Iowa needs a grown-up talk about aging

By Iowa City Press-Citizen

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Given how the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau show that people age 65 and older are now the fastest growing segment of the population across the U.S., policymakers and senior advocates have been calling for a broader discussion of the implication of what they consider a major societal shift taking place in Iowa and the rest of the nation.

That's why we're pleased to hear that, starting next month, the University of Iowa College of Law is holding a new colloquium exploring the many legal, social and public policy transformations that need to happen to address this shift. And luckily the colloquium organizers aren't interested in keeping their conversations and solutions to themselves. Instead, they are making the 13 weekly sessions available online to the public through live-streaming and podcasts. (We always like it when UI folks strive to put the “public” back in public universities.)

Although hosted by the UI law school and generally geared to law students and lawyers, the sessions will include nationally-recognized experts from a variety of disciplines. And the topics to be discussed cut right to the heart of the issues facing everyday people.

Surrogate decision-making for older people without the capacity to make decisions regarding financial and health care matters.

Financial exploitation, abuse and neglect of the elderly.

Long-term care for the elderly with dementia and other needs.

And the regulation of nursing homes and other facilities providing care for older people.

The issues, of course, are of particular importance in Iowa, which already ranks fifth in the nation in percentage of population age 65 and older and ranks second in percentage of population age 85 and older.

But the issues are all the more timely because the forecast for the next two decades shows Iowa's senior population eventually making up close to one out of every four citizens. By 2030, one of out of every six Iowans will be older than 85. And by 2040, older Iowans could outnumber children and youth for the first time.

And that means Iowan health providers will see a sharp increase in the number of age-related conditions - such as heart disease, hypertension, Alzheimer's, cancer and severe arthritis. And that also means a sharp increase in the demand for home, in-patient, residential and “end of life” care.