moment what it was going to be about until I started watching the film "Cloud Atlas" and there was a line in the movie where the person claims their birthmark to be my little comet.

So I thought it would be a good idea to go off of that story and talk about the progression of society, especially here and in the film and talking about, you know, different ways we've progressed socially, but how we can acknowledge that there's still more to do.

My name is Cam Caruso and this is "My Little Comet".

(light guitar begins) ♪ You are the air that I breathe ♪ ♪ Above the order others laid out we become ♪ ♪ Mountain of drops in the sea ♪ ♪ A few more drops and we'd all need to run ♪ ♪ And I don't wanna be the optimist ♪ ♪ 'Cause my glass is always half empty ♪ ♪ Find myself to be delirious ♪ ♪ When thinking what might be ♪ ♪ Some people say we'll find each other again somehow ♪ ♪ Some people claim the story's already written out ♪ ♪ Looking at all of the stars ♪ ♪ My little comet nothing compares to you ♪ ♪ I know that we've come so far ♪ ♪ But I know there's so much work left to do ♪ ♪ And I don't wanna be the optimist ♪ ♪ 'Cause my glass is always half empty ♪ ♪ Find myself to be delirious ♪ ♪ When thinking what might be ♪ ♪ Some people say we'll find each other again somehow ♪ ♪ Some people claim the story's already written out ♪ ♪ Fall in your arms one more time 'til the next life somehow ♪ ♪ Fall into all the lives and we'll figure the rest out ♪ ♪ And I don't wanna be the optimist ♪ ♪ 'Cause my glass is always half empty ♪ ♪ Find myself to be delirious ♪ ♪ When thinking what might be ♪ ♪ Some people say we'll find each other again somehow ♪ ♪ Some people claim the story's already written out ♪ ♪ Fall in your arms one more time 'til the next life somehow ♪ ♪ Fall into all the lives and we'll figure the rest out ♪ - That does it for us this Tuesday evening.

Please join us next time for a fresh look inside the stories.

Hospice takes care of patients at end of life, but they also take care of surviving family members.

We'll tell you how and learn about a program in Kingston, Ontario that hosts community focused events for the deaf in an effort to raise awareness.

And the Watertown chapter of Guitars for Vets is changing lives creatively.

We'll tell you how.

Meantime we wanna tell your story.

If you or someone in your community has something meaningful, historic, inspirational, or educational to share please email us at "WPBS Weekly" at WPBSTV.org and let's share it with the region.

That is it for now everyone.

We will see you again next time.

Goodnight.

- [Announcer] "WPBS Weekly, Inside the Stories" is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business.

Serving Jefferson, Lewis and Oswego Counties since 1986.

Online at Watertown.nypdc.org, Carthage Savings has been here for generations, donating time and resources to this community, they're proud to support WPBSTV online at carthagesavings.com.

Carthage Savings, mortgage solutions since 1888.

Additional funding provided by the JM McDonald Foundation, the Dr. D Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation and the New York State Education Department.

♪ There's so much work left to do ♪ ♪ And I don't wanna be the optimist ♪ ♪ 'Cause my glass is always half empty ♪ ♪ Find myself to be delirious ♪ ♪ When thinking what might be ♪ (light music)