The Health of Seniors
- Over 80% of all older Americans have at least one chronic health condition. The most frequently reported chronic conditions include arthritis (44%), hypertension (39%), heart conditions (27%), visual impairments (12%), and diabetes (8%).
- The elderly use health care services at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the population. Persons over 65 use hospitals 2.8 times the rate of those under 65, and their hospital stays are nearly twice as long.
- People over the age of 65 visit their doctor an average of 4.5 times a year, whereas persons under 65 average 2.4 visits.
- Nearly 75% of all deaths in the United States are deaths of elderly people. For many decades, heart disease, cancer, and stroke have been the leading causes of death among the elderly, accounting for 70% of all deaths in this age group.
- 1.5 million Heart attacks occur in the United States each year with 500,000 deaths. A heart attack occurs about every 20 seconds with a heart attack death about every minute.
- About 50% of deaths occur within one hour of the heart attack -outside a hospital.
- There is a only a 6% to 9% early mortality rate from Heart attack for those who survive long enough to reach the hospital. Getting to the hospital quickly is the goal.
- Deaths from cardiovascular diseases in women exceed the total number of deaths caused by the next 16 causes.
- Costs related to heart attack exceed 60 billion dollars per year. Coronary Heart Disease is America’s No. 1 killer. Stroke is No. 3 and a leading cause of serious disability.
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the No.1 cause of adult disability.
- Many strokes are preventable and treatable with prompt medical attention. (National Stroke Association) Seniors and technology
Older adults want to use technology to age safely in their homes, but 80 percent of people 65-plus are not willing to pay more than $50 a month for the technology, a new AARP study says. The report found that people 65-plus want to try technology like home security services, sensors to detect falls and devices to regulate temperature, lights and appliances, but are worried about installation and maintenance costs and technical issues.
"Almost nine in ten older Americans want to be able to stay in their own homes and they are willing to use technology that can help them do that," says Eleanor Ginzler, AARP Sr. Vice President for Livable Communities.
