A look at Minnesota seniors
Results of the 2001 Survey of
Older Minnesotans
Minnesota
is a land of myths. From the tall tales of Paul
Bunyan to last summer’s fishing stories, myths are
interwoven in the fabric of our lives. Most myths
are harmless stories, while others are simply wrong.
That’s why the Minnesota Board on Aging conducts its
Survey of Older Minnesotans. The Board examines some
of the commonly held myths of aging, such as "Old
people have tons of money," "Old
people are sick," and "Older people
need help, so they have to go to nursing homes,"
and gathers concrete data to draw a more accurate
picture of who our older residents.
"Basically,"
says MBA’s lead researcher Hal Freshley, Ph.D.,
"we look at what older Minnesotans need and
what they contribute to their communities. But we
also get a lot of good information about their
health status, their economics and more."
How
are Minnesotans faring? "Older people are
healthier, wealthier and more worried than they were
in 1997," Freshley reports. "The ‘young’
old who are still working tend to be healthier,
wealthier and have more resources, yet they are the
ones who report more worries about their income.
"The
older you are, the less likely you are to have a
high income and the less likely you are to be
worried about it. It’s an interesting paradox
because it’s the opposite of what we would
think," he says.
Who
tends to have less income? The "older"
old, people over the age of 80 who are far more
likely to be women.
But
money isn’t the only thing older Minnesotans are
worried about. "Everything we asked them
about – their children, health, their income –
they’re worried about," Freshley says.
But
there’s plenty of positive things in the lives of
Minnesota’s elders. "Older Minnesotans have
strong connections to their families," Freshley
says. "Even in places like the western part of
the state where the younger people have moved out
steadily since the 1940s, most older people report
having close family contact."
And,
most older Minnesotans report that their health is
pretty good. "And that’s independent of
age," Freshley says. "People who are on
the older end of the spectrum still say they do
pretty good with health and exercise."
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