Dubbed the “silver tsunami” by one supervisor, the population of elderly residents in Fairfax County is expected to swell in coming decades. An October report found the number of residents past 70 years old will grow 58 percent from 2005 to 2020. Kay Larmer, who recently retired from nearly three decades of coordinating long-term care in Fairfax, says the county must adjust to accommodate seniors who stay in the area as they grow older.
What is the county doing now?
They’ve done a lot of things. … For the older population they have developed a strong network of services … the adult day health care program, for example. We have six adult day health care programs thatmeet the needs of older adults that have disabilities.
What can the younger population do to prepare?
The county has a lot of caregiver support programs and respite programs. We are also providing a lot of education for caregivers. What we know is that seniors want to stay in their homes, and we don’t want to have to move.
Why are more and more seniors deciding to live out their “golden years” in Fairfax?
They used to think we were leaving, that we would go south. But what we found is that most people want to stay in their homes, they want to stay close to their children, and they want to stay independent for as long as possible.
What are some things that must be done to prepare for this change?
One thing that will implement that [shift] is our transportation system. It’s making it very difficult for seniors to stay here. Because of the gridlock we’re experiencing, the road systems have not grown to be responsive, not just for seniors, but for everybody. … Another thing we’ve learned is that we need to develop community collaborative partnerships, with our profits and our nonprofits. … The county can’t do it all.
