Aging

Minnesotans are living longer and that trend is expected to continue. According to Minnesota State Demographic Center projections, the number of adults 65 years and older is anticipated to double between 2010 and 2030. That means 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be an older adult.

MPR News is looking at this shift and what it means to all of us.

Related: End in Mind delves into how our culture engages with loss, dying and death and offers resources to live more and fear less.

Why Biden is now routinely taking the short stairs up to Air Force One
The built-in stairs lead to the belly of the plane. They're less photogenic than the tall, outdoor steps. But the sturdier stairs pose less of a health and political risk to the 80-year-old president.
Out-of-pocket prescription costs for Minnesotans to decrease in next few years
In a historic precedent set by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare now has a seat at the bargaining table. The law allows the government to engage in price negotiation for prescription drugs, primarily used by the elderly.
Clarence Avant, a major power broker in music, sports and politics, has died at 92
Clarence Avant boosted the careers of a vast array of influential figures, including Michael Jackson, Jim Brown and Barack Obama. He came back into the news after his wife was murdered in 2021.
The Minnesota Senior games kicked off in St. Cloud, Minn., on Thursday. Hundreds of Minnesotans over fifty will participate in more than twenty different sports.
South Koreans are getting younger, as a new law goes into effect
People in South Korea all became at least one year younger on Wednesday, as the country dropped a traditional method of counting their ages. Under the old system, a person was one year old at birth.
Choosing death on one's own terms
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer speaks with end-of-life doula Wendy Longacre Brown about her mother’s life and death. Her mother, Cheryl Hauser, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019 and publicly discussed a specific exit strategy known as V-SED. It was a decision that resulted in Hauser’s recent passing.
Liquid cremation provides greener alternative to traditional methods
What will happen to your body after you die? Whether you pre-plan your own arrangements or it’s a decision made by your loved ones, a growing number of people are considering this choice’s impact on the environment.
A lifetime of racism makes Alzheimer’s more prevalent in Black Americans
Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to develop Alzheimer’s disease. They are less likely to be diagnosed and get treatment. The reasons are many and systemic and can be traced to American health inequities that follow Black people from birth to death.
Rep. Dean Phillips: Sen. Feinstein 'clearly losing mental acuity,' should resign
When Sen. Feinstein returned to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room earlier this month, the 89-year-old got a standing ovation. But Rep. Dean Phillips shared concerns about the Democrat’s physical and mental fitness.