By the year 2000, Americans aged 65 years and over are expected to constitute 13 percent of the total population of the United States; this compared with 7 percent in 1950 and 12 and 1/2 percent in 1988 (American Association of Retired Persons, 1989; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1989). By the year 2030, the proportion of older Americans is expected to have risen to 20 percent (Neidhardt & Allen, 1993).
Moreover, Longino (1988) reports that the population of the "oldest old" (people 85 years and above) has increased 165 percent in the last 22 years. Specifically, Longino notes that in 1980, people over 85 numbered 2.3 million; in 2000, they are expected to number 5.4 million, and in 2040, 13 million.
This "graying" of the American population is believed to have two causes. The first cause is the high birthrates of the late 1800s and the mid-1900s in combination with the high immigration rates of the twentieth century. The second cause is the medical advances that have lengthened life expectancy. In other words, as a result of medical advances, fewer people die young, and new medicines and procedures now save many people who once would have succumbed to various illnesses.
The elderly, as might be expected, are major users of health services. According to Papalia and Olds (1992):
(1) People 65 years of age and above average 9.1 physician visits per year.
(2) Although the elderly comprise about 12 and 1/2 percent of the population and are responsible for 19.6 percent of physician visits.
(3) People between 65 and 74 years of age have an average hospital stay of 8.2 days whereas people between 75 and 84 average about 9.1 days while people 85 and above stay about 9.6 days. The average hospital stay for younger people is about 7.1 days.
Papalia and Olds (1992) also report that health care costs for the elderly are approximately one-third of the nation's total health care expenditures. Of these costs, the eld...