A number of nonprofit and government leaders are pushing to recognize the assets of the growing senior population as an economic-development engine, not simply a drain on resources.
An ad hoc group under the umbrella of the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, a regional coalition that works on health care quality and other issues, is pushing for more employers, organizations and seniors themselves to consider what the 55-plus demographic has to offer when making local hiring decisions or planning real estate developments.
Groups working on the effort include the Area Agencies on Aging, the Hannan Foundation, Operation Able of Michigan, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, Inforum, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Southeastern Michigan Health Association, Oakwood Healthcare System and Gleaners Food Bank. They are pushing an aggressive economic-development strategy that they hope will result in being incorporated into economic development plans such as Detroit Renaissance's Road to Renaissance and the related collaborative One D effort by the region's major civic groups.
There's hard data behind the push: A recent SEMCOG study indicated that the 65-and-older population comprises the only net population growth segment projected locally during the next 30 years.
“The older population has diverse employment needs in that they are looking for full, part-time and volunteer opportunities depending on their own situation,” said Mary McDougall, president of Operation Able of Michigan, a nonprofit that helps individuals become engaged in the workforce later in their professional careers.
“There are some segments of the (employer) community who don't consider this demographic when making hiring decisions,” she said.
That SEMCOG economic study released in April indicated that the two most important factors that are challenging the region's economic and demographic future are the over-reliance on automotive manufacturing for jobs and the aging population. By 2035, Southeastern Michigan will have 651,000 more people 65 or older and 296,000 fewer people aged 25-64.
The SEMCOG report also indicated that after 2015, job growth will be constrained to an annual average of 0.3 percent. The sectors with strong growth will be health care and social services — a result of the larger numbers of people 65 and older.
Local professionals say there are many other ways the region can benefit from the older population and better meet their needs. Here's a discussion of some of their top arguments:
This population has more individual investment capital and expendable income so any outmigration of them should not be taken lightly, professionals say.
This population is adaptable and dependable, said Tim Wintermute, executive director of the Hannan Foundation, a nonprofit foundation serving the needs and improving the quality of life of older adults who live in metro Detroit. Not only are those 55 and older valued for their investment and spending but their role as part of the workforce, he said. “These individuals are major consumers and their spending will continue to grow,” Wintermute said.
Local businesses should do more to attract entertainment spending and investment from those 55 and older, Wintermute said. New housing and apartment projects, such as lofts in Detroit and Royal Oak, tend to target the younger population in their designs, as do most entertainment venues and restaurants, he said.
“The casinos have it right no matter what we might think of them,” Wintermute said. “They make no bones about targeting seniors, while many restaurants seat older people in the back of their building where they won't be as readily noticed.”
This is true for warm-weather cities like Phoenix, Ariz., as well as for Michigan cities such as Traverse City. However, there is no competitive Detroit regional development strategy in place to include these residents.
Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Doug Luciani is part of the Traverse City plan to include older adults in economic growth. The plan includes partnering with Northwestern Michigan College to develop senior-specific programming, developing a knowledge-economy regional skills alliance for seniors and establishing Web portals to link senior workers with available jobs.
“A large percentage of new business startups, sales of businesses and franchisees comprise senior entrepreneurs,” Luciani said. “This population also serves as our mentors, counselors, leaders and angels.”
Luciani said these senior angels have the largest percentage of personal wealth while providing access to vetted private-equity deals.
As the population ages further, these numbers will only grow, said McDougall. But health care costs themselves shouldn't preclude older workers from being employed.
“Those individuals with health care issues generally screen themselves out of the (workforce),” McDougall said.
Many older workers also rely on some type of job income to help pay for some of their long-term health care needs. Yet older workers in general don't cost employers more in health care costs because they rarely require coverage for grown children, McDougall said.
“We are seeing more people who have not saved enough for retirement because of early buyouts and fewer pensions,” McDougall said. “But you also have fewer people ... who are satisfied with sitting around their houses in today's society. They are just as active as the younger generations.”
Too often, nonprofits rely heavily upon the older population and can take those supporters for granted, said Gerald Brissan, vice president of development for Gleaners Food Bank in Detroit. Beyond just the donations, he estimates that seniors volunteer for a “large majority” of the events Gleaners holds throughout the year because they also have more time to offer.
“We not only need money and funding but manpower and volunteers — that is another benefit of what our older population provides,” Brissan said. “That is something we simply can't put a price on.”
Many senior volunteers assist with more than menial tasks, Brissan said. They are involved with strategic planning, fundraising and volunteer recruitment.
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