Fact 1

About 30.8% (10.7 million) of older non-institutionalized (not in prison, hospitalized, etc.) lived in nursing homes. 7.9 million were women.

Fact 2

Half of the number of women over the age of 75 live alone.

Fact 3

18.2% of people ages 85 and older live in nursing homes.

Fact 4

In 2005, 10.1% of people over the age of 65 were living in poverty. That’s about 3,603,000 people.

Fact 5

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s over 20% of people age 65 and older lived in poverty.

Fact 6

In 2005, life expectancy for women was 79.5 years, and men 74.1 years.

Fact 7

Elderly women are three times more likely to be widowed than elderly men. Therefore, women often don’t have a spouse to take care of them when they are older.

Fact 8

In 1993, 8 in 10 non-institutionalized elderly people who lived alone were women.

Fact 9

The leading causes of death for elderly people (over 65 years old) are heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Other major causes include lower respiratory disease, influenza, pneumonia, and diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Fact 10

Depression effects about 15% of elderly people in community-living situations. About 25% of seniors living in nursing homes suffer from depression.

Fact 11

In 1997, 41.8% of men and 47.5% of women age 65 to 69 needed help with everyday activities. For people over 80, that percentage jumped to 68.2% for men and 76.7% for women.

Fact 12

In 1999, 116,500 men over the age of 85 were living in nursing homes. The number for women was 210,500.

Sources:

Fact 1-3: Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov

Facts 4-12, and health care graph: U.S. Census Bureau – www.census.gov