Eagle County’s older residents say they live in a safe community, but with some big challenges

Colorado is the third-fastest aging state in the country. And those older residents need services as they age.

The good news is that Eagle County’s residents 60 and older tend to view the valley as a safe place, with a good quality of life. The bad news is that the local senior population faces many of the same challenges as younger residents, along with worries that come with the passage of time.

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners heard a report from a 2022 survey of residents age 60 and older on Monday. The survey was conducted by Vintage, a project of the six-county Northwest Colorado Council of Governments. That group serves Jackson, Routt, Grand, Summit, Eagle and Pitkin counties.

Erin Fisher, director of the Vintage program, came to the meeting with a large handful of slides detailing what local seniors like, and worry about.

The survey is conducted every four years and covers the entire state. The 2022 survey reached roughly 2,700 people, with about 10% of those responding.

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Eagle County residents 60 and older make up about 20% of the total population. But, Fisher said, there’s been a “significant” increase in residents age 70 and older. Those groups are the most likely to need services, Fisher said.

Of those who responded to the survey, 86% said the overall community quality in the county was excellent or good. But only about 60% said the county is a good place to retire.

In addition, 68% of respondents said they’d either recommend or remain in the county. That’s a substantial decline from 2018, when 75% said they’d recommend the county.

Another area of decline is the number of people who say housework and yard work is at least a minor problem.

Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney said the survey results could reflect a broader trend of difficulty in hiring people for those services.

Older residents also worry about housing and their ability to pay their property taxes. Older residents have also noted a decline in the availability of quality food — perhaps due to national inflation.

Fisher said food issues were put on her radar in a way they hadn’t before. That concern stresses the importance of meal sites, she noted.

Transportation can also be a challenge, particularly for those who have recently given up driving.

Understanding what transportation options are available is part of a possible information gap with older residents. While 68% said they were at least “somewhat informed” about what’s available for older adults, 75% said there are at least some problems with finding the information.

Fisher said that gap illustrates the need to “get to know us before you need us.”

Still, older residents are significant contributors to the local economy, spending an estimated $282 million in the most recent survey.

McQueeney recalled a presentation from the Colorado State Demography Office in which it was reported that older residents don’t spend as much compared to younger residents.

Fisher replied that could be because those residents don’t spend as much on goods, but comparatively more on services.

County Healthy Aging Manager Carly Rietmann told the commissioners that data from the latest survey will be used as the county develops its healthy aging plan, a part of the broader public health improvement plan.