Needs assessment focuses on elderly in Henry County

Henry County’s older population is on the rise according to a community needs assessment presented to the Board of Commissioners and approved at its Dec. 15 regular meeting. Citing recent census figures, officials said the county population has increased 5.85 percent in the past five years with the majority of that growth coming from people over the age of 55 moving in.

A survey of local residents revealed that many of those new residents are older adults moving closer to adult children for assistance with care. The median age in the county has risen 2.5 percent according to the report. Of the estimated 22,810 low-income residents in Henry, just over 1,800 are age 65 and older.