Profit off the Baby Boomers

With our baby boomer-in-chief turning 60 earlier this summer and the baby boom generation marking that same milestone this year, we're providing a number of articles that might be useful to this noteworthy generation.

The Baby Boomers are approaching retirement age. Like me, you're probably wondering how you can profit from this demographic trend.

There are many potential paths to your Baby Boomer windfall. The demand for drugs from companies like Merck (NYSE:MRK) and GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) will likely spike in the near future. Perhaps asset managers such as T. Rowe Price (NASDAQ:TROW) will benefit from seniors trying to manage their nest eggs. One Fool has the idea that a shift from Do-It-Yourself home improvement to Do-It-For-Me makes Home Depot (NYSE:HD) an interesting play.

I have chosen a slightly different path. I own shares of Health Care REIT (NYSE:HCN), a real estate investment trust that invests in assisted living facilities and nursing facilities. The company owns 464 properties in 37 states. These facilities will become increasingly important as the population ages. Amazingly, the supply of assisted living facilities is falling, while demand is rising. The current rate of development is only 1% for assisted living facilities, according to Health Care REIT. There is also a shortage of nursing facilities in the U.S., as older properties are closed down. That means that the company is sitting on some valuable assets.

Shrinking supply has led to strong occupancy rates. In the last two years, national occupancy rates in assisted living facilities jumped from around 85% to 89%. Nursing facilities also saw a similar increase. I expect occupancy rates for Health Care REIT to remain strong into the future, resulting in a growing dividend.

I am not the only one who thinks highly of Health Care REIT. Mathew Emmert recommended shares to Income Investor subscribers, based on the company's long-term prospects and large dividend (currently yielding over 6%). REIT aficionado Nate Parmelee has written favorably on the company, and 29 Motley Fool CAPS players are bullish on the stock, with no bears.

Of course, Health Care REIT is not a sure thing. Other REITs in the space, like Ventas (NYSE:VTR) and Health Care Realty (NYSE:HR), are vying for the same customers. Furthermore, the company just announced an acquisition that I'll need some time to investigate.

Will I get my Baby Boomer windfall? Only time will tell. But if you're looking for more ways to capitalize on the Baby Boomer trends, take a look at this report: The Big Boom. You'll see investing ideas in health care and biotech from our top analysts. Your Baby Boomer windfall could be only a click away.

Home Depot is an Inside Value recommendation. GlaxoSmithKline and Health Care REIT are active Income Investor recommendations, and Merck is a former selection. Fool sector head Joey Khattab owns shares of Health Care REIT. The Fool has a disclosure policy.