Stacey Malcolmson is the president and CEO of The Senior Source, which for 60 years has looked after the interests of elderly North Texans. Among other services, the nonprofit runs financial literacy classes and volunteer programs. It offers resources on area nursing homes as well as support for caregivers responsible for aging family members. The Senior Source is also an advocate, lobbying for policies that will better protect a population that is especially vulnerable and, too often, socially isolated.
“We all deserve to age with dignity and respect,” Malcolmson says. “And that’s going to be aging for a lot longer than it used to be. Living until 90 is no longer just a pipe dream. And that is 25 or 30 years after retirement for some people.”
The country’s more than 70 million Baby Boomers are getting old, and demographers have warned of a coming “silver tsunami.” Texas is, on average, younger than most states. But the population of Texas residents aged 65 and older, now numbering about 3.9 million people, is expected to double by 2050. Caring for this aging population—financially, emotionally, medically—will be a challenge.
I talked to Malcolmson on the phone about how Dallas residents can prepare for this demographic change and ensure that all of us can grow old with “dignity and respect.” This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
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