BAY ST. LOUIS — Mississippi’s Gulf Coast is aging faster than the rest of the state, and Hancock County sits at the center of that demographic shift. 

While the state’s overall senior population mirrors the national average of about 17%, Hancock County is seeing older residents make up a growing share of the population — raising new questions about what it means to be a “retirement-friendly” community. 

In Hancock County, that phrase means efforts to build meaningful infrastructure for older residents are already underway — and one of the clearest examples is the Hancock County Senior Citizen’s Center. 

The Bay St. Louis facility serves as more than just a meal site or shuttle stop. It has become a lifeline for many aging residents — offering mental health support and human connection when isolation among seniors is a growing concern. 

Meeting the needs of a changing population 

Hancock County’s median age is around 46 — noticeably higher than the statewide median of 39, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Roughly 22% of county residents are 65 or older, and that number continues to climb. Between 2010 and 2022, the 65-and-older group grew by more than 55% — the fastest increase of any age group in the county. 

As the population ages, isolation becomes a serious public health risk. The National Institute on Aging warns loneliness among seniors can worsen outcomes for heart disease, depression and cognitive decline. 

For residents like Madeleine Ammentorp, having a community resource makes all the difference. She takes her 74-year-old brother to the center every day. 

“His day is kind of lost. He doesn’t watch television during the day,” Ammentorp said. “He just kind of sits around and mopes, and quite frankly, without the senior center, he’d be very depressed.” 

With other family members gone and few local connections, she said the center provides both stimulation and peace of mind. 

“Knowing that he’s in a safe environment is a lifesaver, not only for the seniors, but also for those who love their seniors,” she said. 

For Michael Milot, a regular at the center, the benefits are just as personal. Milot said he lives with post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving a mass shooting at a school in Canada, where he once taught. 

“Every time there’s a mass shooting, I just get the goosebumps,” he said. “It’s like PTSD, and it comes back, you see, but I’m going to have to live with that for the rest of my life.” 

At the center, he said, the emotional toll lessens — replaced with laughter, conversation and camaraderie. 

“When people socialize, their health condition gets better,” Milot said. “The physical and the mental are related, so it’s very much important. You can see that people who are too much isolated, they get depressed, and they start having more health problems.” 

His experience reflects broader trends. According to the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, more than 9% of Mississippians age 65 and older reported experiencing poor mental health for 14 or more days in the past month. 

Services that make aging in place possible  

Mississippi’s broader effort to support older adults includes a four-year State Plan on Aging that began in 2022. The plan outlines six core goals, including: 

— Expanding long-term services to help seniors age in place. 

— Promoting equity in nutrition services. 

— Increasing awareness of care options. 

— Improving access to accurate information through a “No Wrong Door” system.

— Supporting Medicare beneficiaries through outreach and education. 

— Investigating elder abuse while upholding personal autonomy.

Locally, the Hancock County Senior Citizen’s Center has served residents for nearly 53 years. Director Arlene Johnson said it’s one of the oldest centers of its kind in Mississippi — and one of the most resilient. 

In addition to hot, nutritious meals and transportation to medical appointments, the center offers creative workshops, educational programs and social activities. When mobility becomes an issue, home-delivered meals are available. Volunteers from the Bay St. Louis Community Garden 4H Club help grow produce for the center’s kitchen, improving both meal quality and community engagement. 

Membership is free thanks to funding from local government, grants and donations. The Hancock County Human Resource Agency sponsors the center and provides operational support. The city covers maintenance and utility costs. 

Still, demand is growing — especially for mental health services. 

“We can always use more resources, and when we don’t get an increase each year, we learn to tighten that belt and provide the same number of services,” Johnson said. 

A personal connection 

While larger facilities may offer similar services, Johnson said what sets the Hancock center apart is its personal, family-like atmosphere — a space where people feel seen. 

“We have some seniors whose ashes we have, and before I retire, my goal is to put their ashes in a funeral plot and put a headstone that says, ‘Keeper of Ashes,’ because I want them to have some type of memory,” she said. 

For Milot, the center is more than a place to pass time — it’s a place where stories are honored.  

“I believe that when an old person passes away, we lose a library because every story is so rich that it’s just unbelievable,” he said. “Every day we hear a different story — they had a full life for sure.”  

As Mississippi continues to attract older residents, Johnson hopes the state does more to build a retirement-ready future with real support systems in place — one where no one ages alone.  

“These are the people that built our communities,” she said. “They didn’t build Bay St. Louis … they built a community elsewhere. They still give to us, you know, just by being part of our community.”