Nonprofit Resource Connection Newsletter
Second Quarter 2010

The Boomers are Coming
Julie Vreeland, Nonprofit Resource Specialist, Brainerd

In less than 18 months, the large baby boom generation — born between 1946 and 1964 — will begin to turn 65, and for the next 50 years, the aging of the population will dominate the demographic landscape. The number of Minnesotans over age 65 will double in the next 20 years, rising to 1.3 million, and by 2030 older people will represent nearly 25 percent of the state’s population. This "age wave" will usher in a permanent shift in the age of our state’s population. Governments, businesses and communities are just now beginning to realize both the opportunities and challenges that this dramatic change represents.

In order to prepare Minnesota for this demographic shift, the Minnesota Department of Human Services launched Transform 2010 in partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Minnesota Department of Health. The purpose of Transform 2010 is to identify the impacts of the aging of our state’s population and to transform our policies, infrastructures and services so that Minnesota can survive and even thrive as this permanent shift occurs. The year "2010" was chosen as the target for action because it is the year before the first boomers begin to turn age 65.

Based upon suggestions from more than 1,000 individuals in focus groups around the state, a Blueprint for 2010: Preparing Minnesota for the Age Wave was written that includes actions under five broad themes:

    1. Redefining work and retirement

    2. Supporting caregivers of all ages

    3. Fostering communities for a lifetime

    4. Improving health and long-term care

    5. Maximizing use of technology

Fostering Communities for a Lifetime
Making Minnesota’s communities good places to grow up and grow old is a critical part of preparing the state for the coming age wave. According to national surveys and the most recent Survey of Older Minnesotans, a survey done periodically of individuals 50+ in Minnesota by the Minnesota Board on Aging, most boomers and current older people want to remain in their own homes and communities as long as possible and "age in place" there. They are more likely to be able to do so if they live in communities that support their residents.

Although many names are used, including "age-friendly" or "communities for all ages," they all refer to communities that have the elements needed to provide physical, social and service supports to their residents of all ages and abilities. The elements that make communities good for older adults also make communities good for children, e.g., safety and security, accessible design features, health care, parks, transportation. The whole community benefits from participation of older residents in paid or volunteer work and other civic activities, and these contributions illustrate the resource that older adults represent to communities.

Elements of Communities for a Lifetime
Fostering "Communities for a Lifetime" means designing and building communities that address the needs and improve the quality of life of residents of all ages. This requires a careful and comprehensive assessment of the needs and desires of a community’s population, including factors such as age, ability, income level and cultural and ethnic diversity.

In A Blueprint for 2010, action steps for creating communities for a lifetime are broken down into four major categories:

Communities are an important source of affordable support for persons as they age, especially those whose incomes are too low to afford the full price of some health and social services. The number of older people with inadequate retirement income is expected to grow significantly in the future, and they will by necessity turn first to their families and communities for support.

As the percent of persons 65 and older in communities across Minnesota dramatically increases, many communities will need assistance to develop the elements necessary to support their aging residents. The dramatic age shift will require vision, planning and action by communities and citizens to meet the needs of the population.

There have been many excellent efforts over the past 10 years to create communities for a lifetime in various parts of the state, but Minnesota has 87 counties, 854 cities and dozens of urban neighborhoods, and many are not yet actively working on this concept. A recent national study called The Maturing of America was conducted to determine local governments’ "aging readiness" in providing programs, policies and services that address older adult needs. Sponsored by the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging among others, the survey found that only 46 percent of the cities and counties surveyed had done anything to address the needs of their aging residents and how to utilize the talent, wisdom, and experience of older persons. It is clear that a more coordinated and comprehensive approach is needed to achieve the goal of creating communities for a lifetime across Minnesota.

Communities for a Lifetime Legislation
Through the efforts of several groups, led by the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging, which is a consortium of aging service providers and advocates, legislation establishing the concept of communities for a lifetime in Minnesota state statute was enacted in 2009. It requires that the Minnesota Board on Aging report to the Legislature by February 2010 with recommendations for a process and criteria for communities to request and receive the designation of "community for a lifetime" and funding sources to implement this process. (Laws of Minnesota, 2009, Chapter 60. Effective July 1, 2009.)

This process will bring together a broad range of partners (in addition to those specified in the legislative language) to work on the vision of creating more communities for a lifetime in Minnesota. They include the Minnesota League of Cities, the Minnesota Association of Counties, several state agencies, the Board on Aging and its network of Area Agencies on Aging, service providers and businesses. Some of these partners have already taken steps to provide assistance to their members. The League of Cities has initiated a demographic task force and launched a website that provides a wealth of data around demographic change for its member cities. The Association of Counties provides a focal point for discussions on the role of counties in identifying the opportunities and challenges surrounding the aging of their residents, promoting strategies that build healthy communities, and providing support to their members on these.

Through the efforts of several groups, led by the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging, which is a consortium of aging service providers and advocates, legislation establishing the concept of communities for a lifetime in Minnesota state statute was enacted in 2009. It requires that the Minnesota Board on Aging report to the Legislature by February 2010 with recommendations for a process and criteria for communities to request and receive the designation of "community for a lifetime" and funding sources to implement this process.

This process will bring together a broad range of partners (in addition to those specified in the legislative language) to work on the vision of creating more communities for a lifetime in Minnesota. They include the Minnesota League of Cities, the Minnesota Association of Counties, several state agencies, the Board on Aging and its network of Area Agencies on Aging, service providers and businesses. Some of these partners have already taken steps to provide assistance to their members. The League of Cities has initiated a demographic task force and launched a website that provides a wealth of data around demographic change for its member cities. The Association of Counties provides a focal point for discussions on the role of counties in identifying the opportunities and challenges surrounding the aging of their residents, promoting strategies that build healthy communities, and providing support to their members on these

The project entitled "Brainerd for a Lifetime" was initiated in late 2007 by the Central Minnesota Council on Aging, the Brainerd city planner, the Brainerd planning commission chair, a Brainerd city council member and the director of the Lakes Area senior activity center. A large group presentation kicked off the effort in January 2008. Dozens of citizens attended this initial event. The group chose four key issues for further assessment and recommendations. These were health care opportunities, safety and security, transportation and walkability and housing.

Currently, Brainerd is working on the issues of health care opportunities including caregiving, and transportation and walkability. The goals of the health care efforts are to promote good health for all older adults, provide access to quality medical services and help seniors remain independent as long as possible. The initiative plans to assess the proximity and access to health services, continuing care retirement communities, care at home, and assistance and resources for persons with mental health concerns or Alzheimer’s disease.

The goals for transportation and walkability are to provide several transportation options for out-of-town travel, offer affordable transportation that riders find convenient, safe and dependable, ensure that walking is a practical, viable option for seniors and all citizens, design and maintain physical environments that are sensitive to the needs of citizens and promote easy use of barrier-free multi-purpose trails and walking paths. This initiative is assessing and exploring public transportation, parking, bus route services, Dial-A-Ride, mobility options, street signs, intersections, traffic design, challenges for pedestrians and personal security.