WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — As the number of people over 65 in Texas is expected to increase by 90% in the coming decades, local elder care advocates say now is the time to start planning for life’s later stages especially as resources are already in high demand.
According to the Texas Health and Human Service Commission’s Aging Texas Well Strategic Plan, Texas had the third largest population of people 50 years and older in the United States as of October 2023.
The trend of a growing elderly population is happening in Williamson County, where the number of people 65 years and older has jumped by 76% since the 2020 census.
Jennifer Scott, director of the Area Agency on Aging – Capital Area, said in the 10 counties the agency serves, the demand for help connecting to senior services stays high.
“We try our best to get to everyone quickly, but the level of need is so high that sometimes it can take us several days or sometimes a couple of weeks to be able to return somebody’s call,” Scott said.
Scott said the AAA provides services that support older adults, people with disabilities and their caretakers. That help can look like connecting elders with ride services, grocery and meal delivery, and assistance navigating the Medicare system.
Scott said agencies like hers can be stretched thin, especially with the growing number of seniors in Central Texas.
“The aging population is just really exploding,” Scott said.
At the Georgetown First United Methodist Church, Georgette Hewett recently started as the church’s care advocate.
Hewett takes up similar tasks and connects members of the congregation with local services for elders. She also conducts outreach like a class on funeral planning and support groups for caretakers.
She said the best thing anyone can do to make sure their golden years stay golden is to plan ahead. Hewett said that includes planning services, nursing home stays and talking with family members about these plans.
Hewett said she understands why it’s difficult to get that process started, but it’s crucial to begin before any of those plans are needed.
“It’s not particularly fun to think about those kinds of changes in life. And yet, if you do, it actually gives you some of that control back over what happens next,” Hewett said.
Associate Pastor Rev. Tina Schramme said the church added Hewett’s role in September to address a growing need in her congregation.
“One of the things that we discovered a few years ago is that we have a lot of people that are isolated. As they get older, they get more and more isolated, and so we’ve tried to create ways for them to connect,” Schramme said.
More information on senior services in Williamson County can be found on the county’s website, which highlights local partners and their specialties.