Corner to Corner by Columnist Diane D. Denish — New Mexico has just landed on another list. According to a recent report by Stateline, highlighted by the online publication The Candle, New Mexico is now one of 17 states where there are more people over age 65 than children under 18. I checked the source and found it to be a credible one.
Corner to Corner
Diane Denish is a former lieutenant governor of New Mexico. She is a native of Hobbs and now lives in Albuquerque.
Stateline is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, with reporters in every state capital. It accepts no corporate donations and is funded by private contributions and grants.
The report begins in New Mexico and focuses on one of our western counties—Catron County. Bordering Arizona, Catron now has one of the highest ratios of older adults to children in the nation: nearly four residents over 65 for every child under 18.
That statistic made me wonder what this new demographic reality means for New Mexico and how we should shape public policy and allocate our financial resources.
Over the past several years, New Mexico has made historic investments in children. We have committed long-term funding to home visiting, early childhood education, literacy initiatives, and universal free childcare. We have also expanded workforce training to support these programs.
Public education continues to receive generous funding for teacher salaries, employee benefits, technology, and school safety. This year’s investment in public education approaches $4.7 billion.
In addition, New Mexico has poured millions into the Children, Youth and Families Department for juvenile justice, foster care, and family intervention programs.
Now we face another challenge: an aging population that will require additional services while many communities struggle with a shrinking workforce.
The effects are already becoming apparent. Employers, especially in rural communities, have difficulty finding workers. Fewer working-age residents mean a smaller tax base, making it harder to support medical clinics, retail businesses, and other essential community services.
Over the past 20 years, New Mexico’s birth rate has declined by nearly 32 percent from its 2006 peak. At the same time, more retirees are choosing New Mexico—particularly smaller communities—for its beautiful scenery, relatively affordable housing, and lower cost of living.
So what should our policy and budget priorities be as these demographic changes continue?
Some people are already thinking ahead. The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department recently became a Certified Age-Friendly Employer through the Age-Friendly Institute. The designation recognizes employers that embrace inclusive hiring practices, professional development, advancement opportunities, and efforts to eliminate age discrimination. Many adults over 65 still want—or need—to work, and employers should welcome their experience.
The Legislature has also taken positive steps by passing a Medigap law that allows Medicare beneficiaries to change supplemental insurance plans without higher premiums or fear of being denied coverage. Lawmakers have also strengthened nutrition programs that help seniors remain in their homes and communities.
There is more we could do.
We should expand training programs through community colleges to build the workforce needed in retirement communities, assisted living centers, and skilled nursing facilities—and increase wages to attract more caregivers.
We should create tax incentives or Medicaid certification pathways that allow family members providing in-home care to receive reimbursement for their work.
We should strengthen staffing standards for nursing homes and provide sufficient funding to ensure those standards are enforced so residents receive quality care.
And perhaps it’s time to establish a Quality of Life for Seniors Trust Fund, modeled after the Early Childhood Trust Fund, using a portion of today’s strong oil and gas revenues to prepare for the continued growth of New Mexico’s senior population.
New Mexico has made an extraordinary commitment to children, and rightly so. But every generation deserves thoughtful public policy. As our population ages, it is time to give additional attention to the other bookend of life and recognize that older New Mexicans are not simply living longer—they are a part of the tapestry of NM.