Aging in America

Headline Watch released a report in August titled, "Aging in America." There is an increasing number or people ages 65 and older in the United States. According to a new government report, most of these people are very healthy and also are living a lot longer. This article demonstrates many statistics about aging and its findings.

Although most people 65 and older are healthy, as many as one in four older Americans in some kind of racial group are not in healthy condition. Other findings include an increase of the number of older people by about 32 million since 1900. People who are the ages of 65 and older account for 13 percent of the overall population of our country. It is predicted that this number will rapidly increase to 70 million by the year 2030.

Life expectancy for Americans has also increased rapidly. The current life expectancy for Americans that are 65 is 18 years. This is a large enhancement compared to the life expectancy in 1900, which is 12 years over 65. Poverty along with older Americans has decreased significantly over the years, but it is still prevalent in certain groups. Poverty in 1998 for non-Hispanic whites was 8.2, compared to 26.4 percent for non-Hispanic blacks. Sixteen percent of non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders and 21 percent of Hispanics lived in poverty.

Disability for older Americans also decreased by four percent in 1994. The most deaths among older people were a result of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

These findings are very interesting and related to class discussion. It is very important to remain informed about these statistics, especially as one becomes older. Many medical and technological breakthroughs have caused this increase of life expectancy for the elderly, and hopefully in the future there will be more that can be done to further extend one's life.