Older Persons' Health

(Data are for the U.S.)

 

Population

• Number of residents age 65 and over: 38.9 million (2008)

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 1 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

 

Life expectancy

• Men at 65 years: 17.6 years
• Women at 65 years: 20.3 years

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2009, table 7 [PDF - 1.4 MB]

 

Health status

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over in fair or poor health: 24% (2009)

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 56 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who need help with personal care from other persons: 7.0%

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 12.2

 

Health risk factors

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 9.5%

Source: Early release of selected estimates based on data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, data tables for figure 8.3

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons who are obese (2005-2008)
  • Men age 65-74: 37%
  • Men age 75 and over: 26%
  • Women age 65-74: 36%
  • Women age 75 and over: 26%

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 71 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed): 27% (2005-2008)

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 50 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons with hypertension (2005-2008)
  • Men age 65-74 years: 64%
  • Men age 75 and over: 67%
  • Women age 65-74: 68%
  • Women age 75 and over: 80%

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 67 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

 

Health care utilization

Ambulatory care

• Number of ambulatory care visits (to physician offices, hospital outpatient and emergency departments) by persons age 65 and over: 289.7 million

Source: Ambulatory Medical Care Utilization Estimates for 2007: table 1 [PDF - 797 KB]

Hospital inpatient care

• Number of discharges from nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 13.9 million

Source: National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2009 table, Number and rate of hospital discharges [PDF - 146 KB]

• Average length of stay in nonfederal short-stay hospitals by persons age 65 and over: 5.7 days

Source: National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2009 table, Average length of stay and days of care - Number and rate of discharges by sex and age [PDF - 38 KB]

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 [PDF - 2.7 MB]

Home health care

• Current patients age 65 and over: 1.0 million (2007)

Source: Home Health Care and Discharged Hospice Care Patients: United States, 2000 and 2007, table 1 [PDF - 430 KB].

Hospice care

• Hospice care discharges age 65 and over: 868,100 (2007)

Source: Home Health Care and Discharged Hospice Care Patients: United States, 2000 and 2007, table 5 [PDF - 430 KB]

Dental care

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over with a dental visit in the past year: 60% (2009)

Source: Health, United States, 2010, table 93 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

Preventive care

• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who ever had a pneumococcal vaccination: 59%
• Percent of noninstitutionalized persons age 65 and over who had an influenza vaccination in the past 12 months: 64%

Source: Early Release of Selected Estimates based on data from the 2010 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: 65.5% (2008)

Source:  Health, United States, 2010, table 86 [PDF - 9.4 MB]

 

Mortality

• Number of deaths of persons age 65 and over: 1,761,937
• Deaths per 100,000 population:
  • 65-74: 1,928.8
  • 75-84: 4,774.4
  • 85 and over: 13,021.2

Source:  Deaths: Final Data for 2009, tables 10, 11 [PDF - 1.4 MB]

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

Source: Deaths: Leading Causes for 2007, table 1 [PDF - 3.7 MB]

 

More data

• AgingStats.gov
• Deaths: Final Data for 2009 [PDF - 1.4 MB]
• 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: 2008 Summary Tables [PDF - 478 KB]
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2008 Emergency Department Summary Tables [PDF - 549 KB]
• National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2008 Outpatient Department Summary Tables [PDF - 343 KB]
• Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010 [PDF - 1.3 MB]
• Summary Health Statistics for the U.S. Population: National Health Interview Survey, 2010 [PDF - 983 KB]
• Vision, Hearing, Balance, and Sensory Impairment in Americans Aged 70 Years and Over: United States, 1999-2006
• National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2009 Data highlights – selected tables