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.

The perception and politics of gray hair
When salons closed during the early days of the pandemic, many women decided to embrace their natural gray hair. And now, many have decided to ditch the hair dye permanently. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the way that society perceives gray hair with two women who went gray.
Walz pledges National Guard help for nursing homes
Gov. Tim Walz said Monday he will deploy teams from the National Guard and pledged $50 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to help nursing homes in Minnesota deal with short staffing and other needs related to COVID-19.
A Minnesotan with Alzheimer's plans for death on her own terms
When Cheryl Hauser of Hopkins, Minn., was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, she made plans to eventually end her life on her own terms through a process called VSED, or voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, before the worst of the disease takes hold. Hauser and her daughter spoke with host Cathy Wurzer about the decision.
Long-term care industry, facing staffing shortages, on edge over vaccine mandate
President Joe Biden’s administration announced this week that all nursing home employees must get the COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 4. Some Minnesota long-term care leaders say they are worried the requirement could cause more staff to quit at a time when there are 23,000 open jobs in the industry.
Vaccinated seniors navigate life in mostly unvaccinated rural America
Vaccination rates in much of rural America remain low. But there's one demographic with rates consistently higher than the national average: seniors, many of whom remember lining up eagerly as children to get the polio vaccine.
State takes control of Minneapolis nursing home amid financial concerns
A recent review of Twin City Gardens Nursing Home found evidence of unpaid bills for oxygen, insurance, medications and electricity and that staff payroll checks had bounced, the Minnesota Department of Health said Monday.
University of Minnesota students redesign walker for younger users
Four University of Minnesota students have come up with a new way for people to move around. They took the wheeled walker that many seniors use and reimagined it for a younger clientele.