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The graying of America is perhaps the most significant demographic event of recent times. Health care and nutrition have improved, and baby boomers reaching middle age and retirement will influence American society both now and in the years to come. Vierck and Hodges present vital statistics on aging Americans in a readable and interesting format, describing trends, offering insights, and providing a framework for understanding the data.
This book includes many previously unpublished data sources, and Vierck and Hodges offer analytical support to clarify the vast amount of information. Comprehensive analyses, for example, were conducted on newly available nursing home, home health care, and hospice care data, and an extensive interpretation of nutrition data by Kris Hodges provides new perspectives on the nutritional status of the elderly. The book, divided into 16 chapters on different aspects of aging and health, will be useful to gerontologists, geriatricians, health policy analysts, researchers, librarians and information specialists, marketing professionals, journalists, students, and others doing research on aging, health, and health services.
List of contents
Introduction
Aging in the 20th Century
The Meaning of Aging
Size and Growth of the Older Population
Life Expectancy in the 20th Century
Health Status, Use of Health Services, and Attitude towards Health Care Providers
Health Risks and Practices
Nutrition and American Seniors
Chronic Conditions and Common Health Problems
Mental Health and Dementia
Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
Long-term Care (LTC): An Overview
Long-term Care: Home Health Care
Long-term Care: Nursing Home Care
Care at the End of Life: Hospice Care
Causes, Places and Timing of Death
Paying for Health Care: Health Care Spending, Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Insurance
Appendix: World Records and Fascinating Facts
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the author
Elizabeth Vierck, Kris Hodges
