Facts About Our Aging Population

Population Trends (1996 Census Bureau Statistics)

• Moderate increase in the elderly population until 2010 (17%)
• Rapid increase between 2010-2030 (75%)
• Moderate increase between 2030-2050 (14%)

Growth of the oldest elderly (85 and over) is of the greatest public concern.

• During 1995-2010, this population is expected to grow 56%
• Between 2010-2030 growth is projected at 50%
• From 2030-2050, the growth will accelerate to 116%

Two factors contributing to numbers

• Birth Rates - Major Contributing Events
  • 1910-1930 - Rates high due to immigration
  • 1925-1945 - Rates low because of Depression and war
• Gender
  • Most elderly, especially older elderly, are women
  • Elderly population in 1995 - 45% more women than men (over 85 - 58%)
  • Projected:  2050 - 60%; over 85 - 61%

Depression in the Elderly

• Major depression is a widely under-recognized and under-treated medical illness in the elderly
• According to one study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, many older adults who commit suicide have visited their primary care physician very close to the time of the suicide:
• 20 % on the same day
• 40 % within one week
• 70% within one month
• Comprising only 13% of the U.S. population, individuals 65 and older account for 20% of all suicide deaths, with white males particularly vulnerable.
• The highest rate is for white males ages 85 and older; 65.3 deaths per 100,000 persons in 1996, about 6 times the national U.S. rate of 10.8 per 100,000.
• More than 2 million of the 34 million Americans 65 and older suffer from some form of depression .