At Risk Elderly
Chronically Ill
- 80% of elders have one or more chronic diseases.
- 30% of elders have three or more chronic diseases.
Poverty
- 8.8% of the elderly in the US live below the poverty line (4.2 million).
- Additional 5% (2.4 million) are considered "near poor," between 100 and 125% of the poverty level.
- Minority elders tend to have lower income.
- Most lack dental insurance.
Homebound or Institutionalized
- 1 million elders receive homecare.
- 1.25 million elders living in nursing facilities.
Disabled
- 35% of those over 65 have a disability
- 25% of elders have difficulty ambulating or performing at least one activity of daily living.
Rural
- 14% of those over 65 live in rural areas with less access to medical and dental care
References
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts. Demographics and the Economy:(2016 data). Accessed on 1/22/2018
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The State of Aging and Health in America 2013. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2013.
A profile of older Americans 2020. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging. Accessed on 9/20/2021
Friedman PK, Kaufman LB, Karpas SL, Oral health disparity in older adults: Dental decay and tooth loss. Geriatric Dentistry. Dental Clinics of North America. 2014;58(4)757-770.
Rural aging, Rural Health Information Hub, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, 2017, accessed on 9/20/2021Â
Erickson, W., Lee, C., von Schrader, S. (2017). Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey (ACS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute (YTI). Retrieved on 9/20/2021 from Cornell University Disability Statistics website