11-26-1984 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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INTRODUCTION f,Jc_ ;et before have there been so many oider people. and ne:e► before have they been so old The aging of our population presents one of the most difficult social chal- lenges facing our nation and our stale —how to provide for the long-term care needs of the elderly Wh,le substantial resources are being directed toward long-term care, demographic trends indicate that the future demand for such care by Minnesota s elderly pop ula!ion will be even greater than at present Our concerns —as children, as parents, as taxpayers. as responsible citizens and as persons who will one day be aged —are intertwined as we consider the following a Tne elderly population grew 17 percent frurm 1970 to 1980 whr'e the !otal slate population grew 14 percent Be':veen now and the year 2010. the elderly population Nil! grow 41 percent compared to a 17 percent gain in the states total population The elderly population will double in the next century. but the ability of the wage earning segment of the popu- 'abon to support their needs is expected to be cut in halt "'.nnesolans beyond age 85 arc the fastest growing serj,nent of the older population 11 is this group that is rc s! vulnerable to physical mental and social limitations 'he' 'lead to the need for care and services lerly Minnesotans are twice as likely to be in nursing —es as their peers elsewhere in the nation a result of the rapidly increasing number of elderly :. ring long-term care and Minnesota s heavy reliance %rsing homes to provide that care costs have -a'ated dramatically in recent years Minnesota ranks ;nil nationally in the percentage of Medicaid dollars ^g to nursing home care These expenditures grew .::�T $95 million to nearly $554 million between 1973 and !983 s !firs combination of forces which is prompting our muntty to question our collective capacity to care for •-•e aged especially the growing population beyond age 8= Probte-s of caring for the eldefh, are already being ar'erienced by many families Government, too is expe- 1 J ^"rng increasing difficulties me cling the needs of its e ;erly citizens These difficulties are likely to intensity in ' e 'uture raising serious questions about societal family a personal responsibility for care of our elderly citizens ndeed care of ourselves as aged citizens This problem will not yield to simple solutions nor will it suffice to assume that government will find the answers or that we can continue to care for the elderly as we do today New directions and more choices are needed —policies. programs and products which will enable the elderly of tomorrow to live as self -sufficiently as possible Such far- reaching changes car. come about however, only if the public and private sectors work togethof to plan and shape changes in the manner in which we respond to the needs of the elderly and their families This publication 85 And Beyond, has been developed through a partnership between the pubbc and private sectors —Hennepin County and the Minnesota Protect on Corporate Responsibility Its purpose. and the purpose of the partnership, is to focus community attention beyond general concerns about the elderly and beyond concerns about the next fiscal year to the issue of long -terra care and its asso- crated problems and opportunities 85 And Beyond, we feel is a most fitting title for this report. for it signifies that the fastest growing group of elderly are those who are 85 and older a group that lends to have substantial personal care and health needs 85 .4nd Beyond also signified that while the full extent of the over-85 group s problems will not face us until early in the next century we must begin now to identify and develop socially and fiscally responsible policies pro- grams and products to serve the elderly now and con- tinue to work for future generations of elderly 85 And Beyond signifies finally. that for the issue of Icog- ierrn care. the time has corne to took beyond the stand- ard approac-hfs to funding and service delivery io new and different approaches that promote and enable se►f- responsibrirty as an alternative for many elderly We have the, 111ne and the abild- to meet the challenge of 85 and beyond We now need ..immunity commitment to begin the efforts to build the security and well-being of tomorrow s elderly