There is a rapid growth in the population of older adults, but families feel more concern about the health of their senior loved one as he or she ages. Here are a few facts you should know about the rising population of seniors over the age of 65.
There has been a decline in mortality and fertility rates which is one of the major reasons there is a rise in the average age of the US jumping from 20 to 34 years old. The population of seniors will continue on increasing and will be doubled in 2050. The average population growth of older adults is 2.8 percent annually. Senior age groups over 85 are rapidly growing than previous years which amount to 10 percent of older adults out of the whole US population. The population of seniors over 85 will rise to 19 million in 2050 who are considered oldest old and 2 out of 10 will be a different race than White. The ratio is expected to be tripled in the next few decades. There are more senior women than older men but the differences will be narrowed down in the future. Stroke, heart disease, and cancer are the leading causes of deaths among seniors. However, death due to heart disease has decreased, it is still the number one cause of death among older adults.
Infographic Source: http://www.homecareassistancehuntsville.com/seniors-in-us-over-65/