Age is just a number.

But the number of the aging?

Now, that is something to take seriously in Winnebago County in the years ahead.

Are we ready?

Are you ready?

They are two legitimate questions to consider as you read though the handful of stories in today's reports on aging in Winnebago County.

In 2006, people age 65 and older accounted for 12.5 percent of the county's population, according to data from the state Deparment of Health and Family Services. By 2020, the percentage is expected to reach 15.6 percent, projections from the state Department of Administration suggest.

That's a pretty large up-tick in a relatively short period of time. It foreshadows a near future where today's Baby Boom generation enjoys a healthier longevity, many of its older members living longer and stronger. It foreshadows a near future when that generation's children may have a heap of extra health and living issues to confront for their parents.

How long will they live. And just how will they live?

It's time to start asking if our region is prepared to support this population – many of them our parents – with ample assisted-living options. Furthermore, is there a strong enough network in place to prepare these people and their children for the likelihood of completely independent living – of staying within their homes well into their golden years?

Big questions. No easy answers.

But don't let worry and the uncertainty of the future get you down.

The good news is with the healthier living and longevity of the Baby Boomers, there's plenty of time to sit down with mom and/or dad and do what is often forgotten: Ask.

If you're the son or daughter of a Boomer, there's no time like the present to consult your parents on what they want, how they aim to live and how they'd want to live if health conditions or other matters take the responsibility of the decisions out of their hands.

What if they make it to 90?

What if they make it to 100?

How about 106, like Eunice Nelson of Oshkosh, who, as we profiled today, is able to still live independently in an apartment in Oshkosh with a strong, loving connection with her granddaughter.

A year or two ago, a group of community leaders sat down and faced the broader question: Is the region prepared to support and serve the surge of independently-living, aging residents we are just now beginning to see? Can we sustain their longevity and lifestyle in the decade ahead? It's a discussion worth continuing.

Meanwhile, fire the same one up in your own family.