Staff poses at last month’s one-year anniversary celebration at the Farmstead at Dixon Senior Living. From left are Maribel Mendoza, Carrie Nielsen, Alana Reyes and Mark Reyes. Courtesy Photo

DIXON, CA (MPG) - According to the Public Policy Institute of California, our older adult population will increase dramatically by 2040, from 5.7 million to just more than 9 million. It is an increase of a whopping 59 percent and means that nearly one-fourth of the state’s population will be 65 or older.

In a January 2025 report, California is on the cusp of an “unprecedented demographic shift” and offered an examination of the state’s older population and gave policy insights to help state leaders and stakeholders plan.

Farmstead at Dixon is on top of it. Collaborating with ElderCare Management, the senior living facility is offering a free public “Successful Aging” workshop at 10 a.m. March 26 at 350 Gateway Drive in Dixon.

Caring for a loved one and planning for the future can be a daunting task, one that many Dixonites know too well as they’ve had to turn over care to professionals at local care homes or hire extra help for their loved ones.

“Not everyone is a planner and people have different levels of comfort with outlining a path for the future,” reads Eldercare’s literature. “What are the implications of remaining at home or moving to a retirement setting?” The workshop will encourage the conversations that need to be had in order to create a plan or implement one.

Some elderly people only need a little extra help getting their clothes on, cooking a meal, getting to a doctor’s appointment or picking up medications.

For one Dixon family, it was just as much about the dangerous situation of a wandering spouse as the incontinence that can happen anywhere at any time. Having to keep a change of clothing, clean pads, and bags to keep soiled clothing in at all times can be exhausting.

Another Dixon family caring for their 90-plus father must come over to change sheets every few days, despite the father being lucid and cares mostly for himself. They worry about him falling or accidentally over-cooking in the kitchen.

Having a successful care plan reduces stress for family members and can help prevent a crisis from occurring.

Older adults not only have a greater number of illnesses than younger adults but they are also more likely to have some of the most difficult-to-manage conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. 

The Public Policy Institute of California reported that while older Californians begin to experience difficulties caring for themselves later in life than they used to, they will become dependent on others for help with daily activities with a “significant increase” in dependency after age 80 and “dramatic increases” with the 85-plus population.

The state sees that communities and families will play a crucial role in meeting the care needs of an aging population. By 2040, state officials predict 59 percent will be residing with a spouse and a significant portion living with other family members. The program, IHHS or In-Home-Health-Services, was designed to maintain Medi-Cal eligible-aged adults safely in their homes but otherwise a family could incur $28 an hour or more for part-time assistance. But these options work if the elders are mostly capable.

For more information on Successful Aging, call 707-676-5060 to register for the March 26 presentation or email [email protected]. Read more of the January Public Policy Institute of California report online at ppic.org.