MML Review Magazine Fall 2026

MI AGING POPULATION

Impact on Local Government Local government has typically felt the brunt when sources of funding from higher levels of government fall short. This greater burden on local government and nonprofits providing support services for senior needs is especially prominent in: Transportation: The ability to drive, especially at night, declines with age, thereby limiting access to medical appointments, groceries, and social interaction. When the aging population is spread out over a dispersed area, the cost of providing transportation services increases significantly. Housing: While most of the aging population would like to age in place, most homes are not designed to accommodate people as they get older, especially when mobility becomes an issue. The lack of affordable, accessible alternatives with proximity to needed services is a problem throughout the state. Caregiver Support: Coincident with an aging population is the reduction in the workforce that supplies caregivers. This is coupled with caregiving professions struggling to attract talent due to low wages. Availability of caregiver support is a major factor in deciding whether individuals will be able to remain in their homes. Health Care: Although people are living longer, they are doing so with conditions requiring medical care. The National Emergency Medical Services Information System reports that one in three EMS responses are to an elderly resident. In many parts of Michigan, EMS transport to a hospital is time consuming. Michigan has 64 hospitals serving rural areas. Six are at risk of closing, and 17 have had to cut services to remain open. Even hospitals in metropolitan areas face financial issues due to reduction in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. For those seniors needing long-term care, there are additional financial obstacles. Michigan ranks 36th in the country in Medicaid-funded support for long-term care. Food: Cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, further jeopardize the wellbeing of seniors. Michigan has lost $900 million in federal SNAP funding, placing pressure on local food programs that benefit seniors. Aging in Place Surveys conducted by AARP and others report that nearly 90 percent of people over 65 want to stay in their home as long as possible. Aging in place is generally defined as “the ability to live in one’s home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” Aging in place enables older people to remain independent in the familiar surroundings of their home and community.

miscellaneous expenses) to support a household—called the Household Survival Budget. In Michigan, approximately 40 percent of households over 65 ranked below the minimum income needed to meet the Household Survival Budget. With an increasing share of the population that is over 65, reductions and limitations in federal and state support, and regional disparities, the picture is not as rosy as some perceive. While Governor Whitmer has called for increases in state support, funding has not been commensurate with the looming crises of caring for our aging population. “ In Michigan, approximately 40 percent of households over 65 ranked below the minimum income needed to meet the Household Survival Budget. ”

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| Fall 2026