Understanding the changing face of Red Wing is one of the most important aspects of the City’s future. Preparing for the needs of future demographic structure is vital to remaining a vibrant and desirable place to live. The Changing Demographics Subcommittee is one of four sub groups that make up Red Wing 2020 – a group of residents selected by the mayor and charged with developing a forward thinking vision to help Red Wing develop and grow.

The main focus of the demographic group is best summed up with the term, Age Wave. “The Age Wave is happening all over the country,” says, Stan  Slessor, Superintendent of Red Wing Public Schools and the chairman of the subcommittee. The biggest factor bringing about the Age Wave is the baby boomer generation.

In a study completed by the state of Minnesota, it becomes clear how much that maturing part of the population will change the face of Red Wing.  According to the study, between 2005 and 2030 the number of people in Minnesota over age 65 will double. “By the middle of that time frame there will  be more retirees in Minnesota than there are school age children,” Slessor says. “That will be the first time that has happened ever.

By studying that change in the population’s age groups, the Changing Demographic Subcommittee realizes how much that one factor creates new opportunities and new needs. Red Wing has become very attractive to retirees over the past several decades. This retirement age population includes those who have worked or lived here for many years and have decided to stay in retirement. It has also meant an influx of those entering retirement who see the vibrancy of the community and the many services it offers to that age group.

Housing

The first target goal of the subcommittee is its focus on housing. A recent study on Red Wing’s housing was the first piece of information the group looked at when considering the City’s changing needs. An analysis of this study showed the group the gaps and the surpluses in Red Wing’s housing environment. In particular the committee focused on the specific needs of the senior population.

The first part of this analysis revealed the potential need  for some additional housing opportunities in downtown. “That could be very attractive to seniors,” Slessor says, “because it would be so close to vital services.”

In addition to considering more housing in the downtown area, the group also considered the businesses and organizations that are already located there and the possible benefit to them and to the seniors for outreach programs. The prime example is the YMCA. With a strategic downtown location, the question on the subcommittee’s agenda is what other services might the YMCA offer in the way of outreach? The idea of satellite programs and other services outside the YMCA’s current facility is one goal the group is looking into.

“Red Wing seems to be a very vibrant community and it has lots of services,” Slessor says. “I think it is pretty well educated and there is no substitute for the City’s geography.” With those factors in mind, finding ways to keep the population base in a centralized area while providing needed services is key to Red Wing’s future.

Health

The second item on the Changing Demographic Subcommittee’s list of goals is a focus on overall health of the community. While there are already a number of services and organizations providing those services, the groups first step was to find out exactly who those providers are and, most important, how to best support them.

One example of this fits well with the goals of the Infrastructure Subcommittee fiber optic network goal. Healthcare is on the brink of an incredible change that could allow the elderly to stay in their homes even longer – a goal of nearly every elderly person. The technology aspect comes in the form of a new project being considered by Fairview.

In addition to electronic medical records, which have been developed in most medical organizations over the past few years, technology can go one step further. The idea is to help seniors with an on-line or other communication technology connection directly to their medical provider.

In addition, not only can the senior connect to their medical provider, the step beyond is linking in close family members such as adult children who might live out of state or at least out of the immediate area. This three-way link will allow for closer monitoring of a patients condition without the need for transportation to and from a clinic and the need for a face-to-face visit for basic information and condition updates. “What you can do is if family members are worried about Mom and Dad, you can have interactive access between the parents and the medical provider,” Slessor says.

There is even a system that will allow seniors to play games, which are more than entertainment. These games allow medical professionals the ability to monitor a patient’s cognitive functions. This step in technology will not eliminate the need for regular medical visits. It will alleviate some family concerns in between visits during recovery periods and periods of noticeable cognitive changes.

Closely related to community health is again, the local YMCA. “It has been a tremendous community partner and is looking for ways to partner even more,” Slessor says. In addition to its recruitment efforts toward seniors one additional option the subcommittee is discussing is the YMCA’s ability to do more outreach at places like the Senior Center. Another part of this effort is a program called Pioneering Healthy Communities. Red Wing has been chosen as one of the few communities in the United States for this national YMCA sponsored program.

Yet another area of concern to the Changing Demographic Subcommittee’s focus on health overlaps with the Eco Subcommittee. The overall ability of residents to walk instead of driving reduces use of fossil fuels, reduces pollution and generally increases the health of a community. Such things as sidewalk access, speed limits, crosswalks and coordination of stoplights all must be considered. “The other thing is the more we expand our trails, biking and overall “walkability” the healthier our citizens can be,” Slessor says.

A final piece of the overall health picture is a focus on mental health. The subcommittee has agreed that there are a number of steps being taken to improve physical health, but they are concerned not enough is being done with mental health. One part of this goal is helping eliminate the isolation that sometimes traps an aging population. These higher risk individuals might be in their homes, with no family in the area and they may not get out as much as they should.

One step discussed for this piece of the health picture is to train other, more mobile seniors to become a working support group. They would help to monitor the well being of other seniors in the role of a friend or confidant. This might help those facing mental health and cognitive changes get the professional help they need to live a longer, happier life.

Life-Long Learning

As an educator, Slessor is most passionate about the third and final goal for Red Wing 2020’s Changing Demographic Subcommittee: life-long learning.

The impetus for the life-long learning concept came after a group of citizens visited Red Wing’s sister city Quzhou, China. What the group saw amazed them and caught the attention of the subcommittee. The travelers discovered that every day hundreds of Quzhou residents gathered for exercises and study. “They were going to classes as a group,” Slessor says. “It is kind of a senior university concept.”

The first step the subcommittee undertook in this area was to gather information and try to publish a comprehensive guide to all the life-long learning opportunities offered in Red Wing for seniors. The Senior Center and the South East Technical College are both participating in this plan. In addition, the public school district has already been providing community education, so it was a matter of collecting information about those various offerings.

The question that arose in the committee was simple: What are the other interests of seniors? With more than 900 members already, the Red Wing  Senior Center would be the prime starting point to conduct a survey to find out the interests and the needs for even more learning experiences. “We may well reach a point that only a few other communities in Minnesota have reached – a senior university,” Slessor says.

A true senior learning environment like this would be a huge benefit to Red Wing’s aging population. The idea is not to replace what is now being offered or to diminish its importance. Regarding what is offered now, it is not a matter of people not doing their jobs or a lack of current opportunity, Slessor says. “The point is we can look at what we have now and "muscle it up."”

With even more dynamic course choices, the vision is for the learning environment in Red Wing to offer a kind of quasi-college atmosphere. The goal is for people to have access to courses that would allow them to re-engage and expand their learning.

The dream-behind-the-dream with the concept is not just that Red Wing seniors have an opportunity to continue learning – the next step would be in what they can give back. “Think about the gifts our seniors have and what they might be willing to give back to all of us,” he says. An example of this already exists in local schools with a program through the YMCA. The “School Pals” program has a small contingent of mentors who work with students
one day a week for about an hour a day. Slessor envisions a way to expand on that and have even more effect with local kids.

The current drop out rate in Red Wing has become an issue of concern. One way to lower that rate is to bring more adults into kids’ lives. “We know the number one way we can address that issue is to bring one more significant adult into a kid’s life,” Slessor says. “That is research based; that is proven.”

Another issue that the life-long learning concept can contribute to is the achievement gap between kids raised in poverty circumstances and those from more well to do homes. The idea here is to help with tutoring and even expand the experiences for kids outside of school to help them achieve more in the classroom.

The other side of this intergenerational connection is the benefit that seniors can gain by having young people in their lives. If one considers the technological changes and challenges that everyone will face in the coming decades, what group will be best prepared to adapt to that? The answer: school age children. Subsequently, the full circle effect of the intergenerational experience is that kids can in turn help seniors learn computer and other technologies that provide a challenge for those who grew up with radios and black & white televisions.

The Changing Demographic Subcommittee is looking for stewards with passion and interest in the areas of life-long learning, community health and housing to help guide Red Wing in the coming years. To get involved and to volunteer, contact Chairman Stan
Slessor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it