From Golden Age to Silver Orphan

Silver Orphans are nowadays the most neglected segment of our population. They are left behind during storms, forgotten during heat waves, and starving in secluded walk-up apartments.

New York (I-Newswire) January 9, 2013 - More than ten million seniors in the U.S. live in total isolation, marginalized by society. In a culture that idolizes youth and vitality, frail elderlies are nothing more than an encumbrance.

Baby Boomers who expected to bask in the Golden Age of their later years will most likely find themselves as Silver Orphans instead. The oldest baby boomers are turning 67 in 2013, and when the trend peaks in 2030, the number of people over age 65 will soar to 71.5 million - one in every five Americans. Yet, over half of America’s communities have not begun to prepare for their aging population.

The social novel "Silver Orphan" by commentator Martine Lacombe aims to not only expose this disturbing reality, but to give a name to those millions of people slated to become the forgotten generation.

Lacombe explains: "Silver Orphans are nowadays the most neglected segment of our population. They are left behind during storms, forgotten during heat waves, and starving in secluded walk-up apartments. I want to give them a collective voice."

Once a popular genre immortalized by Charles Dickens, the Social Novel is a work of fiction in which a prevailing social problem is dramatized. The perfect medium for Silver Orphan, its mainstream angle strikes a wide audience while making a hard-to-swallow truth more palatable.

Aging is taking place alongside other broad social trends that will affect the lives of older people. Silver Orphans represent a ticking time bomb that can no longer be ignored.

About the author
Martine Lacombe is a social commentator. The author of three acclaimed independent movie scripts, she has also penned numerous peer-reviewed medical articles. Silver Orphan is available in bookstores nationwide.