Reframe our notions of retirement

In 15 years, Iowa will look quite different.

The Hawkeye State, like most states, is aging.

Today, about 15 percent of Iowans are age 65 or older. That demographic is expected to blossom to about 21 percent by 2030.

The population shift is rightfully on the minds of lawmakers as they plan future state budgets, especially in terms of Medicaid and social service needs. These are items we know will be affected as more Iowans transition from worker to retiree.

But there are sure to be unexpected needs, as well.

In a recent IowaWatch.org report that ran in The Gazette, reporter Rana Mousafa noted that suicides among Iowa men age 75 or older have reached their highest percentage in a decade.

Using 2013 statistics, the most recent available, Mousafa discovered that about 37 men took their lives, an increase of about 50 percent from the previous year. The overall trend of suicide among this age group has been quietly increasing for several years.

But how can we fight the troubling trend when our social service infrastructure and non-profit partners already are stretched so thin?

Worse, it has been estimated Iowa's retirement boom could negatively impact state income tax revenues by $40 million per year. A smaller decline also is expected on per-capita sales tax revenues. That's troubling.

But rarely are two negative trends more perfectly suited to solve each other.

One of the leading causes of elderly suicide is isolation and a sense of uselessness, feelings countless retired Iowans struggle with, even if they'd never take their lives.

We've heard from many retirees who feel sidelined - who want to be active in work and community life, but often on different terms, or to different degrees, than they did when they were younger. But, they tell us, it can be difficult to figure out how to do so.

Creating more opportunities for older Iowans to contribute on their terms would bring much-needed value to employers and community groups - while helping older Iowans feel valued.

Many Iowans live long, healthy lives after retirement. Too often, we treat this fact as if it's a burden to be dealt with, not as the tremendous resource it can be.

In 15 years, Iowa will look quite different.

The way we embrace our elders' unique role in building strong communities and economies should look different, too.

' Comments: (319) 398-8469; editorial@thegazette.com