Way back in March, 2008, Science Daily (sciencedaily.com) published details from a report by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, called "Older Americans 2008: Key Indicators of Well-Being", which they termed a unique, comprehensive look ataging in the United States.

The key indicators they presented are pretty interesting: Population, Income, Health Status, Health Risks and Behaviors, Health Care, Housing, Use of Time and Health Literacy.

Health literacy is the key concern forseniors, because as the report stated: "the average level ofhealth literacy--the extent to which people can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services--was lower than that of any other age group, and it continued to decrease with age."

In future entries in this blog, I'll be discussing health literacy,health care, health risks and behaviors, and use of time  - how to enjoy your senior years to the fullest!

There are more seniors than ever in American society, thanks to theBaby Boomer generation.

Population
In 2006, an estimated 37 million people in the United States--12 percent of the population--were 65 and older. Projections forecast that by 2030, approximately 71.5 million people will be 65 and older, representing nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. population.

Income
Income generally rose between 1974 and 2006. The proportion of older people with incomes below the poverty line went from 15 percent to 9 percent; those categorized with low income dropped from 35 percent to 26 percent; those with high incomes increased from 18 percent to 29 percent.

Health Status
Life expectancy in the U.S. is lower than that of many high-income countries, such as Canada, France, Sweden and Japan. For example, in 2003, women age 65 in Japan could expect to live 3.2 years more on average than women in the United States, with the difference among men at 1.2 years. In the early 1980s, U.S. women age 65 had one of the highest average life expectancies in the world, but over the next two decades, the life expectancies of older women in many countries surpassed that of women in the United States.

Health Risks and Behaviors
Factors affecting the health and well-being of older Americans, such as smoking history, influenza and pneumonia vaccinations and mammogram screenings, are key indicators that have shown long-term improvements but no significant change in recent years.

The percentage of people age 65 and older who are obese, as with other age groups, increased between 1988-1994 and 2005-2006, from 22 percent to 31 percent. However, over the past several years, the trend appears to have leveled off.

Health Care
Between 1992 and 2004, average inflation-adjusted health care costs for older Americans increased from $8,644 to $13,052. Costs varied by race and ethnic group, income and health status.

In 2004, as in the previous 4 years, over half of out-of-pocket health care spending (excluding health insurance premiums) by community-dwelling " target="_self" elderly was for purchase of prescription drugs. By 2004, prescription medications accounted for 61 percent of these out-of-pocket expenses. Out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs are expected to decline because of the savings available through the Medicareprescription drug program.

Housing
Most older people live in adequate, affordable housing. However, a significant percentage has housing-related issues that can pose problems to an older person's physical or psychological well-being. In 2005, 41 percent of households with people over age 65 had significant housing-related problems, such ashousing costburden (expenditures on housing and utilities that exceed 30 percent of household income), physically inadequate housing and crowded housing.

Use of Time
The proportion of leisure time that older Americans spent socializing and communicating--such as visiting friends or attending social events--declines by age, from 13 percent in those ages 55 to 64 to 10 percent for those 75 and over. The proportion of leisure time devoted to sports, exercise, recreation and travel also declines with age. On an average day, most Americans age 65 and older spent at least half of their leisure time watching television. Americans age 75 and older spent a higher proportion of their leisure time reading, relaxing and thinking than did those ages 55 to 64.

Health Literacy
Among older Americans, the average level ofhealth literacy--the extent to which people can obtain, process and understand basic health information and services--was lower than that of any other age group, and it continued to decrease with age. Thirty-nine percent of people age 75 and over had below basic health literacy, compared with 23 percent of people ages 65 to 74 and 13 percent of people ages 50 to 64.

Bibliography
Americans Living Longer, Enjoying Greater Health And Prosperity, But Important Disparities Remain, Science Daily, March 27, 2008.

Services are available through many avenues to help seniors.  Help in finding  a nursing home, home care, " target="_self" assisted living facility , adult day care, and other assistance are available on line and in your local community.


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