Facts and Stats

The aging population is growing...

• Approximately 40 million individuals are aged 65 and older in the U.S. - that is around 13% of the population. This number is expected to double to 80 million by 2040. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

with older Americans living longer...

• The average life expectancy has grown from 47 years in 1900 to 78 years today and is expected to reach 80 years by 2010. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

and working longer...

• The total labor force is projected to increase by 12.8 million people (8.5 percent) from 2006 to 2016, with persons aged 55 and over accounting for more than 90 percent of the increase. (AARP, 2008)

and in need of affordable and accessible medical coverage...

• The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has increased more than 143 percent since 2000. (National Coalition on Health Care, 2008)
• Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the U.S. have been rising four times faster on average than workers’ earnings since 2000. (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2007)
• Nationally, 14 percent of persons age 50-64 (7.1 million adults) were uninsured in 2005. (AARP)
• For the 75+ age group, healthcare expenditures were more than 6 times those aged 25 and under. (AARP, and the U.S. Census Bureau)
• Nearly 80% of older adults have at least one chronic health condition, and 50% have at least two, with arthritis and hypertension being the most prevalent. Others include heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disorders. (U.S. Census Bureau)
• The older population has been growing faster among minorities than among whites. In 1990, about 4.2 million persons or 13% of the population 65 and over were nonwhite. Cultural and language differences, along with physical isolation and lower income, often make U.S health care services difficult (AARP)

Some older adults are without adequate income...

• On average, around 10% of those aged 55+ are living at the poverty level or below. (Open Society Institute/International Longevity Center)

and need more services, along with better care...

• Over 93% of those aged 65+ reside in traditional communities, 4.5% reside in community housing with services and 2.5% reside in long-term care facilities. (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging - Related Statistics)
• Over the last decade there has been a decline in nursing home admissions as other services, such as assisted living and home healthcare, have become more prevalent. (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging - Related Statistics)
• Families provide the most support and caregiving to older adults. The economic value of informal caregivers is estimated at $350 billion annually. (AARP).

that includes more trained providers...

• The ability of American employers to help their employees meet family commitments is essential. Accommodations for working caregivers cost U.S employers between $11.4 and $29 billion per year. (NASW Report, August 2004)
• The education and training of the direct-care workforce is insufficient to prepare workers to provide quality care to older adults. (IOM Report: Retooling for an Aging America, 2008)
• While 75% of social workers report that they have older adults (55 years and over) in their caseloads, only 4% identify themselves as aging specific trained social workers (NASW report, 2005)
• Nearly 30% of social workers are over 55 years of age, compared with 14% of the U.S. civilian workforce, meaning that a disproportionate share of social workers will retire in the next several years. (NASW report, 2005)
• Although enrollment has increased in baccalaureate programs for nursing "this upswing is tempered by the fact that more than 32,000 qualified applicants to nursing programs were not accepted; about half of the schools identified a lack of faculty as the main barrier to admitting more students." (IOM Report: Retooling for an Aging America, 2008)
• The United States will need an additional 3.5 million health care providers by 2030 just to maintain the current ratio of health care workers to population. (IOM Report: Retooling for an Aging America, 2008)