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ELDERLY POPULATION IN U.S.
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Essay Subject:
Growth of aging population & geographical distribution. Also discusses impact of health problems, elder-care industry, Medicare.... More...
5 Pages / 1125 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Growth of aging population & geographical distribution. Also discusses impact of health problems, elder-care industry, Medicare.

Paper Introduction:
Because of the significant decline in deaths due to heart disease in the United States, the number of people living to an advanced age has increased considerably. The 1990 census estimated that there were 31.2 elderly individuals in America, comprising 13 percent of the adult population (Crispell and Frey, 1993). Most of the available information about the distribution of the elderly in the United States comes from census data, since this is about the only time such statistics are collected for the nation as a whole. In the last census for which figures are available (1990), more than one in four individuals over the age of 65 were found to be living by themselves, while more than 50 percent were the head of a household, or married to the head of a household. While the incomes of those aged between 65 and 74 years of age were

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Gunby, P. 12. Most of the 13 million Americans over age 75 are women (Crispell andFrey, 1993). However, most elderly live close to their family, and some relocate tobe near their children. H. Apache County, Arizona, is the only non-southern county on the top-5 list, and is also number one in its share ofthe elderly with mobility or self-care limitations. More than a quarter of the elderly live alone, while only 9 percent ofyounger adults live alone. The older elderly tend to stay in place, socluster in rural regions and in cities with sustained economic declines.The exceptions are Florida counties such as Sarasota, Pasco and Pinellas,where many of the younger elderly have also stayed in place. Women live an average of seven years longerthan men, and since most women marry men older than themselves, nearly halfof elderly women are widowed, compared with just 14 percent of elderly men. With the aging of thebaby-boomer generation, this trend is expected to continue, with even morechoices becoming available to the elderly. Six of the ten top counties for elderly people who suffer from nomobility limitations are the Mountain states of Colorado, Wyoming, andUtah. Two-thirds of the way through this century, expendituresfrom this fund will grow to more than 5.1 percent of the gross domesticproduct because of the increased elderly population. (1993). However, this is arural county and two-thirds of its residents live on the NavajoReservation. In the mid-8 s, the elder-care industry began promoting a new idea forthe elderly: assisted living (Senior Living, 2 ). Gerontology researchers look toward millennium.JAMA, 276, p. Women are more likely than men to suffer fromchronic conditions such as arthritis, bursitis and osteoporosis. Only two of the top ten counties for share of peopleaged 75 or older are also on the top-5 growth list - Highlands andCharlotte, both in Florida. Am.Demogr., p. Older men aremore likely to be married than older women, so female spouses are moreoften available to care for dependent men, whereas elderly dependent womenare more likely to be widowed, divorced, or never married, and cared for byadult children. Only twocounties of this list are in the South, and both of these are in Florida.It seems contradictory, but regions with high concentrations of relativelyfit elderly people are the same places that have high shares of the peopleover age 75. 31-42. Theyounger elderly were concentrated in Hernando, Florida; the older elderlywere concentrated in Llano, Texas; the healthiest elderly were concentratedin Pitkin, Colorado; and the sickest elderly were concentrated in Apache,Arizona. Native Americans, particularly the elderly, are known tosuffer from poor health. This will not only stressMedicare and other insurance programs, but also the health care resourcesin the states and counties favored by the elderly. For the physically fit elderly, of the 5 best counties, five eachare in Colorado, Minnesota and Wisconsin; four each in Idaho and Nebraska;three each in Washington, and Alaska; two each in Montana, Kansas, NorthDakota, Utah and Wyoming; and one each in Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont,Nevada, Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, and California. One baby-boomer in 9is expected to live to at least 9 years of age. Assisted livingfacilities often provide the elderly with their own bedroom and bathroom,but they share living room and dining room facilities. Am. (2 , November). Thedisabled elderly are also found in regions where dangerous jobs (e.g, coalmining) and poverty are common. Gunby, P. Others seek rural areaswhere the climate and scenery attract both younger and older elderlypeople. Demogr.,15, pp. (1993). By age 65 to 74, 24 percent of people alreadyhave hearing impairments, 38 percent have high blood pressure, and 44percent have arthritis. Medicare=s hospital insurance trust fund pays benefits toapproximately 35 million elderly and disabled patients. Most of the available informationabout the distribution of the elderly in the United States comes fromcensus data, since this is about the only time such statistics arecollected for the nation as a whole. Senior living: Beyond the nursing home. American maturity. NA. Between 199 and 1999, there was a 49.4 percent increase inassisted living providers, but only a 22.2 percent increase in traditionalnursing homes. Magnets of elderly people cluster in the coastal regions, particularlyin Florida, where the climate is more favorable. In the last census for which figures are available (199 ), more thanone in four individuals over the age of 65 were found to be living bythemselves, while more than 5 percent were the head of a household, ormarried to the head of a household. The United States currently ranks third in the world in elderlypopulation (65 or older) and eight states - California, Arizona, Georgia,Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Alaska and Utah - will double their elderlypopulations by 2 2 (Gunby, 1996). Chronic conditions begin toaccumulate after age 45. In or out of nursing homes, elder care=s costly.JAMA, 269, pp. Elderly people plagued with arthritis and other disablingconditions are clustered in milder climates, so it seems if the elderly arenot able to cope with the colder climates, they move to milder ones. For long-term careoutside nursing homes, 8 percent to 9 percent of the funding for theelderly comes from informal networks of family and friends. Among those over the age of75, 34 percent of women have mobility or self-care limitations, comparedwith 24 percent of men. Older elderly people usually have poorer health than theyounger elderly, and are more likely to live alone, live with relatives, orlive in institutions. The 199 census estimated that there were 31.2elderly individuals in America, comprising 13 percent of the adultpopulation (Crispell and Frey, 1993). It evolved becausemany older Americans need services such as housekeeping, transportation,and meals, but do not need full nursing home care. The number of elderly people in group quarters, mostly in nursinghomes, grew 17 percent during the 198 s. 234 -2341. Twenty-three percent of people over 75 havecataracts. Elderly Americans were found to livemostly in the coastal regions, the Southwest and the Rocky Mountains. Fewer than two-thirds of the elderly live in family households, comparedwith 83 percent of adults aged between 18 and 64 (Crispell and Frey, 1993). References Crispell, D., & Frey, W. While 62 percent of noninstitutionalized elderly Americans haveno health disabilities, 33 percent are unable to work as much as they wouldlike to, 16 percent have mobility limitations, and 12 percent have self-care limitations (Crispell and Frey, 1993). It is estimated that by 2 2 ,the number of Americans age 85 and older will triple. Four of the top ten growth areas for the elderly were Flagler andHernando counties in Florida; Fayette in Georgia; and Matanuska-SusitnaBorough, Alaska; large areas of the heartland, including the farmbelt,rustbelt, and oil-patch states, saw slow growth and even declines in boththeir younger and older populations. They can alsoprovide such services as laundry, barber services, and personal careservices as needed, transportation to off-site doctors, group trips, andentertainment. As life expectancy increases, thelikelihood of disease and/or disability increases also, and this willdetermine where the elderly elect to live. While the incomes of those agedbetween 65 and 74 years of age were considered to be in the low- to middle-income range, the majority of the older elderly, over the age of 75, wereconsidered in the low-income bracket. The increase innumbers of elderly patients in the future will severely stress this fund(Gunby, 1993). These places had struggling economieswhich did not attract people, and did little to keep them. Because of the significant decline in deaths due to heart disease inthe United States, the number of people living to an advanced age hasincreased considerably. (1996). Because of increased longevity and the aging of larger generations,the populations of elderly persons have grown throughout the United States.

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