A new report benchmarking the health of seniors in America finds poorer health outcomes for rural senior citizens compared with their urban and suburban peers and increased national suicide rates. An analysis within the report also highlights the risk of social isolation and its association with poor health for seniors.
The 2018 United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings® Senior Report provides the latest check-up on the health and well-being of the nation’s seniors. Using 34 measures of senior health, the report highlights successes and challenges this population faces on a national and state-by-state basis.
Key findings across states show that rural seniors are:
-More likely to be physically inactive (34.3 percent compared to 30.4 percent in suburban and 30.1 percent in urban areas).
-More likely to report a fall (32.4 percent compared to 28.5 percent in suburban areas and 29.5 percent in urban areas).
-Seven percent less likely to report receiving a flu vaccination than urban seniors (57.2 percent vs. 61.4 percent, respectively).
-Less likely to receive health screenings compared with both suburban and urban seniors (66.4 percent vs. 74.3 percent and 75.3 percent, respectively).
Additional key findings of the report, which benchmarks the overall health of seniors in Louisiana, include:
-The suicide rate among Louisiana seniors decreased 1.1% from 18.5 to 18.3 deaths per 100,000 adults aged 65+ since the 2017 edition of the Senior Report.
-Food insecurity among Louisiana seniors decreased 1.3% in the past year from 23.7% to 23.4%.
-The number of home healthcare workers in Louisiana decreased 3.4% from 159.7 to 154.3 since 2013 (per 1,000 adults age 75 and older).
-Nursing home quality* increased 17.0% since 2017 from 27.0% to 31.6% (*percentage of beds rated four- or five-stars)
Another key finding of the report is the national suicide rate among seniors has increased 12 percent since the 2014 edition of the Senior Report. Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah have seen the largest increases. There is variability among states, with the rate 3.9 times higher in Nevada than in Massachusetts (32.3 deaths per 100,000 vs. 8.3 deaths per 100,000).
The report also features a new analysis that measures and identifies locations where seniors are most at risk for social isolation. It builds on the AARP Foundation’s Isolation Framework Project and supporting literature. Social isolation risk among seniors is highest in Mississippi and Louisiana, and is lowest in Utah and New Hampshire. Contributing factors include divorce, separation and widowhood, never having married, poverty, disability, difficulty living independently, and living alone.
Each year, America’s Health Rankings determines the healthiest states for seniors:
-Utah (No. 1), followed by Hawaii (No. 2), New Hampshire (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 4), and Colorado (No. 5). All these states ranked in the top five in 2017.
-Louisiana has the most challenges at No. 50, followed by Mississippi (No. 49), Kentucky (No. 48), Arkansas (No. 47), and Oklahoma (No. 46).
“It is our goal with this report to help seniors, family caregivers, and advocates better understand the specific health concerns in their own communities so we can all work together to address them,” said Rhonda Randall, DO, senior adviser to the United Health Foundation and chief medical officer and executive vice president, UnitedHealthcare Retiree Solutions. “By examining the differences in health between seniors living in rural areas and those living in urban and suburban areas, for example, we believe we can empower communities to help seniors access the resources and services they need to live happier, healthier lives.”