Colorado spends around $2 billion annually including state and federal funds on a wide range of programs to address aging issues and provide services to older Coloradans. These aging services are provided through Medicaid, regional Area Agencies on Aging, financial assistance through the old age pension, property tax relief and protections against fraud, exploitation, and mistreatment.
Lifelong Colorado Banner
The state has an integral role to play in supporting community investments and advancing broader policy goals. A recent Lifelong Colorado Report provided by the Strategic Action Planning Group on Aging and Colorado Commission on Aging that involve both state and local strategies.
When communities lack the necessary resources, older Coloradans often leave their communities of choice when barriers to remaining become too great – in many cases this restricts mobility, accelerates isolation, and impacts health and wellness. Keeping older Coloradans in their communities of choice is important.
Lifelong Colorado Reports recommends: 1) roughly $10 billion in annual state and local tax revenue and community-based care is far more preferable and affordable than residential care settings, and 2) the challenges associated with keeping older Coloradans in their communities requires bold, community-focused solutions. Lifelong Colorado embraces the diversity of communities across the state, acknowledges their interrelated issues, and encourages decision-making through a local and inclusive strategy.
Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the nation and a wonderful place for adults to engage in encore careers, volunteerism, and various forms of value-driven engagement as they age. Colorado’s success in supporting active, healthy lives coupled with advances in public health and medical care mean that more Coloradans are living into later life than ever before. This is good news – current and future generations of older Coloradans will provide economic, social, and civic value to our communities for decades to come.