In recent years, much has been written about the silver tsunami – the onrush of baby boomers who will 65 leading to a higher percentage of the elderly population and the challenges we face in meeting their social, health, housing, and financial needs. As we anticipate the needs of the ever expanding elderly population our understanding of some of their demographics provides insight into the formulation of public policy and individual planning. In an effort to draw together data on a large number of economic and well-being issues, the Federal Intragency Forum, which has 15 participating federal agencies has published Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of WellBeing.

Here are some of the major findings.

Population

The demographics of aging continue to change dramatically. The older population is growing rapidly, and the aging of the baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 (and who begin turning age 65 in 2011), will accelerate this growth. This larger population of older Americans will be more racially diverse and better educated than previous generations. Another significant trend is the increase in the proportion of men age 85 and over who are veterans.

Economics

Most older people are enjoying greater prosperity than any previous generation. There has been an increase in the proportion of older people in the high-income group and a decrease in the proportion of older people living in poverty, as well as a decrease in the proportion of older people in the low-income group just above the poverty line. Among older Americans, the share of aggregate income coming from earnings has increased since the mid-1980s, partly because more older people, especially women, continue to work past age 55. Finally, on average, net worth has increased almost 80 percent for older Americans over the past 20 years.  Yet major inequalities continue to exist with older blacks and people without high school diplomas reporting smaller economic gains and fewer financial resources overall.

Health Status

Americans are living longer than ever before, yet their life expectancies lag behind those of other developed nations. Older age is often accompanied by increased risk of certain diseases and disorders. large proportions of older Americans report a variety of chronic health conditions such as hypertension and arthritis. Despite these and other conditions, the rate of functional limitations among older people has declined in recent years.

Health Care

Overall, health care costs have risen dramatically for older Americans.  In addition, between 1992 and 2006, the percentage of health care costs going to In 2008, 39 million people age 65 and over lived in the United States, accounting for 13 percent of the total population.  The older population grew from 3 million in 1900 to 39 million in 2008.  The oldest-old population (those age 85 and over) grew from just over 100,000 in 1900 to 5.7 million in 2008.

The baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) will start turning 65 in 2011, and the number of older people will increase dramatically during the 2010–2030 period.  The older population in 2030 is projected to be twice as large as their counterparts in 2000, growing from 35 million to 72 million and representing nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. population.prescription drugs almost doubled from 8 percent

Ethnicity

In 2008, non-Hispanic whites accounted for 80 percent of the U.S. older population.  Blacks made up 9 percent, Asians made up 3 percent, and Hispanics (of any race) accounted for 7 percent of the older population.Projections  indicate that by 2050 the composition of the older population will be 59 percent non-Hispanic white, 20 percent Hispanic, 12 percent black, and 9 percent

Marital Status

In 2008, older men were much more likely than older women to be married.  Over three-quarters of men age 65–74 were married, compared with over one-half (57 percent) of women in the same age group.  The proportion married is lower at older ages: 37 percent of women age 75–84 and 15 percent of women age 85 and over were married.  For men, the proportion married also is lower at older ages but not as low as for older women.  Even among the oldest old, the majority of men were married (55 percent).Widowhood is more common among older women than older men.  Women age 65 and over were three times as likely as men of the same age to be widowed, 42 percent compared with 14 percent.  In 2008, 76 percent of women age 85 and over were widowed, compared with 38 percent of men.

Living Arrangements

In 2008, 72 percent of older men lived with their spouse while less than half (42 percent) of older women did.  in contrast, older women were more than twice as likely as older men to live alone (40 percent and 19 percent, respectively).

Poverty

In 1959, older people had the highest poverty rate (35 percent), followed by children (27 percent) and those in the working ages (17 percent).  By 2007, the proportions of the older population and those of working age living in poverty were about 10 percent and 11 percent, respectively, while 18 percent of children lived in poverty

Income Sources

In 2008, aggregate income for the population aged 65 and over came largely from four sources.  Social Security provided 37 percent, earnings provided 30 percent, pensions provided 19 percent, and asset income accounted for 13 percent.  About 89 percent of people age 65 and over live in families with income from Social Security.  About three-fifths (59 percent) are in families with income from assets, and two-fifths (44 percent) with income from pensions.  About two-fifths (38 percent) are in families with earnings. About 1 in 20 (5 percent) are in families receiving cash public assistance.

Life Expectancy

Americans are living longer than ever before. Life expectancies at both age 65 and age 85 have increased. Under current mortality conditions, people who survive to age 65 can expect to live an average of 18.5 more years, about 4 years longer than people age 65 in 1960. The life expectancy of people who survive to age 85 today is 6.8 years for women and 5.7 years for men.

Data from reports such as those published by the Federal Interagency Forum provide evidence of the dramatic changes that will occur in our population, and the accompanying challenges. The most pressing issue will be how health care will be financed in the future and how health care, itself, may need to focus more on such issues as preventative care, the efficiencies of our training of medical personnel, and the role of programs such as Medicare and Medicaid in meeting the health care needs of our elder adults. Future posts in Elder Parent Help will begin to address these issues.

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterfisk/6199779847/sizes/m/in/photostream

Technology makes it easier to stay in constant contact with friends and family. Between e-mail, texting, and video chats, many families communicate throughout the day with each other.

As individuals get older, however, families need to have difficult conversations about living situations, health care issues, and legal issues. When you need to have one of those conversations, take steps to ensure you are focused on the matter at hand.

In-person is always the best choice

Just because the rest of the world thinks texting and e-mailing is appropriate, that does not mean your parent or loved one does. Texting and e-mail are ideal for communicating one idea, they are not a replacement for having conversation. Both of those methods are also highly impersonal.

In many ways, face-face conversation is becoming a lost art. Talking in person, however, presents a number of advantages. One, taking the time to meet with someone in person shows the importance of the conversation. Two, some of the most important thoughts and feelings are expressed non-verbally—talking in person allows you to pick on those expressions. Three, difficult conversations almost inevitably go better in person. People are less likely to fly off the handle in person and are much more likely to try and resolve a difficult issue.

If making a phone call, force yourself to focus

If you cannot have the conversation in person, a phone call is the next best option. Make sure, however, that you block off enough time to have the conservation and actually focus on the conversation. For many people (myself included) talking on the phone is something you do while doing something else (driving, making dinner, cleaning, etc.).

If you are multitasking while having a difficult conversation, you are doing both you and the listener a disservice. Find a quiet room or make the phone call while sitting in your car—but not driving. Many disagreements and misunderstandings occur because one person is not listening. If you force yourself to focus, the conversation might go much more smoothly.

Tough conversations are always emotionally draining and rarely go as planned. But by taking the right steps, you can hopefully make the conversation less stressful and more productive.

(photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pshanks/411196422)

Guest post by Marie Clark

For most seniors, driving is a key to the independence they want to hold onto for as long as possible.  However, it is important when to know when it’s time to stop driving. It’s not just for your parent’s safety, it is important for everyone else on the road.  It is often difficult for the aging to accept the fact that they can’t drive safely.

Research studies have shown that elderly are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents than younger drivers.  So, how does an older driver or a concerned family member know it is time to hang up the car keys?

Losing Drive

Chronological age alone does not determine if someone is capable of driving carefully or not, but for older people age-related changes in vision, reflexes and physical abilities slowly creep up over the years and can greatly influence the ability to drive safely.  The following areas are some of the causes for inhibiting your driving skills.

• Physical fitness – if you have poor muscle strength it can be difficult to steer and maneuver the steering wheel, or shift your head to check blind spots before shifting lanes.
• Slower reflexes will cause you to take a longer time to react to unexpected behavior from other motorists and pedestrians, and traffic signals.
• Side effects of medications – older people take more prescription and over-the-counter medicines that might interact with one another or cause confusion while driving.
• Loss of clarity in vision or hearing.

Tips for Family Members

If you are concerned that your older family member’s driving is dangerous, watch for the following telltale signs that signal a decline in their driving abilities.

• Do they have difficulty in turning their head, neck, or body while driving or parking?
• Do not have enough strength to turn the wheel quickly in case of an emergency?
• Become angry and frustrated easily while driving?
• Do they fail to yield to pedestrians or motorists who have right of the way?
• Do they get lost in familiar neighborhoods?
• Do they find it difficult to drive with glare from oncoming vehicles, or other bright or shiny objects?
• Have had one or more accidents or near misses recently?

State Laws on Older Drivers

In the United States, many state laws set strict standards for older drivers including:

• Shorter renewal periods for older drivers.
• Requiring older drivers to renew their licenses in person only.
• Administering vision, road or written tests for renewal of licenses.

Different states have different laws, but if the testing authorities are unsatisfied with the performance of older drivers, it may be necessary for you to get a medical evaluation for license renewal.

Getting and Keeping The Keys

• First, approach your elderly family member with your concerns about their driving abilities before it is too late.
• Convince the person by preparing a checklist of your observations that include their medical condition, poor eyesight, slower reflexes, recollection of familiar routes, etc.
• Ask their closest friends and advisors for support. They might doubt you but believe the family lawyer, doctor or religious leader.
• Cut out news articles about senior related accidents and start a discussion. Plant the seed of a thought now.
• Get help from family, friends, and neighbors to run errands for the older person.
• Use shuttle services that are often provided by senior centers and retirement communities to assist with shopping and hospital visits.
• “Break the car” by unplugging some vital wires if the person does not willingly hand over the car keys to you.
• Hide the car keys and stop them from driving. By doing so, the caregiver is protecting the elderly person and others on the road.

For more information on elder care and senior safety, including reviews of senior care products like medical alerts, please visit ElderKind.com. Safety is everyone’s concern, whether it’s at home or on the road.

(photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slddigital/4854534625)

For residents of certified nursing facilities and their families, it is important to know that residents have rights provided by federal law. Many states have also codified similar provisions that may provide residents with additional rights under state law.

The Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA), passed in 1987, provides federal statutory protection for residents of certified nursing facilities. Prior to the act, there was no minimum standard of care.

Rights

The Act is comprehensive and provides numerous rights. Among the more pertinent:

• The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect;
• The right to freedom from physical restraints;
• The right to privacy;
• The right to accommodation of medical, physical, psychological, and social needs;
• The right to participate in the review of one’s care plan, and to be fully informed in advance about any changes in care, treatment, or change of status in the facility; and
• The right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal.

42 C.F.R. § 483.10 provides the full list of resident rights.

Regulation

The Act also changed the way states inspect nursing home facilities. States must conduct unannounced surveys and interviews of residents. Nursing homes that are found in violation of the NHRA are subject to a variety of penalties. All states are subject to the same baseline requirements for inspections under the NHRA. As noted above, however, some states may have more additional requirements for the inspection process. If you have questions about the inspection process in your state, be sure to contact your Department of Health or an attorney who specializes in Elder Law.

Click here to read about the inspection process in Minnesota.

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(photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nursingpins/3947571490/)

For more of a policy oriented take on issues facing aging parents, head over to Kim Dayton’s blog on Elder Law.

Dayton’s blog has information on upcoming legislation and issues that will in the forefront in the near future. One recent posts include requests from the National Senior Citizens Law Center asking about issues facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender individuals as they enter their elder years.

Dayton’s blog also has lots of resources, including links to newsletters, other sites, and other Elder Law related blogs.

(photo: terren in Virginia)