|
A Statistical Profile of
Hispanic Older Americans Aged 65+
Introduction
Over 37.9 million Americans
are aged 65 and over. Three in five people in this age group are women. Over
the next forty years, the number of people aged 65 and older is expected to
double, while the number of people aged 85 and older is expected to triple. All
Americans are living longer and the same is true for the Hispanic population.
The
Older Hispanic Population: Past, Present, and Future
The Hispanic older population was 2.7 million in 2008 and is
projected to grow to over 17 million by 2050. In 2008, Hispanic persons
made up 6.8 percent of the older population. By 2050, the percentage of the
older population that is Hispanic is projected to account for 19.8 percent of
the older population. By 2019, the Hispanic population aged 65 and older
is projected to be the largest racial/ethnic minority in this age group.
Residence
In 2008, 70% of Hispanic persons aged 65 and over resided in four
states: California (27%); Texas (19%); Florida (16%); and New York (9%).
Educational
Level
Despite the overall increase in educational attainment among older
Americans, there are still substantial educational differences among racial and
ethnic groups. In 2008, about 46 percent of the Hispanic population aged
65 and older had finished high school, compared with 77 percent of the total older population. Also in 2008,
9 percent of Hispanic older Americans
held a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 21 percent of all older
persons.
Living
Arrangements
In 2007, 65
percent of Hispanic older men lived with their spouses, 17 percent lived with
other relatives, 3 percent lived with non-relatives, and 15 percent lived
alone. For older Hispanic older women, 39 percent lived with their spouses, 33
percent lived with other relatives, 2 percent lived with non-relatives,
and 26 percent lived alone. Although older women are more likely to live
alone than are older men, the percent of Hispanic elderly men and women living
alone is lower than that of the general population. Also, the percent of
Hispanic older persons living with other relatives is almost twice that of the
total older population.
Income
Households containing families headed by Hispanic persons 65+
reported a median income in 2008 of $33,418 (as compared to $46,720 for non-Hispanic Whites). Among such Hispanic households 19% had an income of
less than $15,000 (compared to 5%
for non-Hispanic Whites family households)
and 48% had incomes of $35,000 or more (compared to 65% for non-Hispanic
Whites).
Poverty
The poverty rate in 2008 for Hispanic older persons (65 and older)
was 19.3 percent. This was more than twice the percent for non-Hispanic
Whites (7.6 percent).
Health
In 2008, only 36 % of Hispanic persons aged 65+ had received
pneumococcal vaccination as compared to 64% of non-Hispanic Whites and 43.4% of non-Hispanic Blacks. (2008
National Health Interview Survey)
In 2008, 9.2% of Hispanic persons aged 65+ needed help from other
persons for personal care as compared to 5.7% for non-Hispanic Whites
and 10.3% of non-Hispanic Blacks. (2008 National Health Interview Survey)
In 2008,
10.7%
of Hispanic persons aged 65+
were diagnosed with diabetes as compared to 6.9%
for non-Hispanic Whites and 10.9% for non-Hispanic Blacks. (2008 National Health Interview Survey)
Self – Rated
Health Status
During 2008,
about 66 percent of Hispanic older men and 66 percent of Hispanic older women
reported good, very good, or excellent health. Among non-Hispanic whites,
this figure was 77 percent for men and 78 percent for women. Positive
health evaluations decline with age.* Among
Hispanic men ages 65-74, 68 percent reported good or excellent health,
compared with 57 percent among those aged 85 or older. Similarly, among
Hispanic women this rate declined from 62 percent at age 65-74 to 50 percent at
age 85 or older.
Access to
Medical Care
In 2007, about 7.5 percent of Hispanic older persons reported that they had no usual
source of medical care. In 2000, 6.5 percent reported delays in
obtaining health care due to cost, and, in 2001, 20.7 percent reported that
were not satisfied with the quality of the health care which they
received. The comparable figures for the total population aged 65 or
older show that 5.1 percent reported that they had no usual source of
medical care, 4.8 percent reported delays in obtaining health care due to
cost, and, in 2001, 15.6 percent reported that they were not satisfied
with the quality of the health care which they received.
Participation
in Older Americans Act (OAA) Programs
In 2008, State and Area
Agencies on Aging provided services to a total of 10.6 million persons aged 60
and older. Consistent with the targeting requirements of the OAA, state and
area agencies on aging placed considerable emphasis on services to persons with
the greatest social and economic need, including members of racial and ethnic
minority groups, especially those who are poor. Of the older persons who
received OAA home and community-based registered services, 8.1 percent
were Hispanic.
The data for this document are taken from a variety of U.S. Government sources with
differing sample sizes and designs.
* 2000-2002 data
The last section, Participation
in OAA Programs, reports data collected from State Agencies on Aging about the persons
whom they serve.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
AoA recognizes the importance of making information readily available to consumers,
professionals, researchers, and students. Our website provides information for and
about older persons, their families, and professionals involved in aging programs
and services. For more information about AoA, please contact: U.S. Administration
on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, One Massachusetts Ave.,
N.W., Washington, D.C., 20001; phone: (202) 401-4541; fax (202) 357-3560; Email:
aoainfo@aoa.gov; or contact our website at: www.aoa.gov
Last Updated: January 2010
| Last Modified: 2/4/2010 3:04:23 PM |
|