Study Projects Spike In Number Of Elderly, Hispanics
Last updated Tuesday, May 13, 2008 7:31 PM CDT in News
By Rob Moritz
The Morning News
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LITTLE ROCK - More older Arkansans will reside in the state and Hispanics will be its largest minority in 2020, a study released Tuesday projects.
The 240-page report on Arkansas' changing demographics, released by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, suggested more social and medical services to address the needs of the growing elderly population, and the increased need for bilingual personnel to help with the hiring and training of Hispanics, many of whom will not speak English.
"I encourage our state government to use the findings contained in the report to more effectively and efficiently plan and allocate resources to the future needs of Arkansans," Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, told fellow legislators meeting at the university.
Broadway requested the study in 2006.
The goal of the report, presented to the Senate and House committees on aging, children and youth, was to examine state agencies' preparations and plans to respond to anticipated demographic changes, especially the aging population and the increased number of Hispanics, Broadway said.
Ty Border, an associate professor of health policy and management and epidemiology at the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, told lawmakers none of the state agencies he and other researchers questioned while conducting the study were planning as far ahead as 2020.
Broadway said he may file legislation during next year's regular legislative session requiring state agencies to begin developing plans to address the state's changing demographics in 2020.
The study, which took about a year to complete, projects a 70 percent increase in Arkansans ages 60-69 and a 29 percent increase in those 50-59 in 2020. The number of children younger than 10 will increase 10 percent and those 10-19 will increase by 5 percent in 12 years, according to the study.
It projects a 1 percent drop in the number of Arkansans ages 30-39 and those 40-49.
The number of Hispanics is expected to increase to 7.2 percent of the state's population in 2020, up from the current 3.4 percent.
The study also projects the largest population increase in the next 12 years will be in Northwest Arkansas.
On the state's health in 2020, the study projects increase in the number of Arkansans diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes and obesity. It sees a dearth of skilled employees for nursing homes, hospitals and other medical and health professions.
"Everything is going to cost money," said Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, noting that more people will require state services in 2020, while the number of people 30-50 years old will decline slightly.
Rep. Ed Garner, R-Maumelle, said after the meeting the study shows the state will have to rearrange its spending.
"There is no way that we will continue to extend services to everybody, including illegals, with the resources that we have now, it's not impossible," Garner said.
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Tspud wrote on May 13, 2008 9:31 PM:
widow wrote on May 14, 2008 8:14 AM:
Not already registered?
fedup wrote on May 13, 2008 8:03 PM: