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   WALKER —  As Minnesota’s population continues to age, Cass County is expected to see an increasing demand for services that help older adults remain independent, according to a presentation delivered to the Cass County Board during their regular meeting Tuesday, July 7 by Lori Vrolson, Central Minnesota Council on Aging (CMCOA) Executive Director.

   Vrolson said CMCOA serves a 14-county region and more than 180,000 residents age 60 and older. The agency’s responsibilities include operating Minnesota Aging Pathways, distributing federal Older Americans Act funding, developing community-based aging services and advocating for issues affecting older adults.

   Minnesota Aging Pathways, formerly known as the Senior LinkAge Line, provides free information and assistance to older adults, family caregivers and community members. The program also helps individuals transitioning home from hospitals or nursing homes and conducts pre-admission screenings for every nursing home admission in Minnesota.

   Last year, Minnesota Aging Pathways served more than 48,000 older adults and family caregivers throughout the region. Vrolson said Medicare questions remain the agency’s most common request for assistance, accounting for 29% of all calls. Another 26% involve basic needs such as transportation, homemaking services and meal programs, while many others relate to financial assistance, insurance programs and caregiver support.

Vrolson noted Minnesota’s senior population is growing rapidly. The state currently has about 1 million residents age 60 and older, a number projected to reach 1.6 million by 2030. It was also stated Minnesota now has more older adults than school-age children, creating new challenges for communities as they plan for housing, transportation, nutrition programs and other services that allow residents to age in place.

   Cass County is already among the oldest counties in the agency’s service region with approximately 35.4% of the county’s residents being age 60 or older, compared with about 22.9% statewide. In addition, 2.3% of the county’s total population is age 85 or older, an age group that typically requires more formal support services.

   Vrolson also highlighted the growing number of seniors living alone. About 21.6% of Cass County residents age 60 and older live by themselves. Statewide, one in four older adults live alone, and that percentage climbs to 43% among people age 75 and older. Over 27% of Minnesotans age 65 and older live with at least one disability, with many experiencing multiple disabilities. Across the agency’s 14-county region, approximately 8.8% of older adults live below the federal poverty level, increasing the need for assistance with meals, transportation and other basic services.

   Most older adults, Vrolson said, prefer to remain in their own homes rather than move into assisted living or nursing facilities. Currently, only about 4.5% of Minnesotans age 65 and older reside in assisted living facilities, while roughly 2% live in nursing homes. She added that 73% of individuals admitted to nursing homes through the state’s pre-admission screening process stay 30 days or less before returning home, emphasizing the importance of community-based services that support successful transitions.

   Through the federal Older Americans Act, approximately $250,112 in services were delivered to Cass County residents during the past year. Those services included 1,349 assisted transportation rides for 92 individuals, 150.75 hours of chore services for 21 residents, 243 hours of homemaking assistance and evidence-based health promotion programs.

   Nutrition programs also served a significant role. Congregate dining sites in Pine River and Backus provided more than 1,400 meals to 67 participants, while nearly 22,000 home-delivered meals were provided to homebound residents throughout the county. Vrolson also highlighted a partnership between Community Action Partnership (CAP) Charities and local food shelves in Longville and Pillager that allows older adults to receive bundles of frozen meals when picking up food shelf items, helping address food insecurity among seniors.

   Caregiver support services, educational programs and legal assistance were also funded through the Older Americans Act.

Overall, the regional agency invested $3.7 million in Older Americans Act services during 2025 through contracts with 23 providers serving the 14-county region. Although Cass County accounts for just 5.8% of the region’s population age 60 and older, nearly 6.7% of the agency’s Older Americans Act funding was directed to services within the county.

   The agency is requesting a 2027 county contribution of $3,757. The local contribution serves as the required administrative match needed to leverage federal Older Americans Act funding. The funding request has been referred to the Citizens Budget Committee for consideration during its August budget discussions before being returned to the county board.

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