Seeing the need to assess the overall status of the U.S. population 65 years of age and over at the end of the century, the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics produced its first interagency report on indicators of health and well-being among the older population. The Older Americans: Key Indicators of Well-Being chartbook includes approximately 30 indicators and focuses on several important areas in the lives of older people, such as population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.
The Older Americans report is a collaborative effort of the nine Federal agencies which constitute the Forum: National Institute on Aging, National Center for Health Statistics, Census Bureau, Administration on Aging, Health Care Financing Administration, Social Security Administration, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Management and Budget, and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS.
Included in the report are indicators on the use of health care services, nursing home utilization, health care expenditures, social activity, depressive symptoms, vaccination rates, poverty and family income, population demographics, criminal victimization, labor force participation, and housing cost burden, among others. Preliminary results indicate that while the disability rate for the older population is decreasing, the prevalence of many chronic conditions is increasing. Data also indicate that compared with persons age 12-64, the population age 65 and over had much lower victimization rates overall for both violent and property crime.
The Older Americans: Key Indicators of Well-Being chartbook will serve as a useful tool for service providers, policy-makers, and researchers.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to: 1. Identify current trends in the health and well-being of the older population in the United States. 2. Discuss salient sex and race differences in important indicators of well-being among the population age 65 and over. 3. Recognize data gaps in our understanding of the well-being of the older population, and subsequently identify future research needs
Keywords: Aging, Federal Initiatives
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.