Oregonians Living Longer, Is The State Ready?

As we enjoyed time with our families over the Thanksgiving weekend, many Oregon families are facing tough issues. Some say the state needs to do more to get ready for more of us, living longer lives. By the year 2030, more than a million Oregonians will have reached their 65th birthday, or later.
Stephanie Hooper, the President of Age Plus, which advocates for changes to help families and communities adjust to this new reality.  “Within less than 10 years, one quarter of our population will be 65+.  Rural and suburban areas will have the most older adults. Aging affects nearly every sector,  from healthcare, to transportation, universities, employers, yet we are not addressing it.”

She says communities need to do much more to prepare: “This isn’t just an alarm, but an opportunity. A tremendous opportunity that we can no longer afford to ignore.  Our older adult population will be more diverse, more talented, but also be more financially strained.”