Older Persons' Health

(Data are for the U.S.)

 

Population

• Number of residents age 65 and over: 37.3 million (2006)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 1

 

Life expectancy

• Men at 65 years: 17.0 years
• Women at 65 years: 19.7 years

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2006, table 7

 

Health status

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over in fair or poor health: 25% (2006)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 60

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who need help with personal care from other persons: 6.4% (2008)

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 12.2

 

Health risk factors

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and pver who currently smoke cigarettes: 9.3% (2008)

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 8.3

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who are obese (2003-2006)
  • Men age 65-74: 33%
  • Men age 75 and over: 24%
  • Women age 65-74: 36%
  • Women age 75 and over: 24%

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 75

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 60 and over with diagnosed diabetes: 23% (2003-2006)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 54

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with hypertension (2003-2006)
  • Men age 65-74 years: 64%
  • Men age 75 and over: 65%
  • Women age 65-74: 71%
  • Women age 75 and over: 80%

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 71

 

Health care utilization

Ambulatory care

• Number of ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments) by persons age 65 and over: 263.6 million

Source: Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2006, table 1

Hospital inpatient care

• Number of discharges from nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 13.1 million
• Average length of stay in nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 5.5 days

Source: 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey, table 1

Nursing home care

• Number of nursing home residents age 65 and over: 1.3 million
• Nursing home residents per 10,000 persons age 65 and over:  363

Source: The National Nursing Home Survey: 2004 Overview, table 5

Home health care

• Current patients per 10,000 persons age 65 and over: 277 (2000)

Source: Health, United States, 2005, table 94

Hospice care

• Current patients per 10,000 persons age 65 and over: 25 (2000)

Source: Health, United States, 2005, table 95

Dental care

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with a dental visit in the past year: 58% (2007)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, table 96

Preventive care

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who ever had a pneumococcal vaccination: 60% (2008)
• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who had an influenza vaccination in the past 12 months: 67% (2008)

Source: Early Release of Selected Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, table 4.1b, data table for figure 5.1

• Percent of noninstitutionalized women age 65 and over who had a mammogram in the past 2 years: 64% (2005)

Source:  Health, United States, 2008, table 89

 

Mortality

• Number of deaths of persons age 65 and over: 1,759,423
• Deaths per 100,000 population:
  • 65-74: 2,062.1
  • 75-84: 5,115.0
  • 85 and over: 13,253.1

Source:  Deaths: Final Data for 2006, tables 10, 11

• Leading causes of death of persons age 65 and over:
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Stroke

Source: Deaths: Leading Causes for 2004, table 1

 

More data

• AgingStats.gov
• Deaths: Final Data for 2006
• Early Release of Selected Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey
• Health Data Interactive
• Health, United States, trend tables with data on older population age 65 years and over
• National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary
• Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2008
• Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey 2008
• 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey