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Profile
of Older Americans
46.2 million – the number of people that
were 65 and older in the United States on July 1, 2014.
98.2 Million – projected population of
people age 65 and over in the year 2060.
2033 will be the first year in which the
population 65 and older will outnumber people younger than 18 in the United
States.
$36,895 is the 2014 median income of
households with householders 65 and older.
14.4% - The Supplemental Poverty rate
for persons age 65, compared to 10% measured by the less
comprehensive official measure.
5.2 million persons age 65 and older were
working full-time in 2014.
79.3% of householders age 65 and older
owned their home in 2015.
81.9% of people and older in 2014 had
completed high school or more.
57.5% of people 65 and older were
married in 2015.
59.4% of people 65 and older reported
voting in 2014 elections.
Source:
U.S. Census, Public Information Office
The Aging Population is Reshaping the Economy
In Soaring Numbers of Elderly Reshaping
U.S. Economy, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reports that in the next few
decades, “the nation will experience dramatic demographic change as the ranks
of the old grow faster than the rest of the population.”
This is expected to create fiscal
challenges, affect the national’s labor supply as well as the demand for
services and products, affecting how the federal government allocates
money. Older people are more likely to
depend on entitlements (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI, etc.).
Thanks to medical advances and more
attention to healthy lifestyles, people are living longer. The life expectancy for people born in 1920
was 54 years, which dramatically increased to 79 in 2013. Another trend affecting the work force is
that the fertility rate has decreased in recent years.
By 2030, the youngest baby boomers become
65. Currently, about 15% of the
population is age 65 or older, rising to 21% by 2030 and to 22% by 2050. The population over age 85 is expected to
grow, doubling from 2% to 5% by 2050.
Longer life expectancy combined with
declining births will result in fewer people of prime employment age who are
working and paying taxes to help fund Medicare, Social Security and other
government programs. In 1940, there were
9.09 working age people to each person over age 65, decreasing to 5 in the year 2000 and
expected to further decrease to 2.86 by 2030.
It is important that creative ways be used to provide alternative
workplace arrangements, including working at home, working part-time, etc.
Challenges of Aging
Some diseases associated with aging can be prevented or minimized, according to webmd.com, which describes 7 health challenges of aging.
Arthritis affects about half of the seniors in the U. S. and is a leading cause of disability. Causes can range from sports injuries, wearing the wrong shoes, etc. Keys to prevention include avoiding overuse, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
Osteoporosis affects about 44 million people over age 50, mostly women. It is not part of normal aging but can exacerbate injuries experienced in falls. Prevention efforts include sufficient calcium and Vitamin D, not smoking and weight bearing exercises.
Obesity and metabolic syndrome affect more than 40% of people over age 60, increasing risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Preventive actions include maintaining healthy weight, avoiding sugar and alcohol, and choosing a healthier diet.
Other challenges include mental health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, dental health and vision/hearing loss.
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AARP Retirement Calculator |
Are you saving enough? AARP has a Retirement Calculator to help determine when a person can stop working. It assesses the amount of savings and how long money would be expected to last.
From Cradle to Rocking Chair
The 7th Annual Lloyd C. Elam Symposium, Cradle to Rocking Chair: Continuing and Emerging Issues in African-American
Male Health, was sponsored by the Meharry Medical College's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Sciences.
The symposium
discussed how social determinants such as poor nutrition, limited
transportation options, high unemployment rates and high school dropout rates
disproportionately affect African-American males in both urban and rural
areas.
These and
other social determinants have negative life-long effects on this population, with
a direct correlation to mental and physical health outcomes. Education, opportunities for employment and
social mobility can reverse some downward trends recent studies have shown.
Obesity in
infants and toddlers are more prevalent in African-American communities due to
a lack of education by teen parents and lower breast-feeding rates than the
mainstream population. Prenatal exposures
to alcohol affects adolescent males are associated with negative behavior and
academic performance.
For Older
Adult males, especially for African-Americans (despite recent medical advances in
screening, diagnosis and management of chronic medical conditions), there is an
increase in prostate cancer rates, heart disease and preventable deaths. The research explained that obesity rates in adults and middle-age men is on the increase, while obesity rates decline as males age past 65.
To combat
obesity in middle-age men, research is emerging to educate this population on
dietary risk reduction programs and structured exercise methods. Other topics covered at the Symposium
included Behaviors Health Issues for Adult Men and Current and Emerging Issues in
Aging.
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