Community groups are joining statewide efforts to boost the quality of life for Wisconsin’s growing population of seniors, as projections show the number of people aged 65 and older could top 1.5 million by 2040.
Two of the biggest goals of these community groups are creating aging-friendly communities and boosting social connections for seniors, according to statewide organizers.
Sara Richie, who works to promote aging-friendly communities as the Life Span program manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension, said it’s important for communities to be inclusive and healthy places for older residents.
“(The community groups) are ensuring that people have an opportunity to lead fulfilling and connected lives and have access to the things that they need to age in place,” Richie said. “They provide an opportunity to celebrate the strengths and contributions of older adults, and have an infrastructure that supports them, and the services to meet their needs as well.”
Boosting social connection, overcoming isolation
Social connection is a big part of that story, according to Suzanne Morley, health promotion program coordinator for the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging and coordinator of the Wisconsin Coalition for Social Connection.
“People are definitely feeling the health impacts of social isolation and loneliness,” Morley said.
But Aging and Disability Resource Centers and partner organizations are working to combat that through events like “senior proms,” activities at senior centers, health promotion programs and trainings for meal delivery drivers to connect with seniors they serve.
Health benefits of connection
Social connection is important to quality of life. It also plays a big role in mental and physical health as we age.
Megan Zuelsdorff is an assistant professor at the UW-Madison School of Nursing and co-lead of the Community Partnerships Core at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She said there are a number of links between social connection and health.
“For one thing, it’s actually easier to live healthy, to engage in healthy behaviors, if we have a companion along with us,” Zuelsdorff said. “We know that we eat more poorly when we’re by ourselves. We drink more alcohol. We stay inside more. It’s just easier to engage when you’re doing things for other people, too.”
And, she said, being connected with other people can motivate us to continue exercise and other activities that benefit our health.
On top of that, Zuelsdorff said social connection can be a protective factor against dementia, because it stimulates the brain.
“In the same way that your physician might recommend a crossword puzzle or Sudoku, social activity is a form of mental exercise,” she said.
Zuelsdorff applauded community efforts to boost social connections for seniors.
“A lot of the time, I think people would like to stay engaged, and a lot of times they stop because they can’t figure out how to keep doing it. That’s a public health issue.”
Creating connections throughout Wisconsin
Gina Laack is involved in these efforts as director of the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Eagle Country’s Juneau County office.
Laack said rural areas like Juneau County can be especially vulnerable, because smaller communities often lack access to senior centers and other gathering places, and transportation can be an obstacle.
“It’s a very big challenge,” Laack said, “especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, where people are continuously coming into our office reporting that they are disconnected, that they are socially isolated and lonely.”
There’s a particular challenge for aging men in Juneau County, according to Laack.
“We know that aging men are at higher risk of loneliness,” she said. “Especially aging rural white men are at higher risk of suicide, mainly in our farming communities as well.”
As part of the solution, Laack and her colleagues adapted an international project called the “Men’s Shed,” where “mostly men” come together for conversation and work together “shoulder to shoulder” on projects.
The Men’s Shed gathers at a local conservation club.
“When we bring people into spaces that are more inviting and more welcoming and feel more like a natural environment that folks are used to, they are more apt to come back,” Laack said.
In eastern Wisconsin, the Mastery Makers in Kewaunee County meet as local community leaders over the age of 60, said Richie, of the UW-Madison Division of Extension.
“They are dedicated in their work to reducing negative views of aging, reducing ageism and making the county more aging friendly,” she said.
The Mastery Makers also highlights the leadership and volunteer work by its participants in a series of online videos.
Just to the northwest, Oconto County extension educators have been working with local communities to make local sporting events more accessible for seniors.
“We know in our rural communities how important youth sports are and how big those football games and basketball games can be for engagement of older people in getting out and seeing their youth play,” Richie said.
That involves partnering with local schools and volunteers to install handrails on bleachers, provide golf cart rides from parking lots to the stands, and live streaming of events inside schools to help seniors avoid overcrowded areas.
Other Oconto County extension programs include a “Tech Cafe” technology training, the “StrongBody” fitness program and a community produce pantry.
Extension educators are active in Door County, too, partnering with local businesses and agencies to get seniors involved in their communities through Engage Door County.
“This leadership program is built for older people or retirees in the community that might be looking for ways to engage more, either civically or through volunteer efforts,” Richie said.
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