Facts on Aging; A Quick Review
Lisa Killinger, DC
Interesting….
 Citizenship and Work Ethic
•	Do more older (>65 year old) persons vote than other age groups? NO
•	Are there more older persons in public office than younger persons? (ie: mayors) YES
•	Do older persons miss more days of work than younger persons? NO
•	Are older persons the most law abiding citizens? YES

Illnesses and Injuries:
•	Our height and lung capacity both tend to decline as we age. True
•	Do older persons have more chronic illnesses than younger groups? Yes
•	Do older persons have more ACUTE illnesses than younger groups? NO
•	Do older persons have more injuries at home and work, than persons under age 65?  NO; kids have more
Life Expectancy, Race, etc...
•	Do black persons, age 65, have the same life expectancy as whites? NO
•	Is the proportion of black senior citizens is growing?  YES
•	Is the life expectancy of women at age 65 about the same as men? NO
•	There are twice as many widows as widowers over 65 year of age. False, over 3 x as many
Money	
•	Does Medicare pay > half of the medical expenses for the aged? NO
•	Do Social Security benefits increase with inflation? Yes
•	Does Supplemental Security Income (SSI) guarantee a minimum income for poor elderly? YES
•	Are most elderly in poverty? NO
•	Do older Americans get their share of the nation’s income? YES
It’s a Crime!
•	Do the elderly have a higher rate of criminal victimization than younger persons? NO
•	Are the elderly more fearful of crime? YES
•	The majority of the aged live alone. False
•	 A higher % of elderly have incomes below poverty level than younger persons. False
•	Is the rate of poverty among black elderly over 3X as great as in white elderly? YES
Living the Golden Years	
•	When the last child leaves home, most parents have problems adjusting to the empty nest. False
•	Does participation in voluntary organizations tend to decrease among healthy older persons? NO
•	Has the prop. of those widowed been decreasing among the aged?  YES
•	Most people over the age of 70 are not having regular sex. FALSE
In summary
•	Older persons are living longer, especially white women, and most are sexually active!
•	The aging population is rapidly becoming more diverse, but many ethnicities have poorer health status, and more poverty than their white peers.
•	Older persons are dedicated workers with fewer sick days and less acute illness than younger workers.

More take home points...
•	Although older persons fear crime more, they are victimized less than younger persons, and are more law abiding.
•	Although older persons have more chronic diseases, the best way to stay healthy and happy is to remain physically active, and to volunteer!

We’re almost there…!
•	While SSI guarantees a minimum income for the needy, Medicare does not cover most medical expenses for the elderly.
•	An old  man has excellent odds of finding an eligible woman of his same age!  
•	And since there’s an empty nest, and most elders live at home, ooh-la-la!
Aging is full of surprises!