More than 20 percent of Sonoma County's population now over age 60

<p>The number of residents who are 60 and older now make up more than 20 percent of the population of Sonoma County, a trend driven by aging baby boomers that is expected to continue skyward and transform and challenge local communities.</p><p>According to 2010 Census data scheduled for formal release Thursday, the number of residents over age 60 is nearly 100,000, up from just under 78,000 a decade ago.</p><p>The age group was only 16.2 percent of the county's total population in 2000.</p><p>“What it means is that you've got a lot less of a work force,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane. “We're going to need to train our youth, which is primarily Latino, and we'll need to provide more services that are geared toward an aging population.”</p><p>Zane, the former CEO of the Council on Aging of Sonoma County, said it will become increasingly important for Washington to come up with a national agenda for the aging of the country. She said that Medicaid, or Medi-Cal as it is known in California, will need to start paying for more in-home support services to keep seniors out of skilled nursing facilities.</p><p>“Two thirds of Medi-Cal dollars go into skilled nursing homes,” she said, adding that it costs the government six times more to care for a person in a skilled nursing facility versus providing in-home services.</p><p>Census data released shows that the number of Sonoma County residents between 60 and 64 nearly doubled, from 16,489 to 32,189 in the past 10 years. The number of residents 65 and older went from 57,977 to 67,354 during that period. In all, there were 99,553 people 60 and older in the county when the census count was made in April 2010.</p><p>Five years ago, the first of Sonoma County's baby boom generation — those born between 1946 and 1964 turned 60. When the county hit that milestone in 2006, there were an estimated 143,372 baby boomers in the county. As they age into retirement it is driving the median age up.</p><p>The median age for the county shifted from 37.5 to 39.9 in the past decade. In Cotati, the median age went from 33.9 to 36.3, and in Sonoma — the grayest of the county's towns or cities, with roughly a third of its population 60 and older — the median age went from 46.8 to 49.</p><p>In Sebastopol, the share of the city's population that is 60 and older went from 19.7 to 26.7 percent. Part of that shift was likely due to the decline in Sebastopol's younger age residents, which dropped by 25.8 percent for kids 5 to 9 and 22.9 percent for children 10 to 14. Only Rohnert Park has seen a more significant decline in its population of children in this age group. </p><p>Sebastopol also saw the largest increase in the median age, from 41.5 to 46.1 years. Rohnert Park continues to have the lowest median age in the county, although it increased from 31.5 years to 33.</p><p>At Ragle Ranch Regional Park Wednesday, Kathy Steadman, 70, defies the years with the help of her two Alaskan Husky sled dogs, Echo, 9, and Krafty, 12. Back in his day, Echo completed the 1,000 mile-plus length of the famous Iditarod dog sled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.</p><p>“I walk these dogs in the park so it probably keeps me fit. We come here every day at least once a day,” Steadman said.</p><p>Terry Kelley, executive director of the Sebastopol Area Senior Center in downtown Sebastopol, said the center is seeing a growing number of visitors due to the graying of the county. He said that 10 years ago, the number of daily visits was between 30 and 35 a day, but now, on a busy day, it can be as high as 100 a day.</p><p>The types of services provided are also changing, he said. Baby boomers tend to be more tech savvy and more active. Tomorrow's seniors will favor classes in Pilates, Yoga and even Wii video games over card games like bridge and gin.</p><p>“We've found that seniors still want to do everything that they've done in their lives and we need to offer things that a younger generation of seniors will want to do,” he said.</p><p>Marrianne McBride, president and CEO of Council on Aging of Sonoma County, said the need for senior services is likely to increase “exponentially.”</p><p>“We need to invest in aging in a healthy and active way so that we put off our need for services to the latest possible date,” McBride said.</p><p>This summer, the Council on Aging will launch its first Senior Games in Sonoma County as a “platform to promote healthy living,” she said. The games, modeled after the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, will include eight events throughout the county, including Tennis, Basketball, Swimming, Soccer, Bowling and Bocce Ball and a 5K walk and 5-to-10 K run.</p><p>Last week, Zane and fellow county supervisor Valerie Brown, attended a meeting at the White House between the National Association of Counties, and President Barack Obama and members of his cabinet to discuss issues affecting local governments.</p><p>Zane, who is co-chairwoman of county group's health committee, said members of Obama's administration were asked what the national agenda was for addressing the “aging of America.”</p><p>“The costs are going to largely be on the county's dime, since we provide health and human services,” said Zane.</p><p>The trends that are taking place in Sonoma County are being seen across the country, Zane said.</p><p>“Washington needs to have a comprehensive plan for the aging of America, and it needs to involve county governments where the local services are administered,” she said.</p><p>In Ukiah, the number of residents age 62 and older increased from 4,736 to 5,235, while in Lakeport it decreased from 2,172 to 2,098 residents.</p><p>Press Democrat News Researcher Janet Balicki contributed to this story.</p>