Government Report Outlines Health Status of "Older Americans"

By Rachel Walden — September 2, 2010

I missed this earlier in the summer, but wanted to let you know about a government report, Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, which provides information on the health status of Americans aged 65 years and older, including life expectancy, chronic health conditions, symptoms of depression, prescription drug costs, obesity, physical activity, mammograms, and more. Several of the topics are split into male and female data, such as the percentage of women and men who have heart disease, hypertension, and other conditions, so this could be a good quick reference source for understanding some aspects of the health status of women older than 65.

Random Aside: does the generic descriptor “older Americans” bother anyone else? It always makes me ask, “Older than what/who?”

2 responses to “Government Report Outlines Health Status of “Older Americans””

  1. Pleased to see my demographic here, Rachel. I had arrived to ask if this blog would begin to include older women’s issues since the boomers are getting so much attention elsewhere.

    They will probably be more acknowledged than my group–the current 60-plus group. I’d like to know if the November “Public Health Imperative” conference in Denver will spend time on aging health–and wellness issues. I see that Judy Norsigian will be there and the remarkable Martha Livingston, advocate for single-payer.

    Re your “aside”: Many of us do not care anymore what you call us, as long as we are not invisible. “Older Americans,” which sounds kind of retro may be a useful catchall since we’ve become a larger group, say, 55 on up. The older I get, the less I care.

  2. Naomi, thanks for your comment. I definitely acknowledge the need to pay attention to older women’s health issues and that I personally need to work to be more educated and inclusive on that front. I don’t want to ask you to educate me, because that’s not fair to you, but I am always open to suggestions of topics we’re not covering or discussing enough. I don’t know the specifics of the conference, but we can ask Judy. I’ll update in the comments when I find out.

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