As far as senior citizens are concerned, their health is indeed one of the major responsibilities and cannot be ignored at any cost. The good news is that some states in the US are doing a remarkable job while addressing this issue. Census Bureau states that people aged 65 and above have grown in number and currently consist make 15% of the country’s population. It is slated to become 20% by the time 2030 arrives. America’s Health Rankings (AHR) had a close look at the health of the senior population, taking note of their isolation levels as well as suicide rates into account. The data has been used to rank each state based on how far they have been able to meet the criteria set by the AHR. Have a look at the rankings to check where your state stands.
Hawaii
Out of the entire senior citizen population in Hawaii, 19.8% of them are obese. This happens to be the lowest percentage in the United States. Approximately, 80% of them pay regular visits to the dentist which is also the highest rate in the United States. The quality of nursing homes in Hawaii is topmost. Now, there remain very few areas that Hawaii can improve in. The administration can focus on boosting coverage for prescription drugs to more than the present rate, i.e. 84%. Also, the hospital conditions can be improved so that the mortality rate of the senior citizens admitted can remain below 24%. Hawaii ranks quite below on these two grounds.
Utah
Utah has been maintaining its record quite well. Only 3.4% of the population aged 65 and above are reported to be involved in excessive drinking. 5.1% of them smoke. Out of 1000 enrollees of Medicare, there have been 27.9% discharges. 14.1% of deaths in Utah hospitals have been recorded to be of the elderly. 44.6% of senior citizens engage themselves in social service or work for a cause. With all that being considered, Utah lags in the case of geriatricians. There is a 77.5% shortfall and that’s huge – something the state needs to work on.
Connecticut
Connecticut is one of the states in the New England region which has been faring quite well on the health issue. 7.1% of the senior population is poor. Just over 26% of them are obese, while 1480 out of 100,000 people suffer early deaths. On an estimate, just 7% of the seniors residing in Connecticut drink excessively. However, the health status of senior citizens has increased from 11% to 12% over a period of six years.
Minnesota
8.5% of Minnesota’s senior population lives in poor conditions. Out of 100,000 people in the age group of 65 to 75, 1496 died early in recent times. Although 69% of the senior citizens are in the pink of health, 8.4% are reported to be involved in excessive drinking. Aside from that, the percentage of the senior population with the habit of smoking has gone up by 12%.
Colorado
The seniors residing in the state of Colorado are in good shape. Just 22% of the seniors are leaning towards obesity, which is the third-lowest in the entire United States. Out of 100,000 people in the age group of 65 to 75, there have been 1454 reported deaths, the second-lowest in the country. 64.1% received the flu vaccine. The percentage of seniors involved in excessive drinking has increased by 23% over the last three years while food security has come down by 60%.
New Hampshire
According to reports, the percentage of healthy seniors in New Hampshire is 67.6% out of which 52% are in the pink of health. The New Hampshire administration contributes $1591 to help all seniors who live in poverty. This way, the poverty rate of the seniors in the state has come down to 5.8%, the lowest percentage in America. On the other hand, 8.7% of the senior population has been reported to drink excessively.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is another state from the New England region which offers the best quality of healthcare for senior citizens. The percentage of quality beds in nursing homes is 65.8%, ranking them second in the United States. 97% of those aged 65 and above are said to have been committed to a healthcare provider, the highest percentage in the country. However, the seniors are still considered to be among America’s unhealthiest. Why is that? 31% are not physically active while only 28.4% do social service. The Rhodes Island administration contributes $252 in a year towards the poor seniors.
The next three in the top 10 are Vermont, Maine, and Wisconsin. Vermont and Maine are tied at the 8th spot. If you are living in any one of these states, you can expect the best in terms of senior healthcare.