Dunn County “aging plan” identifies priorities as percentage of aging residents increases
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Dunn County Aging Plan 2022-2024 focuses on a number of priorities, such as support for caregivers and transportation, in response to the increasing percentage of residents in the county over the age of 60.
Dunn County offers services through the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), and funding sources through the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources requires a plan to be submitted every three years, said Kristin Korpela, director of Dunn County Human Services, at a meeting of the Dunn County Health and Human Services Board on October 28.
The plans helps the ADRC to “stay in line” on what is trying to be accomplished with the goals, Korpela said.
According to the executive summary of the plan, the aging goals were developed based on information gathered through community engagement activities, including a survey to which 217 Dunn County residents responded.
The most prominent needs identified by the survey were understanding technology, dementia, healthy aging, nutrition and understanding government programs.
“We also learned that supporting caregivers and providing more assistance will be absolutely necessary in the coming years as our aging population increases. Respite care, home care, help with transportation and all caregiving needs were all stated priorities,” according to the summary.
The plan is well thought out, and the ADRC does a great job, said Sarah Kennedy, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of the health and human services board as well as the ADRC advisory committee.
The ADRC advisory committee “is one of my favorite committees to work on,” she said.
Larry Bjork, county board supervisor from Menomonie and a member of the health and human services board and who also is a member of the ADRC advisory committee, said he agreed with Kennedy and that he was impressed with the dedication of those who provide services to Dunn County residents.
The Dunn County Health and Human Services Board unanimously approved the the Dunn County Aging Plan for 2022-2024.
Korpela said after the health and human services board had approved the plan, she would be able to submit it to the state of Wisconsin.
Aging population
According to information included in the county’s aging plan, by 2040, the percentage of residents in Dunn County who are over the age of 60 is expected to have increased to nearly 32 percent of the population.
Currently, 21 percent of Dunn County residents are over the age of 60.
In 2010, about 18 percent of Dunn County residents were over the age of 60.
Dunn County has a population of 44,759, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population has increased by 3.4 percent over the past 10 years.
More than 61 percent of Dunn County residents live in rural areas, and nearly 12 percent of the residents live in poverty, according to information included in the aging plan.
Currently, three counties in northern Wisconsin — Bayfield, Iron and Vilas — have 40 to 50 percent of the population who are age 60 or older, along with Door County on the eastern side of the state and Adams County in the middle of the state.
The remaining counties in the northern one-third of the state currently have between 30 and 40 percent of the population age 60 or older along with other counties in the middle or southern part of the state, including Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, Green Lake, Marquette, Juneau, Crawford and Richland.
Two counties currently have 17 to 20 percent of the population 60 or older: St. Croix and Milwaukee.
By 2040, population projections indicate that more counties in far northern Wisconsin will have 40 to 50 percent of the population age 60 or older, including Florence, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer, Price, Rusk and Lincoln.
By 2040, the rest of the counties in the state will have either 20 to 30 percent of the population 60 or older or 40 to 50 percent of the population 60 and older, and there will be no counties in Wisconsin with 17 to 20 percent of the population 60 or older.
