Aging

Minnesotans are living longer and that trend is expected to continue. According to Minnesota State Demographic Center projections, the number of adults 65 years and older is anticipated to double between 2010 and 2030. That means 1 in 5 Minnesotans will be an older adult.

MPR News is looking at this shift and what it means to all of us.

Related: End in Mind delves into how our culture engages with loss, dying and death and offers resources to live more and fear less.

Not Zoom weary? Older Minnesotans build on new tech savvy
Many people used various forms of video chatting through the pandemic to stay in touch with family. Just because they now can see loved ones in person doesn’t mean they’re able to do that all the time. So they’re now connecting in new ways with relatives and friends than before.
As nursing homes open up, families, operators remember COVID's torment, focus on what's next
More than a year into the pandemic, families, administrators, staff and residents are cautiously moving into a post-vaccine life. They do so while holding onto the memories of one of the most devastating years in the history of long-term care. For all, it has been a year of pain and change.
Why more of us are living to 100
Life expectancy is growing. Could 100 be the new 80? Here’s what we’re learning about how to live longer — and live longer well.
Nursing home residents can get hugs again, feds say
Nursing home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and all residents may enjoy more indoor visits, the government said Wednesday in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy.
‘Like looking at the moon’: Old-fashioned radio show brings isolated seniors together
As businesses and families turned to new technology to connect during the pandemic, a Twin Cities choir turned to the time-tested medium of radio to connect residents in senior living communities.
COVID-19 causes surge in food shelf visits among older Minnesotans
As the COVID-19 pandemic bore down on the state, the number of older adults seeking food assistance swelled across Minnesota. The state’s largest increases in food shelf use over the last year happened in the Twin Cities metro areas. But in some rural places, there has been a more than fivefold increase in visits among people who are 65 or older.