USA: Where You Live Matters - Recent Findings on Health and Mortality of U.S. Elderly

Race, Ethnicity, and Where You Live Matters: Recent Findings on Health and Mortality of U.S. Elderly WASHINGTON, DC (Population Research Bureau), March 2, 2008: Over the past 50 years, remarkable improvements in health care and incomes have benefited older Americans from all racial and ethnic groups. But significant gaps persist and have even widened among some groups. Americans who are 65 years old today can expect to live another 18.4 years on average, approximately four more years than 65-year-olds could have expected 50 years ago. However, the health advantages gained over the last 50 years have not been the same for all groups. Among all major racial and ethnic groups, African American elderly fare the poorest with respect to mortality and health. Read this article written by Toshiko Kaneda, a policy analyst at PRB; and Dia Adams, a former research assistant at PRB. Source: Population Reference Bureau