Future Outlook for Dried Salmon County Seniors

Undoubtedly you have read or heard that our beloved county as well as a couple of its cities have been designated by magazines, television and other commercial ventures as the #1 or in the top 10 destinations for people to retire and live out their final years.

But, are we ready for them to come? Or, for that matter, are we ready to take care of ourselves in this county as we age? Concerns we have center primarily around the livability factor after the influx of retirees relocate to the area buying property up and after all of the locals who are 'pimping out' our county have made their fortunes, thus padding their own nest-eggs thus ensuring they are able to remain here and live comfortably. However, for the rest of us, the future may look more bleak.

A harbinger of what is to come in the City of Astoria is the 'domino-like' string of condominiums and luxury living establishments that will soon be lining the edges of our beloved riverfront. Condos that will be out of financial reach for most locals let alone local seniors. Currently there is very little if any affordable housing available throughout the cities of our county and this will probably worsen in the future. Sure, there are some assisted living facilities dotting our communities, but they also are far being within financial reach of all of our local seniors and what of the people who just want to live in an apartment or remain in their own homes because they cannot afford to move? This is segues into the next component of senior needs - transportation.

Local transportation, while better than it used to be in this area, still leaves much to be desired. We understand that the local bus system is subsidized heavily just to keep it going, but what if those funds go away? What will our seniors do then? Their needs for transportation are not for frivolous joy rides. Transportation is necessary for them to be able to attend medical appointments, access social services, and also for shopping and other daily needs that we who drive take for granted. Though many of us think that we will be driving into our 80's and 90's, think again. With liquid gold the price that it is now, we may not be able to afford it and, frankly, some seniors just need to not be on the road as drivers. Much easier to convince grandma to hang up her keys if there is a user friendly transportation system that will work for her needs and still allow for independence. Think of the fatal and severe auto accidents that have occurred in this county over the past 10 years or so. Many involved senior drivers who should not still hold valid licenses and be driving.

Challenges in shopping and gathering ones daily needs may be at the forefront and it would be nice if there existed more opportunities for 'downtown shopping' in our communities. Where neighborhood grocery stores were once plentiful in this county, now we are relegated to having to use the "big" stores. Even as a younger person, Fred Meyer and Safeway can be a daunting and totally frustrating experience, but just try to imagine experiencing all of that as a senior.

What can be done to alleviate these hurdles that exist for today's seniors and will probably only be compounded in the future when we reach senior-hood?

Socialised health care would be a start (a topic we will save for another day), as would more low income affordable housing in urban areas. However the housing needs to be accompanied by easy access to local services and/or excellent transportation systems.

As we don't see these things happening anytime soon, perhaps if people started working on these issues now, they may be in place by the time we reach our 'so called' golden years.