11 Facts About Old Age

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1. Only 3.6% of people over 65 years old are in nursing homes. Elderly men are likely to live with a spouse while elderly women are more likely to live alone.^[Administration on Aging (AoA), Administration for Community Living, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "A Profile of Older Americans: 2012."]
2. 4 in 5 older adults will battle at least one chronic condition or illness such as heart disorders, arthritis, or osteoporosis. 50% will battle at least two.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion - Healthy Aging - Helping People To Live Long and Productive Lives and Enjoy a Good Quality Of Life."]
3. By age 75, about 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 women don't get ANY physical activity. You can keep seniors fit by hosting a dance class at your local senior center! Sign up for Dancing With the Seniors.^[Surgeon General, “Physical Activity and Health: Older Adults,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed February 4, 2014]
4. While fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75, older drivers' crash rates have fallen faster than the crash rates of middle-aged drivers. One of the reasons is that older drivers tend to limit their driving during bad weather and at night.^[Insurance Institute for Highways Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute. "Changing mix: Despite worries, aging population won't push up nation's crash rate." Status Report, Vol. 47, No. 9. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/statusreport/article/47/9/1. Nov 20, 2012 (accessed Nov 4, 2014)]
5. The ratio of women to men over 65 years old is 100 to 76. The ratio of women to men over 85 years old is 100 to 49.^[Administration on Aging (AoA), Administration for Community Living, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "A Profile of Older Americans: 2012." http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2012/docs/2012profile.pdf (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
6. 99% of people over 65 years old have health insurance, with 93% having government-sponsored Medicare.^[Administration on Aging (AoA), Administration for Community Living, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "A Profile of Older Americans: 2012." http://www.aoa.gov/Aging_Statistics/Profile/2012/docs/2012profile.pdf (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
7. According to data compiled by the Social Security Administration, a man reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 84.3. A woman turning age 65 today can expect to live 86.6.^[U.S. Social Security Administration. "Calculators: Life Expectancy." http://www.ssa.gov/planners/lifeexpectancy.htm (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
8. People over 75 years old visit the doctor 3 times more often than people 22 to 44 years old.^[Shiman, David. "Economic and Social Justice: A Human Rights Perspective - Facts About the Elderly Population in the United States." University of Minnesota, Human Rights Resource Center. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/tb1b/Section2/activity6h1.html (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
9. Elderly people occupy over 1/3 of all federally subsidized housing.^[Shiman, David. "Economic and Social Justice: A Human Rights Perspective - Facts About the Elderly Population in the United States." University of Minnesota, Human Rights Resource Center. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/tb1b/Section2/activity6h1.html (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
10. An estimated 1 in 10 senior citizens are victims of elder abuse, the intentional acts by a caregiver that lead to physical, psychological, or emotional harm.^[Assisted Living Federation of America. "Elder Abuse Facts." http://www.alfa.org/Document.asp?DocID=261 (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]
11. US poverty rates are highest for people 65 and older, with 10.5% living in poverty. There are also sharp racial differences in the data: the rates are at least 3 times higher for Hispanics and African-Americans ages 65+ than for whites 65+.^[Banerjee, Sudipto. "More Americans Are Entering Poverty as They Age." PBS, Next Avenue. Feb 26, 2013 (accessed Nov 4, 2014).]