Michigan is now an age-friendly state after partnering with AARP

Michigan is the fifth state to partner with the AARP and the World Health Organization to be age-friendly, so people can age in place in their homes and communities.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer helped announce Michigan's application and certification on Monday at an AARP conference near Lansing.

Michigan is one of the most rapidly aging states in the country. Projections show that in 2025, it will be the first state where residents age 65 and older outnumber those 18 and younger -- a decade ahead of the nation as a whole.

Whitmer says Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to join the network, which provides resources so cities, counties and states can become more age-friendly. The resources include access to research, planning models, best practices and funding opportunities.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Literature available during a brain health event hosted by AARP featuring Katie Couric, Jane Krakowski and AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins to #DisruptDementia at Neuehouse on June 25, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Gett