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.”
Isobel Charle, Oregon Newsservice
