| There have been improvements in the Social Security | | | | increases. Among people age 65 and older, 30% have |
| system that includes the introduction of Medicare that | | | | three or more chronic diseases. Having more than one |
| has had important effects on the economic well-being | | | | disease complicates care. Sudden change or illness in |
| of senior citizens in the United States. Today, the | | | | one body system may stress another body system |
| percentage of senior citizens with incomes below the | | | | and make it difficult to interpret symptoms for a |
| poverty line is about 10%. These gains have not been | | | | definitive diagnosis. Sometimes the symptoms one |
| shared by all senior citizens. Poverty rates are higher | | | | disease may hide the symptoms of another disease. |
| among certain groups of senior citizens that include: | | | | For example, a person with arthritis may never be |
| •Black Americans | | | | physically active enough to show symptoms of heart |
| •Hispanic Americans | | | | disease, which makes making the heart disease |
| •People who never finished high school | | | | difficult to recognize. |
| •People living alone | | | | Senior citizens who need assistance with routine ADLs |
| •People 85 and older | | | | rely first on family. The use of paid helpers, however, is |
| •People living in central cites | | | | consistently higher among older adults living alone and |
| •People living in rural areas | | | | increases with age. |
| Level of education among US senior citizens in the | | | | On the average, senior citizens go to the doctor more |
| future is one of the most dramatic changes. By the | | | | often than younger adults. Senior citizens are also |
| year 2030, 83% of seniors will have completed high | | | | hospitalized more frequently than younger people. |
| school. Senior citizens with a bachelor degree or more | | | | Senior citizens utilize the services of home health care |
| will have increased to 24%. These changes are | | | | that includes medical treatment, physical therapy and |
| significant for health and social service systems | | | | homemaker services more than the younger |
| because education is closely related to lifetime income, | | | | population. Prescription drugs are a major part of |
| and people with more education generally are in better | | | | medical treatment. At least 80% of senior citizens take |
| health and at lower risk of disability. However, the | | | | one or more prescribed medicines. |
| better-educated seniors are expected to be more | | | | One of the most important, unanswered questions is |
| demanding health care consumers. | | | | whether or not our increased lifespan will be filled with |
| Widowhood is much more common among senior | | | | good days and years. It is not likely one answer can |
| citizens due to the fact that women generally live | | | | be applied to all senior citizens because of the great |
| longer than men. Senior citizens who live alone after | | | | variations in health and functioning from one senior |
| losing a spouse usually prefer to remain independent | | | | citizen to the next. |
| and continue living alone as long as health and finances | | | | Other unanswered questions can only be answered |
| allow it. Even though many of this group of senior | | | | by the passage of time. These questions include: |
| citizens have families or friends nearby they are still | | | | •Will the increasing numbers of senior citizens with |
| more likely than those who live with others to feel | | | | more education and longer lives contribute productively |
| lonelier and more isolated. | | | | to the larger society? |
| Average life expectancy in the United States is | | | | •Can the health care system handle the greater |
| currently highest for white women, followed by black | | | | number of senior citizens? |
| women, white men, and black men. As an average, | | | | Some analysts fear the great increase in the numbers |
| women who live until age 65 can expect to live to age | | | | of senior citizens from the baby boomer generation of |
| 84. Those who live to age 85 can expect live to age | | | | people born between the years of 1940 and 1960 may |
| 92. The number of people living to age 100 in the | | | | place a strain on the medical care system and the |
| United States is certainly growing. | | | | public programs that finance health care and |
| Disability and diseases are much more common in | | | | retirement to the breaking point. What we have on our |
| senior citizens than in people younger than 65. | | | | side is: |
| Common chronic conditions among senior citizens | | | | •Improvements in health behavior |
| include: | | | | •Medical breakthroughs |
| •Arthritis | | | | •Financial prosperity |
| •High blood pressure | | | | These three may help diminish the threats from the |
| •Heart disease | | | | increased senior citizens from the baby boomer |
| •Diabetes | | | | generation of people born between the years of 1940 |
| •Lung disease | | | | and 1960. |
| •Stroke | | | | Source: Foundation for Health in Aging |
| •Cancer | | | | Disclaimer: These statements have not been |
| •Hip fractures | | | | evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The |
| •Parkinson’s Disease | | | | information in this article is not intended to diagnose, |
| •Alzheimer’s disease | | | | treat, cure or prevent any disease. All health concerns |
| •Dementia | | | | should be addressed by a qualified health care |
| An increase in the senior citizen population means | | | | professional. |
| more health care expense, and the likelihood of having | | | | This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. |
| more than one disease among senior citizens also | | | | |