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Quick Facts About Aging in NC

General Population Data

The number of persons aged 65+ in NC increased 21.1% between 1990 and 2000. [1]

NC's older population is projected to more than double from 2000 to 2030. The very old population (85+) is projected to much more than double, increasing 150%. [1]

The 65+ age cohort is expected to increase to approximately 18% of North Carolina's population by 2030. All other age cohorts are expected to decline in their proportions of the state total. [3]

NC ranked 12th among states in the growth rate of the 65+ population from 1990-2000. During the period from 2000-2030, this rank will fall to 19th. [2, 21]

The median age in NC increased from 26.5 years in 1970 to 35.3 years in 2000. By 2030, it is projected to be 38.2 years. [1, 22]

Life expectancy in North Carolina is approximately 75.6 years. In general, women live longer than men, and white North Carolinians live longer than persons of minority races (2003). [5]

Socioeconomic Factors

The percentage of NC adults 65+ living in poverty decreased to 13.2% in 1999 (from 19.5% in 1989), but this was still higher than the national average of 9.9%. Members of minority races, women, and persons living alone are over-represented among those
living in poverty. [4, 5]

In 2000, 41.6% of adults aged 65+ did not have a high school degree. [6]

About half of older adults in NC live in rural areas (2003). [7]

In North Carolina, over 14% of people age 65 and older are employed in the labor force (2003). [7]

Race & Gender

The median age of all minorities in North Carolina is projected to increase at a greater rate than for the general population, from 30.4 years in 2000 to 35.1 years in 2030. [1]

About 18% of older adults in NC are minorities (2004). [6]

North Carolina has a significantly higher percentage of black elderly (16%) than the overall U.S. (8%). In contrast, North Carolina has a much lower percentage of Hispanic elderly (0.6%) than the overall U.S. (5%) (2004). [6]

Older women significantly outnumber older men; they represent 61% of the 65+ population and 74% of the 85+ population in NC (2004). [6]

North Carolina women age 75+ are twice as likely to be poor as men the same age (2004). [6]

In North Carolina, minority men and women don't live as long as whites, yet they have more years of poor health (2004). [17]

Health & Health Care

Less than 1% of older North Carolinians do not have health insurance, compared with the 15% uninsured among those between ages 50 and 65 (2004). [6, 19]

Approximately 52% of older North Carolinians had no coverage for prescription drugs in 2001. This was significantly higher than the national estimate of 31%. [12]

In 2003, North Carolina spent $1.8 billion on Medicaid for the elderly. While this population represents 13.9% of the total Medicaid recipients, they received 27.4% of the total Medicaid resources. [18]

45.7% of NC adults aged 65 and over have a disability (2004). [4, 6]

The leading causes of death among North Carolinians age 65 and older during 2004 were, in order, heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic respiratory disease and Alzheimer's Disease. [23]

Chronic diseases are responsible for 65 percent of all deaths in North Carolina (2003). [20]

More than half (55%) of those ages 55 and older have been diagnosed with arthritis/joint problems. Of those with arthritis, 28 percent reported that arthritis adversely affected their usual activities and/or the nature and amount of work that they perform (2003). [20]

In North Carolina, only 24.5 percent of adults age 65 and over meet recommended levels of exercise (i.e., 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week). North Carolina ranks among the bottom ten states in this category (2003). [7, 20]

The incidence of all types of cases of Alzheimer's Disease (mild, moderate and severe) in NC is projected to increase by 64.2% from 2000 to 2020. [10]

Less than 25% of NC hospitals reported having a hospice program in 2000, and the median length of stay in hospice for NC residents in 2001 was only 32 days, less than half of the 60 days considered ideal. [11]

There are 175 certified geriatricians in North Carolina (2006). The state has 3.6 geriatricians per 10,000 population age 75+ (compared to 3.8 nationwide). [13]

Caregiving & Long Term Care

In 2000, about 17% of North Carolinians had cared for a person age 60 or older during the previous month, which was higher than the national average (15.7 percent). [6]

North Carolina will need more than 21,000 additional nurse aides and other paraprofessionals to meet the long term care needs of its older adults over the next 5 years (2001). [8]

Since 1990, NC's long-term care spending for older adults has increased from approximately $486 million to $1.38 billion in SFY 2000 (185%). [9]

Over 40% of NC residents in nursing homes were reported to be in persistent pain in 1999. [11]

Family Issues

North Carolina ranks 11th in the number of multi-generational households in the nation, with 101,544 multi-generational households out of a total of 3,132,013 households in the state (2000). [15]

Half of grandparents in NC living with their grandchildren reported themselves as having primary responsibility for their grandchildren's care (2002). [4]

Migration

Among the 8 southeastern states, NC was second only to Florida for net in-migration of people aged 65+ (21,000 between 1995 and 2000). Nearly 65% of these in-migrants were in the 65-74 age group. [16]

NC has the 6th highest net migration rate of the 65+ population in the U.S. for the 5-year period from 1995-2000, and the 3rd highest rate for the 60+ age group for the 15-year period from 1985-2000.[16]


 

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an interinstitutional program of the University of North Carolina based at UNC Chapel Hill
This page was last modified on: Thursday, 10-Jul-2008 15:41:04 EDT

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