Texas is once again in the midst of a boom, but this one poses different challenges than the frenzy in our oil and gas markets. Between 2010 and 2050, the state demographer says seniors — those aged 65 and older — will be the fastest-growing Texas age group, tripling in size from 2.6 million in 2010 to 7.8 million in 2050.
Texas cities and counties already feel the effects of this growth, which has stretched resources for seniors and caregivers, but some communities have begun laying the groundwork to better accommodate their senior residents.
And that’s a wise course of course of action: a 2011 AARP survey indicated that 89 percent of persons aged 50 and above want to age in place, staying home as long as possible, or at least in the same community.
Austin, home to the nation’s second-fastest growing senior population according to a 2011 Brookings Institution report, responded to demographic realities by creating the Mayor’s Task Force on Aging. The task force has made a number of recommendations (PDF) to city leadership, looking to “focus resources on prudent investments that result in social and economic benefits” for seniors in Austin.
“We need to take a multi-pronged approach in making aging and elders a visible community priority,” says Michael Wilson, Ph.D, a
Read Full Article written by Michael Wilson, Ph.D.
