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: 17.2 years (2005)
• Women at 65 years: 20.0 years (2005)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 26

 

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 with activity limitation caused by chronic health conditions: 33% (2006)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 58

 

Health risk factors

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who currently smoke cigarettes (2006)
  • Men age 65 and over: 13%
  • Women age 65 and over: 8.3%

Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 63

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who are overweight (2003-2006)
  • Men age 65-74: 78%
  • Men age 75 and over: 66%
  • Women age 65-74: 71%
  • Women age 75 and over: 63%

Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 75

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with diagnosed diabetes
  • Age 65-74: 20%
  • Age 75 and over: 18%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2007, Appendix III, Table VII

• 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

 

Access to health care

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons without a usual place of care
  • Age 65-74:  4.4%
  • Age 75 and over: 2.7%

Source: Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2007, Appendix III, Table XIX

 

Health care utilization

Ambulatory care

• Number of visits to physician offices by persons age 65 and over: 229.8 million

Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Summary, Table 3

• Number of visits to hospital outpatient departments by persons age 65 and over: 16.5 million

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Outpatient Department Summary, Table 1

• Number of visits to hospital emergency departments by persons age 65 and over: 17.2 million

Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2006 Emergency Department Summary, Table 2

Hospital inpatient care

• Number of discharges from nonfederal short-stay hospitals aged 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 (2004)
• Nursing home residents per 1,000 persons age 65 and over:  36 (2004)

Source: Health, United States, 2008, Table 107

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% (2006)

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: 1,755,669
• 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

• 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, 2007
• Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey 2007
• 2006 National Hospital Discharge Survey