State Rep Jenn Hill, D-Marquette, recently held a town hall on to talk about elder care in the region.

Maureen McFadden, senior services manager for the city of Marquette, joined Hill for the event.

“We’re here to serve the taxpayers and try to get them to live with the most independence possible and live the quality of life they deserve,” McFadden was quoted in an article in The Mining Journal this week.

It’s an important topic, because elder care in all of its facets is especially important in rural areas where access to services could be considered sparse.

According to a University of Michigan Poverty Solutions page several counties across the state have populations with a median age of 50 years old. This trend is especially true in the Upper Peninsula region where the proportion of people over 65 has grown substantially in the last decade.

The report, which uses figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, said in 2019, about a fifth of the U.P. population was over 65. That’s a 23 percent increase as compared to 2011.

Older people tend to need greater access to health care, and while tele-heath can sometimes fill that gap, internet access can also plays an important part of that service. Where there is no internet, or people can’t effort internet, there’s more limited access to tele-health.

That’s where the local human element comes in.

Organizations like the U.P. Area Agency on Aging, individual county commissions on aging, and local senior centers represent just some of the critical human infrastructure required to care for an aging population.

It’s thanks to organizations like this that give seniors a safe place where they can go to participate in communal meals, make new friends, volunteer and maintain their health and quality of life. These services allow seniors to continue to live in their own homes and communities.

State an local sources can also help with necessary home repairs, utility bills, transportation to medical appointments and having nutritious meals delivered to homebound senior’s tables.

It’s important that, as a society, that we continue to invest services that allow people to age in place with dignity, and to have access to any service they might need.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many organizations and the volunteers who help aging seniors and their caregivers.

And a big thank you to Rep. Hill for bringing light to a subject that continues to be important to the Upper Peninsula.

For those who have concerns about elder care, there are places to turn.

The 2-1-1 call center that, according to its website at upcap.org/program/, provides “accessible, responsive and professional information and assistance” to U.P. residents 24/7.

“You don’t know what to do,” Hill said. “You’re really wondering, is it going well? Where do I start? A great place to start is to call 2-1-1.”