THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS ages 65 and older is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050, and their share of the total population is projected to rise from 17% to 23%. At the same time, the U.S. birth rate dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with fewer than 1.6 children being born per woman.
The implications of such a shift in demographics are alarming, and can be boiled down to one question… who’s going to take care of all those old people?
There is one factor that should have a positive effect on the changing roles, and that’s the mental and physical fitness of today’s seniors. People used to die at sixty and we’d say… well, he had a good life. These days people are starting new careers at that age. So sixty’s the new what… eighty?
But even though we’re more active, living longer and healthier, our growing senior population is going to need a lot more attention from a much younger populace. And that’s not going to be easy. The gen-whatevers aren’t all sitting around wondering how they’re going to spend all their extra time and money.
A Place to Go, With Things to Do
Fortunately, we have some very active senior centers around here, Marquette in particular. Maureen McFadden, the Marquette Senior Center Manager, oversees a program a lot of people are taking advantage of, with more every day.
The numbers vary between programs, but just know they serve thousands of seniors in the Marquette area. “People of all ages are calling us daily for information and assistance to help keep themselves or those they care about aging and living well,” says Maureen.
Regardless of when you might stop in the Senior Center, you’ll find a busy operation, with no room to spare. An efficient combination of staff and volunteers oversee a bunch of activities, including, but not limited to… Fitness, Line Dancing, Pickle Ball, Tai Chi, Gym Walking, Wii Bowling, Pinochle, Cribbage League, Open Cribbage, Jayne’s Bridge Club, Art Projects, Social Hours, Fall Color Tour, Scrabble, Mahjong, the Holiday Light Tour, as well as Picnic in the Parks and the Silver Sampler Outdoor Recreation & Education Program.
An effective senior center doesn’t happen without community support. According to McFadden, who’s been the center’s manager for six years, “The community, including our amazing community partners, are the official ambassadors of the senior center and have been our champions.”
Financing comes from a variety of sources, not the least of which is millage money from area municipalities. McFadden said recent millage ballot proposals were approved by wide margins. “We would not exist without these millages.”
And… this just in: Maureen McFadden has been named 2025 Director of the Year by the Michigan Association of Senior Centers!
Most of the services provided by the center are free, or, for special events, donation based. Different activities have different age requirements. Before you go, visit the Marquette Senior Center website for details.
County Coordination
The City of Marquette Senior Center, as well as senior centers in Negaunee, Ishpeming, and Gwinn, benefit from administrative duties handled by Marquette County Aging Services. According to Manager Lori Stephens-Brown, those duties include… “gathering and managing funds, writing grants, tracking outcomes to justify our programs. I enjoy working closely with our 4 senior centers in Marquette County – we subcontract with them to provide them with senior millage funds and UPCAP grant funds to provide in-home services for Marquette County seniors to help keep them independent in their homes.”
The long-running RSVP program is also a part of Marquette County Senior Services. The mission of RSVP… the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, is to keep seniors active and engaged. I can’t think of a better way to address the mental and physical health of those getting on in their years.
A Call to Action
One of the biggest challenges to the older set is getting around. Finally getting an appointment with a doctor won’t do you any good if you can’t get there. RSVP provides transportation (pictured above) for just such matters. But, according to Stephens-Brown, they’re currently short of qualified drivers.
In order to qualify for funding from the Older Americans Act, RSVP drivers have to be at least 55 years old. Though that rule subscribes to the doctrine of the RSVP program, it unfortunately compromises the potential for more drivers. Plus, it seems a little paradoxical to have older folks the only ones eligible to drive other older folks. (ls paradoxical even a word?)
RSVP programs include a lot more than just transportation. “We currently have 180 volunteers serving at 29 stations across Marquette County, such as Bell Hospital, UPAWS, schools, CAAM, Nursing Homes, etc. In addition,” Stephens-Brown says, “RSVP has some special projects such as Triad, Friendly Visiting, Lifetracker, and Non-emergency Medical Transports.”
There’s a lot more going on there than I thought. Wait… there’s more? “We also have one time activities for volunteers – like putting together a senior center’s newsletter mailing, stuffing envelopes, volunteering at the County Fair. We always welcome new volunteers and match them to activities they are interested in.”
Yeah… We’re Getting Old
Stephens-Brown confirms my shallow dive into our evolving demographics. “In 2010, 14.7% of Marquette County’s population was over 65. In 2023, that increased to 20.7%, meaning an increase of 4000 adults 65 & over. That’s a huge increase for our senior centers to deal with.”
She also validates my look at the impact of changing demographics. “It isn’t too hard to imagine some of the impacts – fewer younger workers to provide tax dollars to support the social programs needed, housing needs change, more workers needed to serve the needs of the larger older population.”
I guess the fact that an industry professional confirms my conclusions about our imminent aging crisis proves one thing… it doesn’t take a political scientist to see the looming problem.
Our local seniors should find comfort in the wide range of services being offered by our area agencies. Key words… should, and offered.
Too often, as folks age, they (we) retreat into their (our) comfort zones and succumb to the sofa. If you want to live healthier, and longer, find something that challenges the mind as well as the body, and do it. Whether you want to help, or be helped, your senior center can probably make it happen.
What is a Senior?
It seems there’s no official senior age. Every agency and organization has their own threshold. You have to be 70 to be president, but only 50 to join AARP. And 55 to be a volunteer driver. And 80 to be in line in front of me at Meijer.
Andy Rooney said, “It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.” (I guess paradoxical is a word.) The fact is, there’s only one way to avoid getting old, and that’s not a great alternative. I like Jules Renard’s take on it… “It’s not how old you are. It’s how you are old.”
And how you are old is entirely up to you.