SignOn San Diego
6:59 p.m., Nov. 30, 2011
By: Elizabeth Aguilera
The United States had 40.3 million people 65 or older last year — the highest number of seniors since the Census Bureau began keeping records more than a century ago, the agency said Wednesday. The percentage of Americans who were seniors last year — 13.4 percent — also reached a record high.
Experts on aging have been predicting the swell for years, and that’s before taking into account the future graying of baby boomers. They said the new figures accentuate their concerns about the lack of infrastructure and services for this burgeoning group, especially as the federal and state governments have trimmed spending on seniors in recent years.
“This is the largest demographic shift in history,” said Leane Marchese, executive director of ElderHelp, a San Diego nonprofit group that helps seniors continue to live at home. “It is going to change our communities. It’s going to change what we currently have in place to support people throughout their life.”
The number of seniors nationwide grew by 15.1 percent in the past decade, compared with 9.7 percent for the total population. Within the 65-and-older segment, the biggest increase occurred among those over 85.
In San Diego County, seniors made up 11.3 percent of the region’s population — up from 10.5 percent in 2000 — and the majority of them were non-Hispanic whites, according to the San Diego Association of Governments’ analysis of 2010 census data.
The senior set in San Diego County grew by 12 percent during this time, while the overall population expanded by 14.5 percent.
Even faster growth is expected in coming years, demographers said.
The oldest of the baby boomers are turning 65 now, and most baby boomers will be seniors in the next decade, said Beth Jarosz, senior demographer at SANDAG. By 2030, the county’s 65-plus population is expected to more than double, she said.
“The challenge is making sure we have adequate services — transit, transportation, housing, senior day care,” Jarosz said. SANDAG has approved long-term transportation plans that include more public transit and a stronger focus on pedestrian safety.
Many groups that assist seniors said the county, and nation, need to quickly transform public policy and social services.
“I don’t think there is any community … that is prepared for the demographic growth we are going to see in this country as the baby boomers age,” said Paul Downey, president and CEO of Senior Community Centers of San Diego. “It’s going to stretch our infrastructure.”
Public help is crucial because seniors often face financial difficulties once they are on a fixed income, said Downey, whose organization pays particular attention to low-income residents. The facilities offer housing, food, health programs and recreational activities.
Such assistance is critical, said 65-year-old Rosalinda Flores. She and her husband were staying in a trailer until three weeks ago, when they received a hotel voucher from Downey’s group.
“We didn’t make enough money, so we could not afford anything,” said Flores, a retired caregiver whose husband is disabled.
The nation’s strapped finances and the shortage of services for a booming senior population will lead to higher prices for everything from medical care to specialized housing.
With more and more baby boomers retiring — and thus paying less taxes — government funds dedicated to seniors will shrink, at least until enough younger workers enter the workforce, said John Weeks, a demographer at San Diego State University. Despite the tough transition, he said, it is a better situation compared to Japan, China and other countries that mostly have an aging citizenry.
“We in the U.S. do have an increasing number of young people as a consequence of the children of immigrants,” Weeks said. “There is a large group of young adults that, if they are properly educated and are able to get themselves situated in the labor market, will support the older group.”
Other changes must take place to address seniors’ needs, said Pam Smith, director of the county’s Aging and Independence Services office.
For her, the latest census figures contain both good news — more people are living longer — and an urgent call for Americans to reshape how they view seniors. That includes greater respect for seniors’ contributions, more emphasis on preventive care for the aging, lifelong learning programs and more research on geriatric illnesses.
“This is where we have to turn the ship around,” Smith said. “This isn’t about going down the path of ‘How do we keep paying and doing things the way we have been?’ We have to create positive changes that create a higher quality of life and save money.”
One of the most formidable challenges will be the skyrocketing rate of new Alzheimer’s patients, she said. Public-health officials in Washington, D.C., and states across the country have forecast that dementia-related diseases will rival heart disease, cancer and diabetes in coming decades.
Judith Prince-Sorrells, 66, agrees that things much change after much time spent searching for an agency to help her when she has surgery in two weeks. She finally found ElderHelp and signed up for rides to the hospital and for help tidying up her Hillcrest home while she recovers.
“It became very frustrating because it was not clear cut and some of the organizations were not that knowledgeable. As more demand comes across their desks they will have to add our upgrade their capabilities,” she said. “I never thought there would come a time when I might need the services, everyone is living longer now so there is going to be a big need.”