Between 2000 and 2030, Frederick County’s senior population is projected to increase by 174 percent. About 28 percent of the total county population will be made up of people ages 55 and older, according to the Age-Restricted Community Report, issued last year by the Frederick County Division of Planning.

The 56-page report details the changing demographic face of Frederick County and its impact on retirement, housing, the school system and other parts of society.

Though the demographic shift is no surprise, the question remains — is Frederick County prepared?

A different generation

The Baby Boomer generation is like no other — as a group, they are better educated, better paid, in better health and are more active. All this equals a generation of seniors that will demand more to enhance their retirement years.

‘‘They will be very vocal in what they want and what they don’t want,” said Carolyn True, director of the Frederick County Department of Aging.

Sidney Kandel, 59, a Boomer who lives in Frederick, said advances in technology is one reason.

‘‘We became the generation that wanted everything instantly,” he said. ‘‘The technology is so advanced that we expect more ... We’re more educated and we want to see the world.”

Many agree as the Boomers age, their strong collective voice will not wane.

Frederick County Commissioner John ‘‘Lennie” Thompson Jr. (R), who at age 52 is also a Boomer, called the situation a ‘‘demographic time bomb” and predicted that Boomers’ demands will strap the county’s ability to fund other needs — in particular, schools.

‘‘By 2030, us Baby Boomers will be at the height of our political power,” Thompson wrote in an e-mail. ‘‘If left to customary pressure-group politics, children will ride to school in 25-year-old buses on their way to un-renovated 50-year-old overcrowded schools. Along the way they will ride by brand new, Taj Mahal-type senior centers, watching us get out of our Mercedes and BMWs to go inside to an AARP political rally to vote ourselves more tax relief and more government benefits...”

Frederick County Commission President Jan H. Gardner (D), also a Boomer, agreed that the county will have to make concessions for the growing senior population, while also funding other needs.

‘‘But we’re going to have to continue to fund education, because we’re going to be asking the next generation to support us,” said Gardner, 50.

Preparing for the inevitable

Boomers will not fade quietly into retirement.Gardner herself said she plans to remain active for years to come.

‘‘I see myself as a volunteer for life,” Gardner said. ‘‘My passion has always been education and I see myself volunteering in the schools.”

The Frederick County Department of Aging offers programs and activities to help seniors remain healthy, active and independent.

‘‘The Department of Aging has been aware that people are living longer and are in better health,” True said. ‘‘More [seniors] are also moving into the county because of family and because it’s a nice place to live.”

Funding from the county and state enables the department to provide transportation to its five senior centers, health insurance counseling, health and wellness screenings and home-delivered meals.

The Meals on Wheels program has grown substantially in the last 10 years. Volunteers deliver roughly 45,000 meals to homebound seniors, up from 20,000 in 1997.

The increase in home-delivered meals is an indication that the tide is changing. No longer are seniors willing to spend their later years in nursing homes and in the care of their children.

‘‘Part of our strategic planning, needs to be more home and community services,” True said. ‘‘...Having people stay in their homes as long as they can. That’s where we want to be and that’s what they [seniors] want.”

An unknown future

The final impact of the aging Baby Boomer population is unclear, as the group enters its golden years.

‘‘The generation had an impact on all aspects of life, like science and social [issues],” said Kendal, who as a student at the University of Maryland, remembers the excitement of Vietnam War protests spurred on by his peers.

Kendal said he is proud of his generation.

‘‘It recognized the rights of women, they were big on human rights and scientific discovery,” he said.

As the Boomers leave jobs in government, private business and corporate America, many younger workers will need to step in.

In a presentation made to the county’s business community, Gardner warned of a severe employee shortage by 2030, when millions of Baby Boomers are expected to retire.

‘‘Business leaders need to pass the ball to a future generation with a focus on community, character and citizenship,” she stated. ‘‘We have an obligation to prepare our youth for the knowledge-based industry of the future and the global marketplace. Education is an investment in economic development.”

‘‘I grew up toward the end of the Baby Boomer generation ... I look forward to retirement, but I can’t afford to retire. I don’t think we’re as stable in our jobs as our grandparents used to be. My grandfather was in the same job for 40 years.”

— Susan Hofstra, 47, coordinator at the Urbana Senior Center

‘‘I remember the days during the war and I remember the protests. What I liked about the protests is that they were about bringing our [troops] home and saving lives.”

— William Fowler, 63, supervisor with Frederick County Facilities Services

‘‘[The turbulent 1960s] gave you a real desire to live your life in ways that were different than your parents. I didn’t want to follow in my mom’s footsteps. It was time of big change.”

— Mary Ellen Michael, 62, library associate at Urbana Regional Library

‘‘...My brothers were hippies and I was quite intrigued with Woodstock and a big fan of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ... There are many good things from that era ...”

— Erin Dingle, 49, library manager in Thurmont and Urbana