Close Resources

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu

Impacts

Contact Information

Craig Wood, Ph.D
Acting Associate Dean & Director
UK Cooperative Extension Service

S-107 Ag. Science Center North Lexington, KY 40546-0091

+1 (859) 257-4302

craig.wood@uky.edu




Fiscal Year:
Jul 1, 2019 - Jun 30, 2020


Success StoryFilling up-to-date data needs



Filling up-to-date data needs

Author: Julie N. Zimmerman

Planning Unit: Community & Leadership Development

Major Program: Community Analysis

Outcome: Initial Outcome

In Extension, it is important to keep up to date on current issues facing communities in the commonwealth.   One such issue is the impact of aging.   In Kentucky, the population ages 65 and over is growing moving from 13.3% in 2010 to 17.0% of the state’s population in 2020.  In 2023, that number grew even more to 806,757 persons. Still, aging impacts not only individuals, but also households.  In Kentucky, there are an estimated 540,893 (+/- 2,877) households that have one or more persons ages 65 and over (2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates).  

 

As the numbers of older adults have been growing, it is important to realize that the needs of this group are varied.  For example, while some older adults require nursing home care and other long-term care services, the majority of older adults live at home either on their own or with family members including spouses, adult children, and extended family.   For some older adults, it is not only about the care that they need, but they are also providing care for others – including their grandchildren.  In Kentucky, there are an estimated 51,247 (+/- 2,009) grandparents who both lived with and had responsibility for their grandchildren.  Of these, around two thirds were women and about one quarter had an income that was below poverty (2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates).

 

To assist with providing data for communities to understand the extent and characteristics of those ages 65 and over, I collaborated with Dr. Amy Kostelic in FCS Extension to create a 3-part data series focusing on aging.  Of these, one issue provided the most recent estimates on the aging population for the state and by county.  To better understand their characteristics and needs, an additional issue of Kentucky: By The Numbers focused on living arrangements and a third issue focused on grandparents.   These are being used by Dr. Kostelic whose Extension program focuses on aging.






Stories by Julie N. Zimmerman


Data for the “Extension Transition”

about 5 years ago by Julie N. Zimmerman

Prior to COVID-19, Cooperative Extension had begun a process to conceptualize and implement a new ad... Read More


Partnership with the UK Appalachian Center

about 5 years ago by Julie N. Zimmerman

The Appalachian Center at the University of Kentucky has a long history of providing data for counti... Read More


Stories by Community & Leadership Development


For the Love of Empanadas and Other Tales of Argentina: Connecting Food, Culture, & History Through Foodways

For the Love of Empanadas and Other Tales of Argentina: Connecting Food, Culture, & History Through Foodways

about 5 years ago by Nicole Breazeale

Diane Mason, FCS Agent in Boone County, is a leader in Kentucky Cooperative Extension international ... Read More


Ripple Effect Mapping & Other Story-Based Methodologies to  Energize Volunteer Groups and Jump Start Participatory Planning: The Case of the Green River Area Extension Master Gardener Association

Ripple Effect Mapping & Other Story-Based Methodologies to Energize Volunteer Groups and Jump Start Participatory Planning: The Case of the Green River Area Extension Master Gardener Association

about 5 years ago by Nicole Breazeale

In August of 2019, CLD Extension faculty member, Dr. Nicole Breazeale, met with Horticulture Agent, ... Read More