Davie's aging population, council doesn't always agree with appointees
Published on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 9:30 a.m.
- NCSTHL Public Relations Chair Allison Brown (David), far right, Charlotte Cowan (Jackson), Pat Hedrick (Macon) and Judy Donovan (Haywood).
Twenty-nine percent of Davie's population is over 60 years old, a trend that is expected to continue at a growth rate of 36 percent.
Of North Carolina's 100 counties, 88 have a population over the age of 60 that exceeds the population under the age of 18. Compared to the nation, North Carolina has the ninth highest percentage of residents over the age of 60.
The North Carolina Council of Senior Tar Heels (NCSTHL) is tasked with coming up with ideas to help the aging community, but lawmakers aren’t always following its recommendations, Davie County Representative Allison Brown said after attending the general meeting in Raleigh June 4-5, where North Carolina State Representative Frank Sossaman was guest speaker.
“I was thrilled that Rep. Sossaman took time out of his schedule to speak to me and provide helpful insight to advocate for lawmakers on issues pertaining to North Carolina’s older adults,” she said.
NCSTHL was established to advise the North Carolina General Assembly on the needs of older adults and to recommend effective legislation that will improve the lives of older adults.
“With North Carolina's growing elderly population, NCSTHL's advocacy role is more important than ever,” Brown said.
Sossamon participated in a panel of NCSTHL members to discuss ways to improve outreach. She encouraged members to meet with their local constituency representatives and remind them that those over 60 years of age are not only a large and growing population, but also the age group with the highest voter turnout.
“Part of the meeting included identifying issues important to North Carolina seniors, which will ultimately become a resolution to present to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2025,” Brown said. “It is important work to identify priorities that best represent the interests and needs of older adults and to remind our influencers that improving the lives of seniors translates to improving the lives of all ages and at all stages of life.”
New Deputy Commissioner for the North Carolina Department of Aging, Jill Simmerman Lawrence, also spoke at the session and reported on the All Ages All Stages North Carolina (AAASNC) project, which launched in May 2023 as a groundbreaking multi-sector plan to transform the coordination of infrastructure and services across multiple state agencies and departments.
A preliminary plan has been submitted to the Governor and includes 160 recommendations that will be reviewed and developed into a final plan. For more information, https://www.ncdhhs.gov/all-ages-all-stages-nc-progress-report-governor/open.
She also shared an update on aging programs that will be affected by the approved state budget for 2023. While the state supports many important programs, such as Medicaid expansion and housing improvement solutions, the budget does not include funding for any of the recommendations made by NCSTHL in 2023.
Please contact Brown for more information. ncsthlpr@gmail.com, 336-940-8185; or visit https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/aging-and-adult-services/daas-councils-and-committees/nc-senior-tar-heel-legislature.
For additional resources, visit the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging. https://www.ptrc.org/services/area-agency-on-aging.
NCSTHL was established in 1993 by the North Carolina General Assembly as a bipartisan, unicameral agency whose purpose is to identify the most pressing issues facing older adults throughout the state and to recommend legislation to the North Carolina General Assembly that will improve their quality of life. NCSTHL is made up of delegates and representatives representing each of North Carolina's 100 counties and is supported by Regional Offices on Aging that serve the state's 16 service areas.