As such, the aging population has increased local demand for health care services and workers, community leaders and health care experts said.
“As the senior population ages and we are able to extend the median lifespan, so do the chronic illnesses. We have to keep up with that and make sure we manage that,” said Sharon Ikeler, chief nursing officer at Tomball Regional Medical Center.
In its 2017 Community Health Needs Assessment, the Tomball Regional Health Foundation—an entity promoting health and wellness in Tomball, Magnolia and Waller—said seniors are more prone to chronic disease, social isolation and disability.
By 2030—the year the last of the baby-boom generation will turn 65—1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, according to a March 2018 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Experts project the population of seniors will outnumber that of children by 2035—a first for the U.S.
To accommodate an aging population, entities in Tomball and Magnolia are stepping up efforts to provide health care, community services and recreation for this demographic.
“We have seen a more active health-focused community, especially during our evenings with a variety of free fitness and exercise classes,” Tomball Community Center Manager Rosalie Dillon said. “We’ve worked to build the [activity] calendar like we have. ... Our seniors are really active and come from all over.”
An aging Tomball, Magnolia
The population of residents are 65 and older within Community Impact Newspaper’s distribution area in Tomball and Magnolia increased more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2016, growing from 10,918 senior adults to 16,415 senior adults during that time, according to census data. In contrast, the senior population across Texas grew about 25 percent from 2010-16.
While the older population increased in all 17 census tracts, the 65-and-older population grew more than 105 percent from 2010-16 in the Creekside, Hufsmith and Lakewood areas of Tomball, according to census data. The general population saw a greater increase percentage-wise than the senior population in just four census tracts in that time.
David Yousenasna, owner of Tomball Health Mart Pharmacy, said he attributes the growing number of seniors to the local culture and amenities.
“I like to think that even though we’re near the city of Houston, we still have that small, hometown feel,” he said. “We have a community that’s growing and changing, but [we] also have a lot of people that have been here for a while.”
Tomball is also home to the Tomball Regional Medical Center.
“You have a lot of health care in general in Tomball, so I think that’s attractive to that [older] patient population,” Yousenasna said.
Although the area immediately surrounding TRMC features a number of medical offices, specialty care and a general physician presence in Magnolia is generally lacking, Magnolia Pharmacy owner Steve Hoffart said. However, Tomball and Magnolia feature larger plots of land, middle-aged families with aging parents and a number of senior living facilities, he said.
“As of now at least, there’s the ability to build those types of [assisted care] facilities here in Magnolia [and] Tomball, [so] that’s kind of driving that population,” he said.
Community resources grow
A wealth of assisted care facilities, caregiving providers and recreation programs for older adults have recently sprung up.
Valiente Senior Living, Village Green Alzheimer’s Care and Love On ’Em Assisted Living are slated to open later this year in Tomball and Magnolia. Evergreen Private Care relocated to Tomball in March and The Retreat at Westlock, an affordable senior community, opened earlier this year in Tomball.
“So many people would rather live in a residential-type setting than in the more hospital-type setting,” said Shawn Boatman, co-owner of Love on ’Em, which is slated to open in July in Magnolia. “We’re hoping that it’s appropriate for the area and that it is something that takes off.”
Valiente Senior Living, a 16-resident community, is set to celebrate its opening this month in Magnolia, Executive Director Jessica White said.
Additionally, Village Green Alzheimer’s Care—a 16-suite facility—will open this fall in Tomball, Community Relations Director Megan McMichael said. The Tomball facility is part of a regional expansion to Cypress, Spring and Kingwood to keep up with demand.
In addition to a growing number of senior communities, people are also increasingly choosing to stay in their homes rather than relocate to senior facilities, said Laura Cook, vice president of Evergreen Private Care.
“We know that there certainly is an outburst and a growth of personal care homes and facilities to help support the need,” she said. “But a lot of people that have the ability to are wanting to age in place wherever they call home.”
Along with the demand for local caregiving services, Lynn LeBouef, CEO of the TRHF, said there is local demand for transportation to health and wellness activities. TRHF gives about $211,000 annually so Northwest Community Health can offer a mobility assistance program via two wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Riders pay a fee for the service.
“In our first community needs assessment [in 2012], our biggest need in the community was transportation,” LeBouef said. “[Residents] really had an issue with having transportation to get to and from doctors offices, to pick up prescriptions [and] to get preventive care.”
The TRHF board also approved funding May 23 for Senior Rides and More, an organization that provides elderly residents transportation, TRHF Chief Administrative Officer Marilyn Kinyo said. This allows the organization to expand existing services within nine ZIP codes south and east of Tomball.
To keep seniors active, the Tomball Community Center has expanded its calendar to include exercise, dancing, card game and hobby-based activities. Chair yoga and chair volleyball are quickly becoming beloved activities, Dillon said. The center also launched a support group for caregivers this spring.
Dillon said the center welcomes 500-600 guests each week, an increase from 50-75 guests per week four years ago.
“The center is for all ages, but seniors are here because they don’t work. They have free time,” Dillon said.
Changing health care demands
The increasing senior population is also changing the kinds of health care services demanded locally, Hoffart said.
“As more and more of the population ages, the demands of our average patient increases,” he said. “It’s great for health care, because there is going to be more of a demand.”
To keep up with the community’s health needs, TRMC has added robotic surgery equipment and focused on its rehabilitation services and senior care unit, Ikeler said.
Erik Levinson, program director of behavioral health at TRMC, said TRMC added its specialty senior care unit in 2011 to provide treatment for older patients with chronic mental illnesses.
“As the population increases, we definitely see a higher demand in this area for inpatient services, so we just feel the need has gone up, and we have to respond to that by providing new services,” he said.
The 21-bed unit was renovated in 2015 and will undergo safety upgrades in 2018, Ikeler said.
With an aging population comes a need for health care workers, Cook said.
The Texas Workforce Commission projects the home health care services industry in the Gulf Coast will add about 25,000 new positions between 2014 and 2024, while the nursing and residential care industry is expected to add more than 10,000 positions. Additionally, personal care aides and registered nurses are slated to be among the fastest-growing jobs in the Gulf Coast from 2014-24.
The number of residents in Tomball and Magnolia employed in the health care and social assistance industry grew 1.68 percent—adding 95 employees—from 2014-16, according to census data.
“If someone wants to get into the health community, the need is only increasing,” Cook said.
Cook said she hires about six new employees each week but hopes to grow to 12 new hires weekly to meet demand.
“It’s not a temporary wave,” she said. “We’ve stayed on an upward trend for the last couple years.”
