Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102

For Immediate Release:
Monday, July 31, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573 -751-6062

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KINDER, OFFICIALS RELEASE
STATE'S FIRST-EVER SENIOR REPORT

Jefferson City - Missouri officials unveil a new report July 31 and August 1 that allows state policymakers and communities to prepare for the needs of their growing senior population. Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder and other representatives will roll out the Missouri Senior Report: Ahead of the Baby Boom: Missouri Prepares, with stops in eight cities:

• Branson
• Cape Girardeau
• Columbia
• Joplin
• Kansas City
• Kirksville
• St. Joseph
• St.Louis.

The 143-page report, a collaboration between the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the University of Missouri Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, provides relevant senior data never before centralized in one document. One can track the trends of aging Missourians county by county, comparing older adults in Taney to those in Jackson, for instance, on a variety of indicators such as health and transportation. Each of Missouri's 115 counties also receives an overall composite rank, which represents a summary of the overall well-being of seniors in that county. "The report indicates life is improving for Missouri's senior adults in four key areas compared to five years ago," says Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder. "Our seniors have better access to health care, more are working,
> transportation has improved and violent crime has declined."

The report also shows how Missouri seniors compare to all U.S. seniors. Missouri seniors did better on three fronts in 2000. More lived in their own homes, which means their housing needs are more likely to be met; more lived in family households, which means they're not as socially isolated; and fewer lived in poverty. Says DHSS Director Julie Eckstein, "We knew it was imperative for Missouri policymakers and businesses to track the trends of seniors in their own communities and counties rather than rely on national aging statistics. This
report, the first of its kind in our state, is the catalyst for more to come. It will shape our decision-making and help our communities prepare." Counties that want to improve senior-related issues in their community can contact the department's Community Development Unit. The unit lends technical support and can identify a facilitator to work with communities to develop a senior-improvement plan.

Almost one in five Missourians will be 65 or older by 2020, the result of increases in life expectancy and aging baby boomers. Today seniors comprise 10 percent of Missouri's population; in 2020, the number rises to 18 percent. The surging senior population will affect Missouri communities in different ways, varying greatly among cities, suburbs, and rural communities. "Strategic and visionary planning are vital to ensuring that resources will be available to serve the needs of our ever growing and changing senior population," said Lieutenant Governor Kinder. "The report helps us reassess our efforts to meet the current needs of senior adults and reaffirm our commitment to work toward a better future for them." Missouri Senior Report: Ahead of the Baby Boom: Missouri Prepares will
be available via the Internet at www.missouriseniorreport.org or www.dhss.mo.gov following its public release.

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