PHOTO: This chart in the “Aging in Newton” report shows how the age makeup of Newton residents is expected to change in the coming years. Courtesy of UMass
The Gerontology Institute of UMass Boston recently released a study (commissioned by the city) on Newton’s aging population and trends in the city’s age demographics.
The result was a massive report titled “Aging in Newton: A Community Needs Assessment,” which examines what aging Newton residents need and want as the much-anticipated Cooper Center for Active Living nears completion this year.
The city has been planning for a growing senior population for years now, and with good cause. The UMass report shows that in just a few years, almost one-third of Newton’s population will be over age 60.
On Jan. 7, at 7 p.m., the UMass Boston researchers who prepared the report will discuss its findings. The public is invited to attend and ask questions.
The discussion will be held in person at the library’s Druker Auditorium and on Zoom, which you can register for at the following link: https://newtonma-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nz69vCiJTIqTGAyLT8mbMw
“We’re at about 22,000 residents who are over the age of 60,” Mignonne Murray, director of the city’s Department of Older Adult Services, recently noted in an interview with the Newton Beacon. “And beyond that, what was interesting to me, there’s another 12,000 residents who are between 50 and 59. So it’s obviously a greatly growing population. And we want to do the best we can for them.”
Everyone is invited to attend Tuesday’s discussion about the city’s aging population. After all, younger residents will be part of that older group someday.