2016 Older Americans Key Indications Of Well-Being

A quarter of all Americans who have hit age 65 are beset by some form of disability, a new government report confirms.

“Many Americans enjoy longer lives, though with some functional limitations,” notes the update, which was authored by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

Roughly 1.2 million Americans 65 and older live in nursing homes, and nearly 780,000 live in assisted living communities and other residential care settings, the compilation asserts.

Among its other findings:

  • Between 1983 and 2013, the median net worth, in 2013 dollars (including the value of retirement investment accounts), of households headed by people age 65 and over rose from $116,500 to $210,500.

  • 46 million people aged 65 or more years lived in the United States in 2014, accounting for 15% of the total population. In 2030, the number and proportion of older Americans is expected to grow to 74 million, representing nearly 21%.

  • In 2014, approximately 4.3 million veterans aged 65 or more years were enrolled with the Veterans Health Administration. Of those enrollees, 35% had been disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated by active military service.

In all, the 179-page report offers 41 indicators of well-being into six broad groups.