Other reasons for the rising 55+ workforce include demographics, less-ageist employers and, of course, the state’s still-tight labor market.
aging
Posted inSunLit, SunLit Interviews
SunLit Interview: How two friends turned a fundraiser into their first mystery novel
Judilee Butler, left, taught kindergarten and special education, with a master’s degree in learning disabilities, before shifting to the corporate world and marketing. After a 20-year career with IBM, she and her husband retired to the central mountains of Colorado.Jean “GaGa” Gabardi worked in telecom, with master’s degrees in project management and business. After earning […]
Posted inNews
What it’s like to hunt for a job in Colorado when you’re over 50
Cat McQueen, who joined the throngs of Coloradans who lost their jobs in the pandemic, has a droll sense of humor when sharing what it’s been like to look for a job at age 63. There’s the you-have-an-impressive-resume-but-we-went-with-someone-else response. “If you have impressive qualifications, what other qualifications do they seek,” wonders McQueen, who lost her […]
Posted inHealth, News
In Colorado, one of the fastest aging states, one county had no home health or hospice provider for eight months
KREMMLING — Alta Sue Hawkins’ room is filled with what she calls her most important things. The sewing machine she likes to make aprons on. Dozens of books. A wall of family photos. It’s been her home for the last three years, tucked inside Grand County’s only assisted living facility. And it’s the place where […]
Posted inSunLit, SunLit Interviews
SunLit Interview: How and why co-authors came together to address caregiving
Loretta Gilbert, left, owned and operated a small assisted living residence in Colorado. She served on the Colorado Department of Health Assisted Living Advisory Committee. She lives in Colorado with her husband and much loved animals.Nancy Walker took care of her mother during the last 10 years of her life. Her background working for small […]
Posted inBook Excerpts, SunLit
SunLit Excerpt: A resource for navigating difficult family conversations about aging
Chapter 3: When You Are Concerned One of the hardest things to witness is when a loved one’s quality of life starts to decline. It might trigger different emotions in you, such as disappointment, regret, denial, resistance, or avoidance – you won’t know exactly how you will react or respond until it happens. So how […]
Posted inSun Investigation
Jared Polis is taking big money from private donors to fund key positions in Colorado governor’s office
To deliver on his campaign promises and policy priorities, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is relying on wealthy donors and major advocacy organizations to pay the bill. The Democratic governor is accepting more than $1 million from donors, nonprofits and foundations to pay salaries and costs associated with six top policy positions, according to a review […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
More than 40% of Coloradans don’t have a retirement plan at work. The state seeks to change that.
When Pete Turner, founder of the fresh-burrito chain Illegal Pete’s, decided to offer 401(k) plans to employees a few years ago, it was tedious and time consuming. A staffer now spends 60 hours a year managing the retirement program. But it’s worth it to Turner, who wanted to provide more for his workers other than […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, Health, News, Politics and Government
As Coloradans grow older, there’s a push for policies that benefit all ages
Janine Vanderburg led 42 workshops across the state in 2018 to learn about the concerns older adults had about aging or ageism. One issue became clear. Adults were working longer — and wanted to — but they often felt discrimination in the workplace or during the hiring process. “People said, ‘That workplace discrimination issue that […]
Posted inBusiness, Growth, News
2020 forecast: Colorado is getting older and narrowing the housing gap, but really needs middle-wage jobs
If you’re feeling kind of crowded on Colorado’s roads or hiking trails, or it seems that housing costs have crept up to unheard of levels, or you find it’s hard to get good service at businesses short on staff, there’s data to back up the sentiment. But you have to look further than the decade […]