AARP has announced its 2024 Community Challenge grant recipients this week, including several in South Dakota.

Nearly $4 million is going to about 350 organizations nationwide to fund quick-action projects to make communities more livable. South Dakota organizations have received a total of nearly $320,000 since 2017, supported by the state's AARP chapter.

Judy Larson, a volunteer grants administrator in Lemmon, with a population of about 1,100 said this year's award is its third Community Challenge grant win. Larson noted a past grant funded a portable dance floor, which can be checked out from the Lemmon library.

"We have a big country-dance culture in our history here," Larson pointed out. "We have the older generation. They can foxtrot. They can polka. They can two-step. They can do them all. And then now, the next generation is really interested in learning some of those dances."

Larson emphasized the grant has helped realize her community's vision. Other South Dakota towns and cities receiving grants this year are Edgemont, Gettysburg, Rosyln and Sioux Falls.

Erik Gaikowski, state director of AARP South Dakota, said the grants fund projects focused on livable and walkable public spaces, transportation, community gardens and other plans especially benefiting people age 50 and over.

"We know that older adults want to live in their home communities for as long as they possibly can," Gaikowski explained. "We also want to help all community members live, work, play, and age in a safe, friendly community."

Gaikowski added he hopes other communities take inspiration from the list of funded projects.

Oregon's population, along with the rest of the country, is getting older. Within 10 years there will be more Oregonians age 65 and older than children younger than 18.

New legislation would establish a task force to create a blueprint for the state to prepare for the massive change.

Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said having an older population will affect every sector of the state including housing, transportation and health. She emphasized the task force would bring representatives from many of these sectors to the table.

"It's not just the needs that we're going to be responding to," Shrestha pointed out. "People talk about aging as a net deficit in some ways. Aging also can be very positive."

Shrestha noted older adults benefit the state by contributing billions of dollars in unpaid care to other adults and children, as well as volunteer hours to schools and nonprofits. Public testimony for the bill has been overwhelmingly positive.

Rep. Mari Watanabe, D-Bethany, a sponsor of the bill, said the shifting age demographics will also affect the state's workforce and older people who want or need to keep working will be able to help fill in gaps.

"They bring skills, they bring knowledge, they bring their acumen that they've learned all through the years," Watanabe outlined. "To keep them in the workplace would be great for Oregon."

Shrestha stressed the need for financial support as more families care for older adults at home. She also highlighted the rising homelessness among older adults and urges state investment in housing for aging in place. Despite all the work needing to be done, Shrestha is optimistic about the plan the legislation lays out.

"It's proactive," Shrestha acknowledged. "It's not waiting 'til there is an emergency. We still have a nice timeline to work towards it. And everybody should be invested because it's about our future."

The Montana governor's proposed budget includes cuts to funding for senior long-term care. Those in the already-struggling industry said as more Montanans enter their 80s, a wider community will feel the effects.

Within the last three years, 11 of Montana's nursing homes closed in a single 12-month period. It adds pressure to those providers left, like Big Sky Senior Services in Billings, which provides payee services for over 100 people and offers in-home care for seniors on a sliding-fee scale.

Tyler Amundsen, executive director of Big Sky Senior Services, said keeping seniors in their homes as long as possible is the goal but there is usually a point where outside care becomes necessary.

"Then they're in crisis because we don't have enough places to send them," Amundsen observed. "Or the places that are available to send them aren't getting funded well. And so the quality of care is going down."

Amundsen added reimbursement rates are not keeping up with the rise of inflation. Gov. Greg Gianforte has proposed $50 million in cuts over the next biennium to senior and long-term care services via the Department of Public Health and Human Services, amounting to nearly 6%.

As there are fewer services and increased need, more people will likely become caregivers for family, which Amundsen emphasized will affect the workforce. He is predicting a trend called the "sandwich generation."

"They'll be taking care of their parents as well as their kids at the same time," Amundsen explained. "It just puts more strain on our communities to be able to do all the things we hope we can do."

He advises people and groups in the state pay attention to this rising issue now, before it worsens. Nearly 100,000 Montanans will enter their 80s this decade, nearly 70% more than did between 2010 and 2019.


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As Michigan's senior population steadily increases, the need for communities that prioritize their well-being becomes more critical.

With nearly 2 million people in the state aged 65 and older, it's vital to ensure they have the resources and support systems in place to thrive in their later years.

In response, AARP Michigan, along with the World Health Organization, has created the Network of Age-Friendly Communities - a five-year program that develops and renews action plans to support aging populations, using what they call the eight domains of livability.

Sadie Shattuck, communications analyst for AARP Michigan, explained what they are.

"Those eight domains," said Shattuck, "are outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, civic participation and employment - communication and information, respect and social inclusion, social participation, health services and community support, and housing."

AARP stresses that safety is also at the top of the priority list for senior living.

Their communities should create a protective environment where they feel secure, both in their homes and out in the community.

AARP's Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities provides expert resources to help local and state leaders improve housing, transportation, and public spaces for aging in place.

Michigan is one of 11 states in the network, with a dozen participating communities, along with the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Shattuck emphasized that the goal is to create livable communities for all ages, not just seniors.

"I've talked to committee members from communities in Michigan that are part of the Network," said Shattuck, "that range from college students all the way up to someone who's in their 90s and is retired."

Statistics show that the majority of seniors live independently in private homes or apartments.