Douglas County Aging Summit; Planning to age well
By Joe Gschwendtner
Valerie Robson, Douglas County’s (DC) adult and aging services manager, and County Commissioner Jack Hilbert enthusiastically welcomed a nearly standing-room only audience to DC’s November 9 Summit on aging. Deeply invested in the issue, Hilbert gave firm assurances that the county will be proactive in meeting senior needs. With practiced political flair, Hilbert claimed to be an almost-senior, but failed to convince many in the front row.
Aging is a hot topic in these parts, as well it should be. Nancy Gedeon, county economist/ demographer fueled the fire with numbers. Senior population growth over the last decade was 15 percent for the country, 32 percent for Colorado, and 177 percent for Douglas County. Now that is a silver tsunami!
Of the 40 million seniors in the U.S., 549,000 live in Colorado. The state’s senior growth rate is the fourth fastest in the country. Among all 3,143 counties in the United States, Douglas seniors are growing faster than senior populations in all but two others. Gedeon observes that many of us have followed our children here. Once settled in, we fall in love with Douglas County and plan to stay in our homes as long as we can.
Jayla Sanchez-Warren from Denver’s Council of Regional Governments took the podium to spotlight resources available to seniors through her Area Agency on Aging (AAA). Both state and federally funded, AAA offers an array of services including an ombudsman program and a potpourri of outreach services. The best place to learn more is www.drcog.org.
Topping senior concerns is the availability of safe, affordable transportation. But countless others remain: dental, legal, suitable housing, financial planning, meaningful activities, isolation, relevance, and the need to be heard and valued. In addition, many seniors are simply unaware of available services.
The meeting ended with a panel discussion, a signal event. From Robson to Hilbert and Sanchez-Warren the message was crystal clear; the county intends to do the right thing. But seniors must also take more ownership in planning for the certainties of their aging. Voices must be raised at the ballot box (we are the most reliable voters) and later, directly to elected officials.
Why not act now to help make Douglas County senior friendly? For the same reason we plan individually for our own senior years. Aging gracefully with dignity and comfort is the prize for proactivity now.
