Persons 65 or older
Gender 19.7 million women 13.5 million men 146 women per 100 men By 2030 the number of older Americans will have more that doubled to 70 million or one in every five Americans
Marital Status 43 % of women are married 77 % of men are married 47% of all older women are widows
Living Arrangements 68% of non-institutionalized older persons live in a family setting, 30% live alone 5% (1.6 million ) lived in nursing homes Of persons 85 and over 24% lived in nursing homes
Housing: Of the 20.8 million households headed by older persons 78 % are owners 22 % are renters
Children 80% of older adults have living children Of these older adults with children 66 % live within thirty minutes of a child 62% have at least weekly visits with children 76% talk on phone at least weekly with children
Geographic distribution about half of older persons live in nine states: California New York Texas Illinois New Jersey Florida Pennsylvania Ohio Michigan
Income $26,512 median income for households headed by a person 65 or older $15,250 median income for males $ 8,950 median income for females About 3.7 million older persons are below poverty level
Employment: 12 % (at least 3.8 million) older persons are working or actively seeking work 55 % of older adults are employed part-time time They constitute 2.9 % of the U.S. labor force
Medications: People age 65 and older consume more prescription and over-the the-counter medicines than any other age group
Chronic Diseases: Chronic diseases are generally not prevented by vaccines or cured by medication, nor do they just disappear. Chronic diseases are long term, leave residual disability, require special training for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation or care 85% of those over 65 years of age have at least one chronic health condition Chronic conditions become more frequent and more debilitating with advancing age
Health damaging behaviors particularly tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits are major contributors to the nation s leading chronic diseases To a large degree, the major chronic diseases are an extension of what people do or not do as they go about their daily lives.
Major chronic diseases: Arthritis Cardiovascular Diseases Cancer Diabetes Epilepsy Obesity Oral Health
Nutrition: Good nutrition, including a diet that is low in saturated fats and contains five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day is vital in maintaining good health. Improving the diet of older adults could extend the productive life span of Americans and reduce the occurrence of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stoke, some types of cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Less than one- third of adults 65 years and older meet the 5 A DAY recommendations
Depression and Suicide: Depressive symptoms are not a normal part of aging Most older people feel satisfied with their lives Depression often co-occurs occurs with other serious illnesses Older adults often face these illnesses along with social and economic difficulties Older adults are often reluctant to tell health care professionals about the symptoms related to depression, but focus on physical ailments Health care professionals often fail to diagnose depression in older adults This leads to under treatment of depressive disorders in older people
Depression and Suicide: OLDER ADULTS Depression is one of the most common conditions associated with suicide in older adults Of the nearly 35 million Americans age 65 and older 2 million (estimate) have a depressive illness (major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, or bipolar disorder) another 5 million (estimate) have subsyndromal depression or depressive symptoms
Depression and Suicide: Comprising only 13 % of the population, individuals age 65 and older accounted for 18 percent of all suicide deaths in 2000 Among the highest rates were white men age 85 and older: 59 deaths per 100,000, more than five times the national rate of 10.6 per 100,000
Although the risk of disease and disability clearly increase with advancing age, poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging Much of the illness, disability and death associated with chronic disease is avoidable through known prevention measures practicing a healthy lifestyle (e.g. regular physical activity, healthy eating, and avoiding tobacco use) use of early detection practices (e.g., screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, diabetes and its complications and depression) Nearly 40% of deaths in America can be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol misuse
Injuries among older adults: one of every three older adults falls each year falls are the leading cause of injuries, hospital admissions for trauma and deaths due to injury about 10,100 seniors died of fall-related injuries in 1999 fractures are the most serious consequence of falls Approximately 250,000 hip fractures (the most serious fracture) occur each year among people over age 65
Physical Activity The loss of strength and stamina attributed to aging is in part caused by reduced physical activity Inactivity increases with age; by age 75 about one in three men and one in two women engage in no physical activity Social support from family and friends has been consistently and positively related to regular physical activity.
Physical Activity Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve health benefits Older adults can obtain significant health benefits with a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily In addition to cardiorespiratory endurance (aerobic) activity, older adults can benefit from muscle- strengthening activities. Stronger muscles help reduce the risk of falling and improve the ability to perform the routine tasks of daily life.
Physical activity in older persons produces three types of health benefits: Reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease Aids in the management of active problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol Improves the ability to function and stay independent in the face of active problems like lung disease or arthritis.
Regular physical activity has beneficial effects on a variety of health outcomes, including: Helps maintain the ability to live independently Reduces the risk of falling and fracturing bones Lowers overall mortality Lowers risk of coronary heart disease Lowers risk of colon cancer Lowers risk of diabetes Lowers risk of developing high blood pressure Helps lower blood pressure for persons with hypertension
Regular physical activity has beneficial effects on a variety of health outcomes, including: (continued) Lowers risk of obesity Improves quality of life Lowers risk of falls and injury Reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression Improvements in mood and feelings of well-being Helps maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints Helps control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis Helps prevent bone loss and fracture after menopause Improves quality of sleep
Physical Activity Walking and gardening (includes yard work) are, by far, the most common forms of physical activity for older adults
Goals of the horticulture program for older adults: Provide the opportunity for engaging in a new or previously acquired hobby or interest adapted to the physical limitations of aging Maintain or improve the physical health of the participants Create an environment conducive to social interaction Encourage social interaction through resident participation in continuing group leisure activities Provide activities that allow for individual creative self-expression expression
Motivating Older Adults to Participate in Programs: Clarify the content of the program and involve the participants in planning Explain the day s activity first; demonstrate with the group just watching Utilize staff, volunteers and family to assist in interesting or stimulating the older adult Start small to assure success Suggest making something for someone else Ask one participant to assist another Encourage participant initiative