Trends That Affect Older Americans

I found the National Institute on Aging website very interesting and informative. According to NIH Americas population of older adults will reach 88 million by 2050. In addition, the global life expectancy at birth will increase by eight years from 68.8 years in 2015 to 76.2 years by 2050. People are living longer and not only in the United States but also around the world. As the population continues to grow for the older adults there are many opportunities as well as negative factors that an older American may experience.

Since older Americans are living longer into their golden years and are in good health they are able to enjoy the benefits of growing well into their 80’s or 90’s and some even will make it the century mark. “Healthy life expectancy can also help to assess the extent to which prevailing health conditions diverge or converge with mortality patterns”. However, studies also indicate that older adults who are living longer also have several risk factors the can decline the longevity of life. Factors such as poor health, i.e. hypertension, chronic diseases, diabetes are common health risks that affect older adults. In addition, lack of exercise, smoking, alcoholism, poor living conditions, and mental health are other components that can lead to issues in late

As it is estimated that 24.3 million people worldwide have dementia and the numbers will continue to grow for decades to come. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 70% of cases of people living in the United States. These brain disorders while not uncommon throughout the world appear to be one of biggest risk factors for older Americans. While significant health issues in certain parts of the world have decreased. Dementia and Alzheimer’s have been increasing at an alarming rate especially for those people living in low income or poverty