Amplifying the Voices on Aging in Northeast Colorado
Primary Topic:
Health & Wellbeing
Other Topics:
Community & Economic Development, Agriculture, Food Systems, FCS, Nutrition, & Food Safety, DEI
Internship Overview:
The goal of this internship is to interview and collect stories of the strengths and challenges older adults face in Eastern Colorado, synthesize data and trends, and generate action items for local and state officials, legislators, and policy makers.
Colorado’s population is aging. In the 10-county northeast region in particular, the overall population is projected to increase by 8% from 2020 to 2030, but the numbers of those 65 years of age and older will increase by 25% and those 80 and older will increase by 31%. In addition, 33% of all northeast Colorado households will be headed by someone 65 and older by 2030, and 14% of those will comprise one resident aged 65 or older living alone. This changing population dynamic requires a different set of services to support aging in place and the caregiving community. According to the Colorado Aging Framework (CCOA, 2015), advocates in our state have identified 10 goals to guide strategies around state=wide advocacy to support aging well.
Engaging and amplifying the diverse voices of older adults and service providers in rural areas is critical to ensuring resources and supports are available at the local, regional, and state levels to foster thriving individuals, families, and communities on the eastern plains.
The way that aging is discussed at the public level can have important implications for policy and action. Changing the Narrative, a Denver-based non-profit that is focused on eradicating ageism, has partnered with the Colorado Center for Aging to gather stories for the Voices on Aging project, in order to inform policy at the state-wide level. This recent initiative would benefit from a concerted effort to gather stories from Northeast Colorado, a region with specific needs and challenges..
Although all ages are seeing increasing trends for loneliness and isolation in recent decades, older adults have particular risk factors, such as x, x, x. . Those experiencing social isolation and loneliness, leading to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and even shorter longevity (Holt-Lunstad, 2017). due to gradual loss of family, friends and loved ones, and this is especially true in more sparsely populated rural areas and for historically underrepresented groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, etc.).
Northeast Colorado has one of the highest concentrations of vulnerable older adults across Colorado affected by poverty, food insecurity, living alone, having a high school diploma or less and being over 80 (Colorado Health Institute, 2023). Advocacy for sustainable funding, comprehensive resources, education, and training are essential to addressing these challenges.
Colorado’s population is aging. In the 10-county northeast region in particular, the overall population is projected to increase by 8% from 2020 to 2030, but the numbers of those 65 years of age and older will increase by 25% and those 80 and older will increase by 31%. In addition, 33% of all northeast Colorado households will be headed by someone 65 and older by 2030, and 14% of those will comprise one resident aged 65 or older living alone. This changing population dynamic requires a different set of services to support aging in place and the caregiving community. According to the Colorado Aging Framework (CCOA, 2015), advocates in our state have identified 10 goals to guide strategies around state=wide advocacy to support aging well.
Engaging and amplifying the diverse voices of older adults and service providers in rural areas is critical to ensuring resources and supports are available at the local, regional, and state levels to foster thriving individuals, families, and communities on the eastern plains.
The way that aging is discussed at the public level can have important implications for policy and action. Changing the Narrative, a Denver-based non-profit that is focused on eradicating ageism, has partnered with the Colorado Center for Aging to gather stories for the Voices on Aging project, in order to inform policy at the state-wide level. This recent initiative would benefit from a concerted effort to gather stories from Northeast Colorado, a region with specific needs and challenges..
Although all ages are seeing increasing trends for loneliness and isolation in recent decades, older adults have particular risk factors, such as x, x, x. . Those experiencing social isolation and loneliness, leading to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and even shorter longevity (Holt-Lunstad, 2017). due to gradual loss of family, friends and loved ones, and this is especially true in more sparsely populated rural areas and for historically underrepresented groups (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, etc.).
Northeast Colorado has one of the highest concentrations of vulnerable older adults across Colorado affected by poverty, food insecurity, living alone, having a high school diploma or less and being over 80 (Colorado Health Institute, 2023). Advocacy for sustainable funding, comprehensive resources, education, and training are essential to addressing these challenges.
Goals, Scope and Objectives:
This internship will take place across ten counties in northeast Colorado.
The objectives of the internship are to:
1. Interview a diverse group of older adults and stakeholders focused on rural strengths and challenges faced by these groups.
2. Highlight several stories across the region in collaboration with main campus video and visual arts.
3. Analyze and identify trends in collected data and align them with the Colorado Aging Framework (CCOA, 2015)
4. Develop Northeast Colorado Healthy Aging Action Recommendations to be used for advocacy, research and programming development.
5. Create a best practices document for interviewing and learning from older adults.
The objectives of the internship are to:
1. Interview a diverse group of older adults and stakeholders focused on rural strengths and challenges faced by these groups.
2. Highlight several stories across the region in collaboration with main campus video and visual arts.
3. Analyze and identify trends in collected data and align them with the Colorado Aging Framework (CCOA, 2015)
4. Develop Northeast Colorado Healthy Aging Action Recommendations to be used for advocacy, research and programming development.
5. Create a best practices document for interviewing and learning from older adults.
With which stakeholder group(s) will the intern work?
The intern will work with older adults living in the ten counties in Northeast Colorado, senior centers, aging service providers, aging advocacy groups, and state policy makers.
What student learning outcomes do you anticipate and what are the opportunities for professional development?
The student will:
1. Apply theory learned in the classroom into practical field experience.
2. Gain skills and experience in qualitative interviewing.
3. Understand how federal and state money is applied through community programs, and determine where there are unfunded or underfunded programs and unmet needs.
4. Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team.
1. Apply theory learned in the classroom into practical field experience.
2. Gain skills and experience in qualitative interviewing.
3. Understand how federal and state money is applied through community programs, and determine where there are unfunded or underfunded programs and unmet needs.
4. Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team.
