Audio Getting old isn't what it used to be (story audio) Photos Retirees get tech-savvy at a computer class Back to work Generations working together View full slideshow (5 images) Resources The University of Minnesota's Vital Aging Network Respond to this story Talk about this story in the MPR News Forum Submit a commentary Help us cover this story

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Getting old isn't what it used to be
by Annie Baxter, Minnesota Public Radio
January 26, 2004

Retirees at the Whitney Senior Center are learning computer skills, which may help them find jobs. (MPR Photo/Annie Baxter)

The face of small town Minnesota has always had a few wrinkles. As young people in rural areas went off to college and didn't return, the residents left behind were mostly elderly. Now the older population is on the rise state and nationwide. One of the fastest growing demographics in Minnesota consists of people aged 65 and up. And those seniors occupy an increasingly large chunk of the workforce. According to state demographic projections, the next thirty years will see just as many workers in the 65 plus range entering the workforce as those aged 16-44. Getting old just isn't what it used to be.

St. Cloud, Minn. — A new era in aging reveals itself in small, subtle ways-- like the spark of interest in the eyes of seniors taking a computer class at the Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud. The seniors are keen to become tech savvy. They listen attentively to everything teacher Norm Meyer has to say.

"If you want to write letters and send a few e-mails you probably won't have to upgrade," Meyer explains to someone with an old PC.

	Back to work

The 60-, 70- and 80-somethings who attend classes and lectures at the center are loathe to to sit idly at home watching T.V. They have skills to put to good use. Some are even looking for jobs.

And according to Steve Hennes, the center's director, sometimes the jobs come looking for them.

"We work with small businesses, and oftentimes they'll stop by and ask if we have people we know of who are looking for part-time work," Hennes says. "Because there are a number of people, especially small businesses, that are interested in older workers."

Joanne Sibet is exactly the kind of worker whom businesses might seek out. She's a receptionist at a credit union in St. Cloud. Her fluffy, permed hair is a mix of brown and gray. Sibet retired at 65. And then, to her own surprise, her employer asked her to return to work.

"It is flattering," Sibet admits. "I mean, I'm 68. And it's amazing that people would want you to come back to work."

Sibet says she was glad to work again for the extra money and the activity. But she was relieved that she didn't have to pretend to have the energy of a young hotshot.

	Generations working together

"I'm not in this because 20 years from now I'm going to head the company. If I was 25, that'd be be different," Sibet says with a shrug. "At this stage in life, I'll just give you the best I got for four hours, and then I'm out of here. And they're OK with that."

Older workers like Sibet are part of a growing trend. That's what Jan Hively found out in her work with the University of Minnesota's Vital Aging Network.

"I see that the upper Midwest rural economy is where you see the cutting edge of a demographic that's affecting the whole country and the whole world," Hively asserts.

Hively and her fellow researchers looked closely at quality of life issues for older people in the Willmar area. That region has long seen a pattern of outmigration, where young residents leave and the population becomes increasingly elderly. The demographic trends there preview what's happening nationally, as babyboomers age.

Hively approached the research as a senior, and an older worker, herself. At 72, she recently completed her Ph. D. For a long time before that she was a heavy hitter on the education front. When Hively turned her attention to older adults, she says she was surprised to find how many preconceptions she harbored.

	Researcher Jan Hively

"We talk about combating ageism, and those of us, the older we are, the more ageist we tend to be," Hively says. "That's what we knew when we grew up. The image, for a man at least was that you retired you went on to the front porch to the rocking chair. Or the old duffers, who travel and golf. "

But once Hively began to interview senior citizens, those images of enfeebled or lollygagging old folks exploded. A new picture came into focus, one of older people working in offices, grocery stores, and caring for one another.

Forty percent of seniors surveyed were employed, about half because they needed to work, and half because they wanted to work, and planned to do so until they dropped.

More than 75 percent said they were active and healthy, well into their 80s.

"I never expected that rate of good health," Hively says. "I expected that there would be many more who were receiving assistance from their kids than who were giving. Also there was a high percentage -- 39 percent -- caring for sick and disabled. So this is a remarkably productive population."

Hively considers "productivity" in terms of paid employment and volunteering. Both contribute to the health of communities, she says, and to the health of the seniors themselves. Studies show a direct correlation between longevity and activity.

	Busy at 88

Marguerite Hewitt and her husband, Duke, are testaments to Hively's findings. Marguerite's 88, and Duke is 92. Over lunch at the Whitney Senior Center, they discuss their weekly activities.

"I help over at the Heritage center as a receptionist, for the heritage center, and I read for the blind," Marguerite explains. "It's as needed. I go to the monastery about twice a month."

"You put in about two hours at the museum," Duke adds. "Then it takes you about an hour to read the bulletin for the monastery."

The couple admits that they've slowed down a bit, but their busy schedule still rivals that of someone half their age.

"I don't attend the lectures and things like I used to do," Marguerite says. "I do a bookclub and have tap dancing."

"I imagine we average a book a week or something like that," Duke notes.

It's more than just a charming bit of luck that older people are staying so active. Researcher Jan Hively says this is today's reality, and public policy has to adjust. It should consider the vitality and strengths of older people, and not simply dwell on the neediest cases.

And Hively says policy shifts are underway. In Meeker county, for example, city councils are considering a "senior friendly checklist," which include better transportation and housing options for active seniors.

An important next step is to develop benefits packages that encourage older adults to continue working.

Jan Hively says she's hopeful about the future, especially her own. There was a time when she didn't look forward to old age, and certainly didn't think she'd live past 80.

"I've changed my image very dramatically for myself," Hively says. "I'm feeling that the horizon is farther. I'm telling my children, 'Make sure that you tell your children that they're likely to be living past age 100.'"

The horizon is expanding for everyone. Time itself seems to be moving at a different pace. Older people are getting younger and younger. And work just might be the new fountain of youth.

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