WHO ARE OLDER ADULTS?
To begin the discussion about older adults it is helpful to know who they are. This chapter of the report provides demographic information on the population, providing both current statistics and population projections. Demographics help lay the foundation for understanding where the needs will be in the future.
CURRENT STATISTICS
AGE
Population projections indicate that, in the year 2000, nearly 74,000 (11%) of the approximately 654,000 individuals living in Travis County are 60 years of age or older. See Figure 1 for a breakdown of the population by age group (Texas A&M University State Data Center, October 1999).
Figure 1
Travis County Population by Age - 2000
Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
GENDER
As Figure 2 shows, the older adult female population in Travis County outnumbers the older adult male population. In 2000, females comprised 57% of this population. This disparity increases with age.
The greatest disparity between the numbers of older adult males and females is in the Black population. In 2000, females comprise 60% of the Black population ages 60 and older. Among White and Hispanics, females make up 57% of the population and among Other, 54%.
Figure 2.
Travis County Population, Ages 60 and Older by Gender - 2000
Source: Texas A&M University State Data Center, October 1999
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
Older adults are more likely to reside in certain areas of Travis County than in others. Nearly 40% of older adults in Travis County live in the zip codes listed in Table 1.
Table 1.
Number of Elderly Residents in Travis County by Zip Code - 1999
Source: SACHS Claritas
Marital Status
National data shows that, in 1998, three out of four older men were married. In contrast, nearly one out of two older women were widowed. Marital status can affect the emotional and economic well being of older adults with illnesses or disabilities by influencing their living arrangements and the availability of caregivers.
Figure 4.
Marital Status of Americans, Ages 65 and Older - 1998
Source: AARP, 1999
Living Arrangements
Living arrangements of older adults are connected to income levels, health status, and the availability of caregivers. Older adults who live alone are more likely to have health and financial problems than are older adults who live with a relative (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2000). In 1998, nearly three of four older males in the United States lived with a spouse, while 40% of older females lived alone.
Figure 5
Living Arrangements of Americans, Ages 65 and Older - 1998
Source: AARP, 1999
Educational Attainment
Higher educational attainment is typically linked with higher standards of living and improved health status (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2000).
Educational attainment levels of older Americans are increasing. The percentage of older adults who had completed high school increased from 28% in 1970 to 67% in 1998. However, the percentage completing high school varied by race/ethnicity. While the majority (69%) of Whites had completed high school in 1998, less than one-half of Blacks (43%) and Hispanics (30%) had achieved this level of education.
Employment
Similar to educational attainment, employment status is also linked with standards of living. In 1998, older Americans comprised nearly 3% of the United States labor force, and 12% of older Americans were working or actively seeking work. Older men made up 16% of those working or seeking work, while older women made up 8% (AARP, 1999).
Socioeconomic Status
From 1995 to 1997, Texas had the fifth highest poverty rate for older adults in the nation (AARP, 1999). In 1999, 10% of Travis County adults over the age of 64 were living below the federal poverty line ($8,350 for single person household, $11,250 for two person household).
Nationally, socioeconomic status of older Americans varies by gender, race/ethnicity, and living arrangements. In 1998, the median annual income for older men was $18,000, while the median income for older women was just over $10,000. Only 9% of elderly Whites were below poverty in 1998, while 26% of elderly African-Americans and 21% of elderly Hispanics were below the poverty level. Finally, 21% of older Americans who lived alone or with non-relatives were below poverty, while 6% of older Americans living with relatives were considered poor (AARP, 1999).
The major sources of income for older Americans in 1996 were Social Security (reported by 91% of older Americans), income from assets (63%), public and private pensions (43%), earnings (21%), and public assistance (6%).
Housing
Of the households headed by older Americans in 1997, 79% owned their own homes, while 21% rented. More than three out of four older adult homeowners owned their homes free of mortgages. One of every two homes owned by older adults were built before 1960, and 6% had physical problems (AARP, 1999).
Healthcare
Older adults often have greater healthcare needs than do younger persons. In 1997, older Americans comprised 36% of all hospital stays and 49% of all days of care in hospitals. Similarly, while people under 65 averaged five (5) contacts with doctors in 1997, older Americans averaged twelve (12) contacts (AARP, 1997).
About 13% of Texans ages 60 and older are enrolled in the Medicaid program. Females and ethnic and racial minorities are over-represented among Medicaid enrollees. Seventy percent (70%) of elderly enrollees are women, and 55% are ethnic/racial minorities.
Medicaid spending on the Texas population, ages 65 and older, is concentrated in the 75 and older age group. This group accounts for 73% of expenditures. Females age 75 and older accounted for 59% of the 65+ Medicaid expenditures in Texas, while males in the same age group accounted for 16%.
Disabilities
In 2000, over 13,000 older adults in Travis County had disabilities that interfered with Activities of daily living (ADLs), an increase of nearly 17% since 1995. (See Figure 6.)
Figure 6.
Estimated Travis County Population, Ages 65 and Older, with Disabilities Who Have Some Difficulty with Activities of Daily Living
Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
PROJECTED GROWTH
Expected Changes
Nationally, the elderly population is expected to grow significantly in the future. The biggest growth is expected between 2010 and 2030, when the "baby boomers" begin turning 65 (AARP, 1999).
Over the next 20 years, the number of Texans older than 65 will increase 81 percent, thanks to the post World War II baby-boom generation, the largest in U.S. and Texas history.
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, December 1999
Figure 7.
Estimated Travis County Population, Ages 60 and Over - 2000 to 2020
Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Similarly, both the number and the percentage of older adults in Travis County are projected to increase. By 2020, the elderly population is expected to increase by 123%, and it is estimated that nearly one of every five Travis County residents will be age 60 or older.
Figure 8.
Estimated Travis County Population (Ages 65 and Older) with Disabilities Who Have Some Difficulty with Activities of Daily Living - 1990 to 2030
Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Along with an increase in the elderly population, it is estimated that the number of older adults with disabilities affecting their Activities of daily living (ADLs) will more than double in the next 20 years. (See Figure 8.)
The number of males surviving into old age in Texas is also projected to increase. In 2000, men ages 60 and older comprise only 42% of the Texas population. By 2030, however, males are projected to comprise 46% of the elderly population (Texas Department on Aging, March 2000).
Similarly, the racial and ethnic composition of the elderly population is expected to change. While Whites currently comprise 71% of the elderly population in Texas, ethnic and racial minorities are expected to constitute a majority (51%) of the elderly population in 2030.
Table 2.
Findings and Recommendations
