NASW Practice Snapshot:
Highlights from Older Americans 2004: Key Indicators of Well-Being

Office of Social Work Specialty Practice

Older Americans 2004: Key Indicators of Well-Being (2004) is the second in a series of reports produced by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics that describes the overall status of the US population age 65 and over. The report provides federal statistics from over a dozen national data sources to monitor several important areas in the lives of older Americans—population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. The value of the report reflects efforts to advance the understanding of where older Americans are today and what may be needed to improve care and services in the future. To help NASW members, who specialize in aging related practice, this Practice Snapshot highlights some of the trends that have been noted in this report.

The following are some of the key findings:

Increased Life Span

• In 1900, the average 65 year old could expect another 12 years of life, on average. A century later, in 2000, life expectancy for those age 65 had increased to 19 years for women and 16 years for men. Similarly, in 1900, Americans 85 years of age could expect and additional 4 years of life. By 2000, that statistic increased 7 years for women and 6 years for men.

Reduced Disability

• According to the report, in 1984, 25 percent of Americans 65 years of age or older suffered from some type of chronic disability. By 1999, that number had fallen to approximately 20 percent.

Fewer Smokers

• In 1965, 29 percent of older Americans smoked. By 2002, that number had fallen to just 10 percent. Most of this trend has been driven by declines in smoking among men, although older women’s smoking rates have remained steady at about nine to ten percent over the past four decades.

Rising Obesity

• Similar to that of trends in other age groups, the increase in the pervasiveness of overweight and obesity among older adults has been significant. By 2002, a full 69 percent of Americans were either overweight or clinically obese. One of the most striking statistics is that obesity among individuals age 64-75 have doubled over the past 30 years, from 18 percent in the 1970s to 36 percent in 2002.

More Utilization of Prescription Drugs

• Older Americans make more trips to the pharmacist now than a decade ago. In 1992, the average 65 year old filled 18 prescriptions per year; by 2000 that number had risen to 30.

Higher Incidence of Memory Impairments

• In 2002, the proportion of people with moderate or severe memory impairment ranged from approximately five percent among people age 65-69 to 32 percent among people age 85 and over.

Older Americans are an important and growing segment of our population. Today’s older Americans are living longer, healthier lives and are enjoying greater prosperity than any previous generation. As the Baby Boom generation continues to age and America ’s older population grows larger and more diverse, social workers at all levels of practice will have an even greater need to monitor the health and well-being of this unique population.

References

Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (November, 2004). Older Americans 2004: Key indicators of well-being. Federal interagency forum on aging-related statistics. Washington, DC : U.S. Government Printing Office.

NASW, July 2005