Aging Matters is NPT’s landmark original series focused on exploring how an aging US demographic will impact life in our community and communities across the nation. The baby boomer generation is turning 65, at the rate of 10,000 birthdays per day. The current birth rate is half of what it was for the boomer generation. The resulting shift in age will transform every aspect of society and change how we experience aging in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.
The ongoing Aging Matters project has resulted in 11 topical documentaries. Over the years, NPT has also produced nearly 90 interstitials, a Town Hall conversation on end of life issues, multiple Facebook and OVEE live streaming events and community screenings. At the root of this project is a robust community engagement effort that goes beyond simply outreach after a program has been completed.
Since the beginning of our Aging Matters series (2013), NPT has partnered with leading non-profits serving older members of our community and held informal conversations with nearly a thousand individuals to tailor content that addresses authentic needs in our community. We hold informal research conversations with leading experts, doctors, caregivers, seniors and the general public to understand what we know, what we expect and what we need. These conversations take place before we turn on a camera and are sustained after each program is completed. The goal for the each program is for it to serve as a community resource for informed discussion. We plan on a longevity of three years for each documentary, but often they remain relevant for much longer.
Aging Matters embodies the core mission of NPT to tell stories that matter in a way that transcends the typical media narrative. While the common media narrative looks at elder abuse and financial exploitation from the perspective of stranger scams, internet fraud and phone solicitation, we learned that 90% of abuse, neglect and exploitation involves family members, loved ones and trusted others. NPT’s community engagement conversations help us focus on important content that navigates complex issues while offering concrete resources and actions to protect ourselves and our loved ones.