Older, but still contributing
Williams retired at the age of 56 after a career that included stints as a statistics professor, as well as time at Hewlett-Packard and at a tech start-up. As a retiree, she’s continued that varied approach to life, through her teaching and volunteering.
“I’m very fortunate,” she says. “I had two hip replacements last year and I’m fully functional. No limits on my mobility.”
But even if someone is limited physically, Williams adds, their “brains still are working — they still have a lot to contribute.”
Susan Engels, office chief at the State Unit on Aging at the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, says Washington has the nation’s second-highest life expectancy from birth, at 79.2 years (Hawaii is tops, at 80.7). Beyond that, the state’s percentage of older residents is expected to grow in the coming years.
Engels says the state for decades has had a plan for aging — something that was part of the federal Older Americans Act of 1965. But more was needed.
“It takes an entire infrastructure to really plan well and to work across departments and engage transportation and housing and employment,” she says.
The state’s decision to join the nonprofit USAging’s Dementia Friendly America network, as well as AARP’s network, “means that we have made a public commitment to recognizing and prioritizing the needs of older adults in Washington,” says Marci Getz, the director of healthy aging initiatives in the Washington State Department of Health.
What does being age-friendly look like on the ground? In Seattle, the Lifelong Recreation program within Seattle Parks and Recreation features Art in the Park, Memory Loss Zoo Walks and other programs for people with memory loss.
In Puyallup, the public library established an Aging Resources Center. Statewide, the Dementia Action Collaborative, a public-private partnership, is working to prepare Washington for the forecasted increase in its dementia population.
Marguerite Ro, AARP Washington state director, says that to join AARP’s network, a state is required to make a commitment from its governor or legislature.
The goal of the network, she adds, is to create an environment where “older adults can really thrive.”
Frederic J. Frommer has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, including 16 years at the Associated Press, and is the author of several books.