Executive Summary

The 2017 America’s Health Rankings® Senior Report provides a comprehensive analysis of senior population health on a national and state-by-state basis across 34 measures of senior health. This report’s model is based on the historical America’s Health Rankings model of health and was adapted in 2013 for the senior population under the guidance of an advisory group of experts in the fields of aging and senior health. The 2017 edition marks the fifth publication of this meaningful report, which continues to serve as a benchmark of senior health for individuals, community leaders, policymakers, media and public health professionals. 
Successes and Challenges in Senior Health
In this year’s report, we observed national improvements in several clinical care measures, and challenges in community & environment measures related to nutrition and access to healthy foods. Notably, the premature death rate among seniors increased in the past year after three consecutive years of decline, a trend that mirrors the trajectory of years of potential life lost before age 75 in the general population, as was reported in the December 2016 release of America’s Health Rankings Annual Report.
Nationally, clinical care measures — hospital readmissions, preventable hospitalizations, hospital deaths and hospice care use — have improved since the first Senior Report was published in 2013. In many cases, these are promising trends that reflect consistent improvements each year from 2013 to 2017. Improvements were also made in the outcome measures intensive care unit (ICU) use and hip fracture hospitalizations.
In the past year: 
Preventable hospitalizations decreased 7 percent from 53.8 to 49.9 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, continuing a four-year decline. 
Since the 2013 edition:
Hospital readmissions decreased 7 percent, from 15.9 percent to 14.8 percent of hospitalized Medicare enrollees. 
Hospital deaths decreased 30 percent from 30.1 percent to 21.0 percent and hospice care use increased 42 percent from 36.7 percent to 52.0 percent of chronically ill Medicare decedents aged 65 years and older. 
ICU use in the last six months of life decreased 9 percent from 15.2 percent to 13.8 percent of Medicare decedents aged 65 years and older.
The hip fracture hospitalization rate decreased 21 percent from 7.3 to 5.8 hospitalizations per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, continuing a four-year decline.
As a nation, obesity, nutrition and access to healthy food remain challenges for seniors. Obesity and food insecurity both increased, while Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reach and community support expenditures decreased. 
In the past year:
Obesity prevalence rose to 27.6 percent of adults aged 65 years and older in 2017, representing a five-year high. 
Food insecurity rose to 15.8 percent of adults aged 60 years and older. 
Community support funding for public nutrition, transportation, and other social services for seniors aged 60 and older living in poverty decreased 6 percent.
In the past two years, SNAP reach decreased 7 percent from 75.2 percent to 70.1 percent of adults aged 60 years and older living in poverty.
2017 Senior Health Rankings
The Senior Report ranks each state across 26 measures of health determinants and eight measures of health outcomes. The healthiest states for seniors are spread throughout the United States, while the least-healthy states are clustered in the southern region.

Minnesota ranks as the healthiest state for seniors this year. The state held the top spot in the first two years of the Senior Report. Utah improved to second, while Hawaii (third), Colorado (fourth) and New Hampshire (fifth) round out the top five states in 2017. 

Mississippi ranks 50th this year. The state also held this ranking in the first two years of the Senior Report. Kentucky (49th), Oklahoma (48th), Louisiana (47th) and Arkansas (46th) round out the bottom five states, representing the states with the greatest opportunities for improvement. 

California made the greatest improvement in rank in one year, rising 12 spots from 28th to 16th. South Dakota also made great strides this year, rising 10 spots from 25th to 15th. Pennsylvania and Alaska both dropped eight spots, now ranking 26th and 29th, respectively.
Improving the Health of Our Nation’s Seniors
With this report, United Health Foundation equips stakeholders with five years of senior health and well-being data that encourages continued conversations among policymakers, public health officials and community leaders, and drives action to promote better health for our nation’s seniors. As a nation, we have experienced impressive improvements in critical areas of senior health since the launch of the first America’s Health Rankings Senior Report in 2013. With this year’s report, we are reminded of persistent social and economic barriers to proper nutrition and access to healthy foods, and continued successes in measures of clinical care.
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