Introduction

According to the Administration on Aging, 14.5 percent, or about one in every seven Americans, was 65 years old or older in 2014. This translates to 46.2 million seniors, a 28 percent increase since 2004. This proportion of older adults is expected to grow to 21.7 percent of the population by 2040. Not only will the next generation of seniors rapidly grow in numbers, but according to last year’s America’s Health Rankings® Senior Report, the next group of seniors are projected to have a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes, and a lower prevalence of high health status. The increasing number of older adults combined with the growing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases threaten to create serious challenges for our health care system. In order to learn where and how to take action to improve the health of current and future seniors, we assessed the current status of senior health in the fifth edition of America’s Health Rankings Senior Report.

The report offers a comprehensive and convenient analysis of senior population health on a national and state-by-state basis. It includes 34 measures of health and well-being, all selected under the guidance of an advisory group of experts in the fields of aging and senior health. Comprehensive rankings were calculated as well as rankings for each individual measure. Where available, subpopulation data were analyzed to gain a clearer picture of health within each state.

Now in its fifth year, the report serves to:
Provide a benchmark for senior population health by state. State-level data allow community leaders, public health officials and policymakers to monitor health trends over time and to compare senior health measures with other states and the nation.
Stimulate discussion and action to improve senior population health. The report’s purpose is to kindle and continue to fuel dialogue and action among individuals, community leaders, the media, policymakers and public health officials by providing accurate, reliable and trustworthy information based on a holistic view of health.
This year, America’s Health Rankings Senior Report presents five years of senior health data, allowing for the examination of national- and state-level trends. Each year we also present the strengths, challenges and highlights of every state to facilitate a shared discussion on improving senior population health.

This report continues to build an informational foundation that creates awareness about senior health in every state — the next and most vital step is to take action. 

America’s Health Rankings model of health includes two types of measures — determinants and outcomes. Determinants are personal, social, economic and environmental factors that influence the future health of the population, whereas outcomes represent the current health status of the population. For a state to improve the health of its older population, efforts should focus on improving health determinants. The four categories of health determinants are behaviors, community & environment, policy and clinical care. The measures of senior health chosen for this report are interdependent and are related to what we do, where we live, the care we receive, and outcomes we experience. For example, a community’s effort to reduce physical inactivity could affect obesity, management of joint pain, frequency of falls and effectiveness of diabetes management, to name a few.
Selection Process for the 34 Measures
The selection of the 34 measures that make up America’s Health Rankings Senior Report is driven by these five factors:
The measures represent a broad range of issues that affect senior health.
Individual measures meet commonly accepted health-measurement criteria.
Data are available at the state level.
Data are current and updated periodically.
The aspect being measured is amenable to change.
While imperfect, these 34 measures are some of the best available indicators of health determinants and outcomes affecting senior health. An additional seven supplemental measures are provided to better describe the health of seniors in each state. Where available, measures are stratified by various subpopulations, such as gender and race, for a more in-depth look within each state.
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